Another weekend equals another fresh schedule for some soccer betting action, and we’re here to supplement your betting needs for this weekend’s highlight fixtures across Europe’s top-flight leagues.
Continue reading our betting previews and soccer odds from the Spanish La Liga and the Serie A fixtures involving Valencia vs. Barcelona, Napoli vs. Cagliari, and some extra best bets across both leagues for good measure.
Picks Summary
- Barcelona ML (-150) at Bet365
- Napoli-Cagliari Under 3.5 Goals (-190) at Caesars Sportsbook
Valencia CF vs. FC Barcelona
Saturday, December 16, 2023 – 03:00 PM ET at Mestalla
Valencia
Valencia ended the previous season in 16th place in Spain’s premier league, marking their lowest final position since being demoted to the Segunda Division in 1985-86. Consequently, there is enough opportunity for progress in the current season, and despite their recent challenges, there have been promising developments.
Los Che will have a clear advantage in terms of freshness compared to Barca in this match. However, they have suffered defeats in their past five La Liga meetings against Barcelona, including 1-0 losses both at home and away last season. Their most recent triumph over Barcelona was a 2-0 win in January 2020.
Barcelona
Barcelona’s unexpected 4-2 setback last weekend resulted in them occupying the fourth position in the La Liga table, trailing the team that beat them and the current leaders, Girona, by a margin of seven points.
The current title holders of La Liga have failed to win in six out of their 16 domestic matches this season. However, their advancement to the round of 16 in the Champions League is a significant achievement, especially considering their elimination in the group stage in the previous two seasons.
Barcelona must avoid making further errors in La Liga, as failing to secure consecutive victories over Valencia and Rayo Vallecano in their next matches before the Christmas break might place Xavi in a challenging situation.
La Liga Matchday 17 Prediction, Odds, & Trends
Given Barcelona’s two consecutive losses in all competitions, La Liga betting odds are gifting us a reasonable price on this weekend’s traveling squad.
Barcelona frequently achieves favorable outcomes when they are most crucial, and we have confidence in Xavi to secure a significant victory on Saturday evening. Valencia’s absence of key players may have detrimental consequences, while Barcelona will be fuelled by heightened determination in this game due to their previous unsatisfactory performances.
Score Prediction: Valencia 1 – Barcelona 2
Soccer Pick: Barcelona ML (-150) at Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
SSC Napoli vs. Cagliari Calcio
Saturday, December 16, 2023 – 12:00 PM ET at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona
Napoli
Napoli’s position in the rankings has declined to sixth place. Instead of focusing on catching up to the leading team, Inter, their main objective will be to secure a top-four finish and qualify for the Champions League in the upcoming season.
However, they have only gotten one point from their past four Serie A home games, resulting in the highest negative disparity between points earned at home and away among Europe’s top five leagues.
Although Napoli has only accumulated seven points from seven matches at the Maradona stadium, compared to 17 points away from home, they remain optimistic about defeating their upcoming opponents. This confidence stems from their previous encounters with Cagliari, as Napoli has only lost once in their 24 league meetings. Furthermore, they have emerged victorious in 16 of these matches and managed to keep a clean sheet in 12 of them.
Cagliari
Cagliari has scored the most goals after the 85th minute in Serie A matches this season, with a total of six, equal to Roma. This resilient attitude has been instrumental in Claudio Ranieri’s team climbing from last place to 16th position in the league standings.
After breaking a streak of three winless games, Ranieri will now guide his team to Naples, where he previously served as manager more than thirty years ago. However, he must recognize that his current club doesn’t boast the best record when traveling to the Armando Maradona.
Serie A Matchday 16 Prediction, Best Bet, & Trends
The Serie A moneyline odds aren’t holding much value, but given the low-scoring nature these two clubs have seen in the past, supporting the under 3.5 goals at -190 feels like a steal.
Despite a horrid stretch of home form this term, the hosts should have enough to take all three points. Cagliari has been lackluster on the road, but again, backing a low-scoring affair is safer.
Under 2.5 goals has landed in 5 of the previous 6 encounters between these sides, and we’ve got some added leeway with the under 3.5; perfecto!
Score Prediction: Napoli 2 – Cagliari 0
Soccer Pick: Under 3.5 Goals (-190) at Caesars Sportsbook (check our Caesars Sportsbook Review)
Extra European Soccer Best Bets
AC Milan vs. AC Monza – Serie A
- When: Sunday, December 17 – 06:30 AM ET
- Best Bet: Milan ML (-165) Caesars Sportsbook
Real Madrid vs. Villareal CF – La Liga
- When: Sunday, December 17 – 03:00 PM ET
- Best Bet: Villareal +2 Handicap (+110) at Bet365
*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
