La Liga 2021/22 Matchweek 34 best bets & top odds

Fresh off of a thrilling UEFA Champions League semi-finals match against Manchester City, Real Madrid returns to La Liga action this Saturday hosting Espanyol in Matchweek 34. Here’s a look at that matchup along with our plays in Saturday’s Alaves vs Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao vs Atletico Madrid matches in this weekend’s La Liga betting picks.

Real Madrid vs Espanyol

Real Madrid (24-6-3) moved one step closer to clinching its 35th La Liga title with a 3-1 road win over Osasuna last Wednesday. Madrid is 8-0-1 over its last nine matches, and thanks to Barcelona’s stunning loss to Rayo Vallecano, the club now only needs one single point to secure the league championship. Espanyol (10-9-14) has lost two straight matches since going 3-1-1 over its previous five games.

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If it weren’t for the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid would be the obvious pick here at home. But Madrid is coming off of a draining 4-3 loss on Tuesday and will almost certainly be looking ahead to its next leg against Man City coming up this Wednesday. Espanyol meanwhile has been playing tight soccer in recent weeks and has lost by more than one goal only once in its last 11 matches. Look for Espanyol to lose by only one goal or even to scratch out a draw in this one, making them a solid play against the spread.

Deportivo Alaves vs Villarreal

Villarreal (14-10-9) has shaken off its recent 1-1-3 slump with two straight wins over Getafe and Valencia. The club was red-hot prior to that March slump with an 8-2-1 record over its previous 11 matches. Deportivo Alaves (6-7-20) meanwhile is well on its way to relegation, sitting in dead last in the standings and entering Matchweek 34 with a 1-0-5 record over its last six games after losing to Mallorca 2-1 last Tuesday.

There isn’t much reason to dislike Villarreal in this spot. The club beat Alaves easily in a 5-2 victory when these two clubs last met in December. Its true that Villarreal had lost three straight road games prior to its 2-1 win over Getafe, but facing La Liga’s worst team is another road test that Villarreal can probably pass. Getting better than even money odds on the clearly superior team is too tough to pass up on.

Athletic Bilbao vs Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid (18-7-8) was forced to settle for only one point in a 0-0 draw against Grenada last Wednesday. Despite the disappointing result, Atletico is still 7-1-1 over its last nine matches including a 3-0-1 record on the road. Athletic Bilbao (12-12-9) defeated Cadiz 3-2 on the road last Thursday and will enter this weekend with a 7-3-4 record over its last 14 matches.

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These two clubs played to a 0-0 draw when they last met in September. Another low-scoring game will likely be on tap this Saturday, though this time around we’re siding with Athletic Bilbao to pull off an upset as +215 home underdogs. Athletic has been far better at home with an 8-3-5 record than it has been on the road with a 4-9-4 record, so the change in venue could help push the club over the top in this one.

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