La Liga 2021/22 Matchweek 15 preview, best bets & top odds

Real Madrid has taken over first place on the La Liga table and will look to retain its new spot with a win this Saturday at home against Sevilla. Other intriguing matchups this weekend include Villarreal vs Barcelona and Espanyol vs Real Sociedad, both of which feature in our best bets for Matchweek 15.

Villarreal vs Barcelona

Villarreal (3-7-3) has been a draw machine this season, picking up ties in seven of 13 matches. Barcelona (5-5-3) just snapped a four-match winless streak with a 1-0 victory at home over Espanyol after playing to draws in its previous two matches on the road against Celta Viga and at home against Alaves.

We like both the UNDER and the draw odds in this one. Barcelona has scored one goal or less in four of its last five matches, and Villarreal has done the same in five of its last six matches. A 1-1 draw seems like a very likely final score in this one, while a 1-0 victory going either way wouldn’t be a surprise either. The draw odds are worth consideration, but we’ll cover more ground with a bet on the UNDER.

Espanyol vs Real Sociedad

Real Sociedad (8-5-1) had 63% of the possession in its match last weekend against Valencia but was unable to break through in a 0-0 draw. Sociedad is still unbeaten in its last 13 matches, but four of the club’s last seven games have ended in draws instead of wins. Espanyol (4-5-5) dropped to 1-2-2 over its last five games with a 1-0 loss to Barcelona on Saturday.

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In the last three matches between these two clubs, Real Sociedad is a perfect 3-0-0. Sociedad is also 5-0-0 this season in its five matches coming off a loss or a draw. And with 2-0 wins in each of Sociedad’s last two road games, there isn’t much reason for concern about this game being played away from home. The odds on Real Sociedad to win this matchup make the superior road team well worth a shot.

Real Madrid vs Sevilla

Real Madrid (9-3-1) jumped to the top of the La Liga standings with its third straight win on Sunday, rolling to a 4-1 road victory over Granada. Ivan Rakitic’s goal in the 92nd minute of last Saturday’s match against Alaves helped Sevilla (8-4-1) to avoid an upset loss with a 2-2 draw. These two clubs enter their matchup on Sunday with the best records in La Liga and the best goal differentials as well, with Real Madrid sitting at +18 and Sevilla sporting a +14.

This is a tough match to cap. On the one hand, Real Madrid’s superior attack led by Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior, along with the fact that this game is being played in the Spanish capital, should propel the home club to a win. On the other hand, Sevilla’s outstanding defense has conceded only nine goals this season, and the price is tempting on the road club at +0.5. It’s close, but we believe that Real Madrid will rise to the occasion and win this one often enough to make them worth betting on.