Real Madrid's La Liga victory during the 2021/2022 season was one of the more lopsided wins since Barcelona won by 11 points during the 2018/2019 season. Real dominated the league, winning by 13 points and a staggering +49 goal differential.
As expected, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid followed behind the winners and the rest of the pack. However, despite the lackluster competition in La Liga, Spanish teams showcased their superiority in the Champions League, with Real Madrid and Villarreal reaching the semifinals and Los Blancos winning the title.
This year once again the race to be crowned champions of Spain is likely to come down to the country's top three teams, although the battle for fourth place looks wide open.
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Real Madrid did not make any significant changes to their Champions League-winning squad but added some key pieces to their defense. On the other hand, Barcelona made several major splashes this summer, making them a force to be reckoned with once again.
Atletico Madrid will always cause problems because of their style of play under manager Diego Simeone, but they will lack the star talent to take down Real and Barcelona this season.
Note: All LA Liga betting odds are current as of Thursday, July 21, at BetMGM Sportsbook.
La Liga Winner Odds 2022
Real Madrid (+110)
FC Barcelona (+135)
Atletico Madrid (+550)
Sevilla FC (+1600)
Villarreal CF (+4000)
Real Sociedad (+5000)
Real Betis (+10000)
Athletic Bilbao (+20000)
Valencia CF (+25000)
Espanyol (+25000)
Getafe CF (+25000)
RC Celta de Vigo (+25000)
CA Osasuna (+50000)
Rayo Vallecano (+50000)
UD Almeria (+50000)
Real Valladolid (+50000)
Elche CF (+75000)
Cadiz CF (+100000)
RCD Mallorca (+100000)
Girona FC (N/A)
These odds are not surprising, with the reigning champions Real Madrid favored to win it again this year. Barcelona is not that far behind after their heavy-spending off-season, and Atletico Madrid is the 3rd favorite, well ahead of anyone else.
There is a vast odds gap between the Top 3 and the rest of the pack, with no one else having better than +1000 odds besides the top 3 to lift the crown this year.
La Liga Favorite To Win
Real Madrid (+110)
Real Madrid are only the favorites because they won La Liga last season and are the reigning Champions League winners. If it were not for their recent success, they would likely be the 2nd favorite to win La Liga this season.
They are returning the majority of their core and have added defender Antonio Rudiger from Chelsea and defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni to beef up their back-line this season. They did say goodbye to longtime Real Madrid staples Isco, Gareth Bale, and Marcelo but they were no longer getting much playing time with the starting eleven.
A lot of Real’s quest to go back to back will depend on the play of Karim Benzema as he was spectacular last year in all competitions. If he can repeat last year’s performance, it will be an exciting race for the La Liga title this year.
La Liga Sleeper Picks To Win
Atletico Madrid (+550)
Atletico Madrid is the only viable sleeper worth placing a wager on to win La Liga. Sevilla is a close 4th but will not challenge the top two teams this season. Atletico did nothing during the summer transfer window besides bringing on 22-year older winger Samuel Lino and midfielder Axel Witsel. There are rumors that Atletico could be linked to Cristiano Ronaldo, which could change their entire landscape for the season.
Until then, this attack will be led by Joao Felix with the help of Marcos Llorente in the midfield. Atletico will not win La Liga this season but are a lock to finish in the Top 4 and maintain a position to play in Europe’s top competition.
La Liga Best Bet To Win
Barcelona (+135) at BetMGM Sportsbook
You do not always want to buy the hype on a team that went out and spent big during a transfer window, but it is hard to ignore the additions Barcelona has made. They struggled to score last season with only one player on their team in the Top 10 (tied for 9th) in La Liga scoring and relied on a couple of aging strikers in Depay and Aubameyang to get the job done.
With the arrival of Lewandowski, arguably the best number nine in the world alongside Erling Haaland, Barcelona has a legitimate threat in front of goal. In addition, they added one of the best young wingers in the world in Raphinha, who will now compete for a place on the right wing alongside Ousmane Dembele, who was the best on the team in creating chances last season.
Once Xavi was named the manager mid-season Barcelona certainly improved and made up some ground on Real Madrid.
Barcelona has also added to their defense with Andreas Christensen, who could soon be joined by fellow ex-Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta. With a bolstered offense and additional depth on their backline, Barcelona is in a strong position to win La Liga this season, and I believe they will.
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La Liga Betting Tips
When odds become available, look to make these La Liga prop bets.
La Liga Top 4 Finish: Sevilla (+125)
There is no reason for Sevilla not to finish in the top four except for self-destruction. They finished only one point behind third placed Atletico Madrid last year and only three points behind Barcelona. The biggest story right now for Sevilla is the future of defender Jules Kounde who is heavily linked to a move away.
Selling the young French international would allow Sevilla to go out and add talent to their team at various positions.
Sevilla could challenge Atletico once again for a top three spot in La Liga and should easily finish in the top four.
Bet on this Sevilla prop at BetMGM.
Robert Lewandowski: La Liga Top Goalscorer (-120 or better)
Karim Benzema will be the only competition Lewandowski will have for the golden boot this season.
However, I expect Benzema to regress this season and come back down to earth after his best ever scoring return last year. Benzema finished with 27 goals last year in La Liga, which was nine better than the closest challengers, Iago Aspas and Raul de Tomas.
Despite not having a prolific striker last year, Barcelona still had the leading assist man in the league in Dembele, who finished with 13, tied for first alongside Benzema. With Lewandowski in the middle now, both Dembele and Raphina can feed him the ball at will.
The entire offensive game plan will be to play the ball to Lewandowski, and once he has got the ball inside the 18-yard box, he will find the back of the net more often than not. So back the new Barcelona number nine to win the golden boot this season.