La Liga 2021/22 Matchweek 10 preview & El Clasico betting picks

All eyes will be on El Clasico as Barcelona hosts Real Madrid in the top match for Matchweek of the 2021/22 La Liga season. We’ve made a selection in that match and also have picks in the Real Betis vs Rayo Vallecano and Atletico Madrid vs Real Sociedad games in this weekend’s La Liga soccer betting predictions.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid

Real Madrid (5-2-1) suffered an ugly loss in its last La Liga match against Espanyol, dropping the game 2-1 just five days after being stunned by Sheriff in a 2-1 loss at home in the UEFA Champions League. Madrid returned to action after a two-week break on Tuesday in UEFA play and rolled to a 5-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk. Barcelona (4-3-1) most recently defeated Valencia 3-1 after going just 1-2-1 over its previous four league matches.

This weekend’s El Clasico is being listed as a pick’em with both squads going off at -110 on the two-way line and at +160 each on the three-way line (with draw odds set at +275). At a neutral location Madrid would be the favorite, but Barcelona has been much better at home this season with a 4-1-0 record and a +8 goal differential than they have on the road at 0-2-1 with a -2.

Will the home field advantage of Camp Nou be enough to swing this one in Barcelona’s favor? We’re leaning no. Real Madrid has been excellent on the road this season with a 3-1-1 record and is 3-0 in its last three matches against Barcelona. This should be a competitive and fun matchup that could go either way, but we’ll take our chances on Madrid coming out on top.

Real Betis vs Rayo Vallecano

Real Betis (4-3-2) and Rayo Vallecano (5-1-3) are both within striking distance of a top-five spot on the Liga table. Since opening the season with back-to-back losses, Rayo has bounced back to go 5-1-1 over its last seven matches with a +10 goal differential over that stretch. Real Betis has also been playing well of late with a 3-1 record over its last four matches.

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We will happily take a shot on Rayo at a pretty big price in what looks on paper like a competitive game. Radamel Falcao and Alvaro Garcia lead an offense that has produced 15 goals in nine matches, third in goals per game to only Real Madrid and Barcelona. That form gives Rayo Vallecano a real shot at an upset here.

Atletico Madrid vs Real Sociedad

In a matchup that is being overshadowed by El Clasico, two of La Liga’s top-four teams collide as Atletico Madrid (5-2-1) visits Real Sociedad (6-2-1). Atletico picked up a 2-0 win in its last La Liga match against Barcelona to shake off its surprising 1-0 loss to Alaves the weekend before.

Atletico is 10-1-3 in its last 14 matches against Real Sociedad. That trend of success is likely to continue this Sunday. Sociedad deserves credit for making the most of its soft schedule to date, but this will be the most difficult test this club has faced since losing 4-2 to Barcelona in its season opener. We anticipate that Atletico Madrid will take care of business at home.