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Barcelona lost their first game of the season on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu in El Clásico. It was a poor performance from the Blaugrana. Their defensive flaws were on display as they could not contain the Real Madrid attack. This performance came right on the heels of their 3-3 draw against Inter Milan at home.
It will be a quick turnaround for Villarreal as they played at home on Monday, and now have to travel to Camp Nou in just three days to face Barcelona. Fatigue could play a factor in this contest for the visitors, who sit seventh in the La Liga table with 15 points.
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Let’s dive into the best bets and odds for this weekend’s matchup between Barcelona and Villarreal.
Ani Sridhar’s 2022-23 La Liga Betting Record: 17-16 (+3.65 Units)
Barcelona vs Villarreal Odds
3-way handicap: Barcelona (-210) | Draw (+380) | Villarreal (+475)
Over/Under Goals: Over 3.5 ( +125) | Under 3.5 (-175)
Both Teams to Score: Yes (-150) | No (+105)
Barcelona vs Villarreal odds are current as of Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 10 a.m. ET on BetMGM Sportsbook.
The oddsmakers are expecting a high-scoring game at the Camp Nou when Barcelona and Villarreal face off. They also expect the home side to grab all three points from the match.
Barcelona vs Villarreal Betting Tips
Under Unai Emery, Villarreal has been a very strong defensive side, relying on their midfielders to track back and offer support to the backline.
Their offensive strategy has always been to play from the back with their wingbacks pushing up the field, resulting in the wingers moving to the inside.
This season they have mostly played in the 4-4-2 formation with Arnaut Danjuma leading the attack on the left wing.
The Yellow Submarine have only conceded three goals in the league this season, which is the best in La Liga. Barcelona is right behind them, having conceded just four goals through nine games.
Before El Clásico, Barca had only conceded one goal in their previous eight matches.
When the two sides faced off in May at the Camp Nou, Villarreal came away with a 2-0 victory. Before that game, the previous five head-to-head fixtures were won by Barcelona.
Xavi will most likely look to rotate his lineup with another La Liga match this weekend and a crucial match against Bayern Munich next week.
He could have Memphis Depay available for the first time since the international break, but Andreas Christensen looks to miss out again. Barcelona should win this game at home, but it could be high-scoring with their new backline still figuring out how to play with their starters sidelined with injuries.
Barcelona vs Villarreal Prediction
Barcelona 3-1 Villarreal
The Blaugrana have yet to lose at home this season and will look to rebound after the thumping they received from Real Madrid over the weekend.
Even if Xavi rotates the lineup, Depay, Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati are all dangerous on the attack. Back the Catalans to secure all three points at home.
Barcelona vs Villarreal Best Bets
➕ Barcelona to Win and Over 2.5 Combined Goals Scored (+100) at BetMGM Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
The Barcelona offense should bounce back in this contest and get back to their early season success. Their defense has also been shaky, so it would not be surprising if Villarreal found the back of the net as well.
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➕ Over 9.5 Corners (-115) at BetMGM Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Both teams attack from the wings. This will lead to a lot of crosses to the middle of the box, which will be cleared for corners. It would not be surprising if Barcelona has Over 9.5 corners by themselves. This is one of my favorite props for this game.
- Bet on this corners prop at BetMGM.