All eyes in the soccer world on Saturday will be on the La Liga in Spain, the top division in the soccer world. The championship has come down to the final day of action with blood rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid still in competition for it. Sadly, they aren’t playing each other on Saturday. Barcelona is a -1400 favorite on sports betting odds to win the La Liga and Real Madrid — which already has clinched a spot in the Champions League final in a couple of weeks — is +600.
A Look at Barcelona’s Heavy Soccer Odds To Clinch La Liga Title
La Liga has been the top league in Europe over the last five years, according to UEFA’s league coefficient, and La Liga clubs have been the top-rated team in Europe more than double that of any other league. La Liga teams have won the most UEFA Champions League titles than any other league with 15 and Real Madrid has won it more than any other club with 10.
Real Madrid and Barcelona have dominated the La Liga over the years. Real Madrid has won the title 32 times and finished second 22. Barcelona won a 23rd title last year and has been runner-up 24 times.
Barcelona, which once led La Liga by nine points this season, now has 88 points, just one ahead of Real Madrid. Barcelona faces Granada on Saturday, which has nothing to play for and is 16th in the table with just 39 points. Real Madrid visits Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday. Deportivo is 13th in the table with 42 points.
Barca can make things simple as a win over Granada would clinch the title. There are rumors that Real Madrid is offering bonuses to Granada players if they were to pull the upset. Granada goalkeeper Ivan Kevala was quoted this week as admitting there was a possibility of Madrid giving his side a bonus if they beat Barcelona. He later denied having said such a thing and clarified his position saying: “We are professionals and we play for ourselves. I have a bonus from my own club and that is all I’m interested in.”
Obviously a rival team paying players from another team bonuses is against the rules — it’s called paying “briefcases.” But it has been a part of Spanish soccer for years. The Spanish tax organization reportedly has 22 inspectors on the lookout all season for irregular payments to players.
Barca also wins the title with a draw or loss vs. Granada as long as Real Madrid doesn’t beat Deportivo. That’s because Barca holds the tiebreaker with Real Madrid with a 5-2 goals aggregate advantage in the clubs’ two split meetings during the season. Barca is -1000 on soccer odds to beat Granada, which is +1800. A draw is +950.
Real Madrid obviously must win and have Barca lose or tie. Real Madrid is -500 on soccer odds with Deportivo at +900 and a draw at +675. The two matches will start at the same time on Saturday so there’s no funny business. Real Madrid will get back star Gareth Bale for the match. The 26-year-old missed last Sunday’s 3-2 home victory against Valencia with a knee injury.
Real Madrid beat Deportivo 5-0 back in January. Barca beat Granada 4-0 on the same day. Another race to watch is that of the “Pichichi” or top goal scorer. Barcelona’s Luis Suarez leads Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo 37-33.
Expert Betting Predictions
Both favorites take care of business, leaving Barca as champions.
