We are just getting into the 19th matchday in LaLiga, which marks the middle point in the season. In this context, we will dive into the last game to see the 4th-placed Barcelona against the 9th, Las Palmas, in their quest to surpass Atletico Madrid.
‘Los Amarillos,’ a team with seven wins, four draws, and seven losses, will host a difficult opponent at home. They’ll try to bounce back from their most recent loss, although they have been excellent in their return to the first division.
‘Los Blaugranas’ are in a tight spot, tied for third place with eleven wins, five draws, and two losses, and they are coming in from a win, eager to turn it into a streak.
When:
Thursday, January 3rd, 3:30 pm ET at Gran Canaria
Moneyline odds:
Las Palmas 5.50
Barcelona 1.52
Draw Offs:
4.00
Where Can I Watch?
Why Bet on Las Palmas?
Las Palmas is coming into this match after a loss against the 5th-placed team in Athletic Club, following a 1-1 draw against the 17th-placed Cadiz. However, before that, they had two wins in a row, which confirmed that this team will have a quiet return season to LaLiga.
The Insulares have been surprising, as promoted teams tend to suffer a lot in their transition to the Spanish first división but, more than that, the standout point has been their defense. With 15 goals against, this team has the second-best defense in the league. Thanks to this excellent level, the below-par performance of its attack (15 goals, third worst in all the competition) has not been much of an issue.
That is not a system issue. This team doesn’t sit deep with a tight defensive block. On the contrary, it likes to fight for possession no matter the rival and had more than 50% in almost all its games. That makes us believe that, with more precise strikers, this team could be easily fighting for a European competition spot.
Why Bet on Barcelona?
Barcelona came from winning against a poor Almeria side, but they need to build upon that. After their meltdown against the surprising Girona, this team’s hopes for the title seemed to melt, but they still have a chance to prove doubters wrong.
The main problem for the ‘Culés’ has been the irregularity, as with 34 goals in favor, they have a healthy attack but are incapable of showing it against deep defensive blocks. In resume, they win some games by a good amount of goals and lose others with a sub-par offensive performance. The fall from grace for Lewandowski (8 goals and four assists) has been the principal issue in this regard, as the striker has not been the same since the World Cup.
To this situation, we must add that the team has received goals in all their last five games, so the defense seems willing to add salt to the injury.
Final Betting Analysis: Las Palmas vs. Barcelona
This game will be difficult for Barça. A team showing many doubts in attack will have to penetrate an efficient defensive block. If the visitors don’t find the goal early, the frustration may pill up, something that this team from Las Palmas loves.
However, the poor attack of the locals will play its role in giving life to the ‘Culés,’ so we doubt they have what it takes to upset Barcelona. In this sense, we expect a game with few goals and believe that the visitors will find a 0-1 triumph.
Go for a victory for the visitors at 1.52. If you bet $100 at such odds, you could get $52 for a total payout of $152.
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