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PT Last Updated on February 2, 2023 9:26 pm by Erwin Noguera
LaLiga has just hit past the halfway mark on its matchdays, as we are just hitting 20 out of 38, which means that all teams are going to have to push harder to either get closer to the top or to build more space ahead from the rest.
FC Barcelona is sitting at the top, looking down with a 5 points lead over the 2nd placed Real Madrid, who is also having a great season but may have trouble catching up.
Real Sociedad has continued their ride on the 3rd place and is 6 points behind Real Madrid, but seem to be quite comfortable having a 5 points lead over the 4th spot.
Atletico Madrid managed to come out in the 4th place, with a 3-point lead to keep away from the fight brewing from the 5th to 8th spots.
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Villarreal and Real Betis are the teams fighting over the Europa League and Europa Conference spots, but Rayo Vallecano is close behind, needing 2 points to catch up.
Cadiz, Getafe, and Elche are the 3 teams placed on the bottom and as such, are considered for relegation.
We will have a preview of the best matches of this 20th LaLiga Santander matchday, with their respective betting odds and our free picks.
LaLiga Santander Matchday 20 – Preview – Villareal vs. Elche – Info
When:
Saturday, February 4th at 9:15 am ET at Martínez Valero Stadium
Moneyline odds:
Villarreal -142
Elche +390
Draw Offs:
+285
Where Can Stream?
Elche has picked up just six points from 19 La Liga matches this season, with those six points being earned courtesy of six draws, with the team incredibly still waiting for their first league success of the campaign.
The strugglers are actually without a win in Spain’s top flight since the end of May, and they will enter this match off the back of a 3-0 defeat to Sevilla last weekend.
Villarreal, meanwhile, will also enter this match off the back of a defeat, having suffered a surprise 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano in Spain’s top flight on Monday.
The Villarreal team sits only three points behind fourth-placed Atletico, but they are just three ahead of eighth-placed Osasuna, so their position could change enormously with a couple of positive or negative results.
Elche will not go the whole season without winning a match, but we are finding it very difficult to back the home side to pick up a positive result here.
Villarreal needs to put a victory on the board to stay in touch with the top four, and we are fully expecting the visitors to secure all three points in this contest.
Villarreal vs. Elche Betting Pick: Villarreal
LaLiga Santander Matchday 20 – Preview – Real Betis vs. Celta Vigo – Info
When:
Saturday, February 4th at 2:00 pm ET at Benito Villamarin Stadium
Moneyline odds:
Real Betis +125
Celta Vigo +244
Draw Offs:
+216
Where Can Stream?
Real Betis have now lost four of their last five matches in all competitions during a difficult run, including a 2-1 home reverse to Barcelona in LaLiga on Wednesday, with second-half goals from Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski proving to be enough for the visitors to triumph.
The Green and Whites are still enjoying a strong La Liga campaign, though, picking up 31 points from 19 matches courtesy of a record of nine wins, four draws, and six defeats.
Celta, meanwhile, will enter the contest off the back of a 1-0 victory over Athletic on Sunday, with Iago Aspas netting the only goal of the match in the 71st minute.
The result moved the Sky Blues out of the bottom three and into 16th, but they are only one point ahead of 18th-placed Cadiz, with a whole host of sides currently in the relegation mix.
Celta will certainly be the fresher of the two sides entering this match, and they will fancy their chances of making it a difficult game for the hosts.
Real Betis have generally been quite strong at home this term, though, picking up 17 points from nine matches, and Pellegrini’s side will be desperate to bounce back from their loss to Barcelona, so they will likely achieve a 1-0 win to keep things safe.
Real Betis vs. Celta Vigo Betting Pick: Real Betis
LaLiga Santander Matchday 20 – Preview – Rayo Vallecano vs. Almeria – Info
When:
Monday, February 6th at 02:00 pm ET at the Vallecas Stadium
Moneyline odds:
Rayo Vallecano -131
Almeria +370
Draw Offs:
+270
Where Can Stream?
Rayo has been one of the surprises of this LaLiga season, competing at the top of the table and being an awkward side to face due to their physicality.
The traditional yo-yo club is fighting for the dream of European football and doesn’t seems too odd considering the wacky form of some of its closes competitors. However the case, not being involved in a relegation scrap at this point in the season is a breath of fresh air in Vallecas, but they are just 10 points away from Cadiz, so getting too relaxed could be pretty bad.
Almería is another side that is enjoying a somehow successful campaign for its standards, but they are still in the pack of relegation-threatened teams. Things are just too tight in LaLiga at this moment, apart from the usual two suspects, neither side is either too good or too bad (except Elche), so everything could happen, and getting points is important.
Whatever the case, Almeria is a terrible visitor, so go for Rayo’s win.
Rayo Vallecano vs. Almeria Betting Pick: Rayo Vallecano
