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Every team in La Liga now has 16 regular season matches under the belt, as the 19-game halfway point is now just a couple of weeks away. At the top, Barcelona is pulling away from things, currently sitting atop with 29 points and no losses since October 16th. But what’s happening behind them?
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La Liga Matchday 18 Preview & Best Bets (2023)
Let’s take a closer look at a couple of spots I’m dialed in on for this week.
Villareal (-145) vs. Girona FC (+360)
Having not lost a La Liga match since October 20th, Girona has clawed their way out of the basement of La Liga and is in a prime position to avoid relegation. The run hasn’t just been against basement dwellers, either, as they have draws against Rayo Vallecano and Real Madrid, two teams contending for spots in the coveted top five of the table.
For Villareal, a sluggish start to winter where they lost three of four heading into the World Cup has been turned around, as they come into this match on a three-match winning streak. Having knocked off Real Madrid their last time on the pitch 2-1, they come into this one confident, and I believe a bit over-valued.
Expect Girona to draw on confidence of their own, as they battle this one out for a full 90 minutes to a draw.
Pick: Draw (+290)
Elche (+260) vs. Osasuna (+110)
When it comes to clawing out of the basement of La Liga, those hopes are mostly gone for Elche. After a solid start to the season, the bottom has fallen out once again for the team, now on a five-match losing streak that started in October. With no wins since the month of September, Elche isn’t just the worst team in La Liga, but by a wide margin.
Coming into the week, Elche has a goal differential of -24, a clear eight goals worse than the next worst team.
For Osasuna, they haven’t exactly been world beaters, but they do find themselves 8th on the table right now following a strong November that saw three wins. Coming into this match, they have a goal differential of 0 and rely on a defensive back line that has proven to be stable all season long.
To get Osasuna in this spot at plus money, I’ll gladly take that kind of value against an Elche team that is once again awful.
Pick: Osasuna (+110)
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