Chris Boline
Real Madrid took a firm grip on the 2021/22 La Liga season from October onwards, but now begins the hard work of securing their title.
Who do Bettors Favor?
Bettors checking out the odds on the Spanish top division at the best online sportsbook sites will find that Real Madrid has come to dominate the title race. They are heavily favored in the futures betting markets, with a solid five-point lead over Sevilla, their nearest challengers. After Sevilla, there is a big gap back to defending champions Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, who can both be backed at +3500 or more.
| To Win La Liga |  |  |  |
| Real Madrid | -900 | -800 | -800 |
| Sevilla | +530 | +600 | +600 |
| Atletico Madrid | +3000 | +3300 | +2500 |
| Barcelona | +3500 | +4000 | +3300 |
| Real Sociedad | +9000 | +10000 | +8000 |
| Real Betis | +13000 | +15000 | +10000 |
| Villarreal | +36000 | +40000 | +25000 |
Betting on the Spanish League Winner
There was a muddled picture to the league standings in August and September as Barcelona started badly and Real Madrid could find no consistency. But in October, Real finally found their stride and put together a seven-game winning streak up to December that enabled them to take control.
Carlo Ancelotti has never won La Liga but he has an excellent opportunity this season, thanks to improved performances from many in his squad. Karim Benzema is back to his best and fellow striker Vicinius has been a sensation, scoring several important goals, including a crucial winner against one of Real’s main challengers Sevilla in November.
Still, it isn’t over yet. Sevilla has a game in hand over Real and if they win it, they will be only two points behind the leaders. Under Julen Lopetegui, they have so far kept up their strong start to the season, while other rivals have fallen away. The key to their success has been remarkable defensive resilience. They’ve conceded just 13 goals in 20 games so far this season and have only lost twice. Real are deserved favorites, but at the current odds, Sevilla is worth a wager to cause an upset.
La Liga Top Four Futures Betting
For the other team in Madrid, the end of the league season cannot come soon enough. An eight-game unbeaten run-up to the end of November appeared to get them back on course, but then the wheels came off their wagon in spectacular fashion with four straight defeats in December, including crucial losses to Sevilla and local rivals Real. Given their pedigree and the quality in their squad, many bettors may regard them as a lock for a top-four finish, but they look vulnerable at the moment.
And what of Barcelona? They’ve had an improvement of sorts, losing only once in their last ten, but they’ve also been dropping points along the way, and although a top-four finish is possible, like Atletico, there is little value in relying on them at the moment. Instead, Sevilla’s city rivals Real Betis look a more interesting option. The market appears to assume that they will falter, and while they have lost a little form in recent games, they have an experienced manager at the helm who knows what is required to win one of the major European domestic titles.
La Liga Relegation Betting
At the other end of the table, the relegation contenders are beginning to lose ground with the rest of the league and there are already 12 points separating the bottom seven.
Levante is on their third manager of the season and finally earned the first victory with a win over Majorca but they are already six points short of safety and their defensive vulnerability will make it tough to climb out of trouble. Getafe has won six out of seven and has an impressive win over Real Madrid to their name so will probably pull away from trouble, but one team that could yet be sucked into a three-way fight with Alaves and Cadiz is Mallorca.
Currently 15th in the table, Luis Garcia’s team has won only once since mid-October and only two teams in the division – Cadiz and Levante – have a poorer defensive record. They are currently four points above the drop zone but it wouldn’t take much for them to be dragged into the fight and at the current odds, they look an interesting relegation contender.
Juanmi the Bet for the Golden Boot
Real Madrid dominates the scoring charts and of the two main strikers, it is Karim Benzema who has bagged the lion’s share of the goals, understandably, given that he is the most senior of the two, and it is hard to see Vinicius closing a five-goal gap, assuming both stay fit.
Of the other likely contenders for the Top Scorer position, Memphis Depay hasn’t kept up the promise he showed early in the season, and neither Luis Suarez nor Antoine Greizmann of Atletico has shown the sort of consistent form required to challenge, which is understandable, given their team’s struggles.
If you are feeling adventurous, you could consider a small wager on Real Betis’s in-form striker Juanmi, who has scored seven in his last seven and 11 overall from only 13 starts. He has a lot of ground to makeup but his price offers plenty of compensation if you can find a market on the La Liga top scorers with your favorite sportsbook.
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