This week’s selection covers the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, the Scottish Premiership and La Liga. Some of the biggest teams are involved.
| Underdogs to back | Odds |
|---|---|
| Koln vs Union Berlin - Over 2.5 goals | 1.91 |
| Everton vs Arsenal - BTTS | 2.10 |
| Genoa +0.5 vs Atalanta | 1.90 |
| Aberdeen to beat Celtic | 8.00 |
| Villarreal +0.5 vs Barcelona | 2.00 |
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Koln vs Union Berlin - Over 2.5 goals
This game appears set to produce plenty of goals. Union Berlin, as the away side, may be the underdogs. However, they’ll fancy their chances of getting on the scoresheet. All of their last four games saw over 2.5 goals scored. They’ve found the net in six consecutive matches.
Koln’s home matches are often high-scoring as well. They average four goals per game at the RheinEnergieSTADION. Also, 10 of the last 12 have resulted in over 2.5 goals scored. Every home game has seen both teams find the net so far in 2025/26.
Everton vs Arsenal - BTTS
Arsenal have kept plenty of clean sheets this season. They are the understandable favourites as they head to the Hill Dickinson Stadium. However, Everton have reason to be optimistic, having managed just two clean sheets in eight matches. Injuries have left the Gunners’ defence more vulnerable, and there’s a chance the Toffees will cause some problems.
Last year’s meeting ended in a 1-1 draw, and David Moyes hopes for a similar performance. Mikel Arteta has some players back from injury now, which will come as a big boost. It could be a fascinating matchup on Merseyside.
Genoa to win or draw vs Atalanta/Genoa + 0.5 vs Atalanta
Genoa will be confident as they welcome Atalanta to the New Balance Arena this weekend. They’ve drastically improved since the change of manager and haven’t failed to score in any of their last six league games. Looking at expected points, the gap between the sides this season is under two. Meanwhile, La Dea’s away form has been poor, with no wins in five.
While bookies may point to Atalanta’s 4-0 win in the Coppa Italia earlier this month, it’s probably not a fair reflection. Both sides were far from full strength, and Genoa played most of that game with 10 men. We could see an upset at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
Aberdeen to beat Celtic
Wilfried Nancy’s start at Celtic couldn’t have gone much worse. His future is already under scrutiny after only two weeks. He’s lost four games from four — the first time that’s happened to the Bhoys since 1978. They had been on a five-game winning streak before he arrived. However, defeat to Dundee United has left them six points behind Heart of Midlothian.
Hearts are set to be top at Christmas, breaking a long-standing tradition held by Celtic or Rangers every year since 1993. This highlights the struggles of the Old Firm giants this season. Aberdeen will definitely fancy their chances. The Dons are also unbeaten in seven games, so confidence will be high at Pittodrie.
Villarreal to win or draw vs Barcelona/Villarreal + 0.5 vs Barcelona
Barcelona may be leading La Liga, but Villarreal are also in strong form. Marcelino’s men are in third place. They welcome the Blaugrana to Estadio de la Cerámica while on a six-game winning streak. El Submarino Amarillo have also won seven of their eight domestic home games this season. They’ve scored 20 goals and kept five clean sheets.
Barca have struggled against Villarreal in recent meetings. They lost 3-2 in May and 5-3 in January of last year. With home advantage and current form, they could well end the visitors’ lengthy winning run. It’s a fixture worth watching closely.