The Sports Bookie Blog

La Liga Online Betting Preview (Apr 12-13)

April 10th, 2008

The La Liga online betting market has changed little despite Real Madrid dropping two points away to Mallorca last weekend. Barcelona’s home draw with Getafe was enough to take the Catalans back into second after Villarreal lost, but it was another opportunity missed to put pressure on their arch rivals, who are still seven points clear.

Pressure Mounting on Catalans as Title Challenge Fades

Despite progressing to the last four of the Champions League, the pressure is still building on the shoulders of Barcelona’s manager, Frank Rijkaard, as well a number of his under-performing stars. Last weekend Barca again spurned an opportunity to close on Real Madrid, with Thierry Henry bearing the brunt of fans’ frustrations during the goalless draw with Getafe at the Nou Camp. The Frenchman is now a likely transfer casualty in the summer, along with Ronaldinho, out for the season through injury and unlikely to kick another ball for the Catalans, adding to a negative atmosphere at the club.

Rijkaard may be relieved to get away from the pressure of playing at home, travelling to struggling Recreativo Huelva this weekend, but the Dutchman should expect a battle. Huelva are just three points above the drop zone, but have been showing a fighting spirit at the Nuevo Colombino winning three of the last four home games, narrowly losing 3-2 to leaders, Real Madrid at the beginning of March. Barca are likely to be without Deco and Lionel Messi, who are still short of match fitness.

Top Asian Handicap Sportsbook, PinnacleSports.com, price Barcelona 2.10 (-0.5 & -1)* with Recreativo Huelva 1.917 (+0.5 & +1)* – a market priced to less than 102%.

No Mercy Expected for Murcia at the Bernabeu

Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw at Mallorca on the weekend would be considered a slip-up by the league leaders, but this aberration went unpunished by the Galacticos’ main rivals. This weekend the league leaders have a more comfortable home fixture against struggling Murcia, where it would be considered a much greater surprise should they fail to take maximum points. Though Los Blancos are seven points clear at the top of table, their form of late has been patchy, failing to keep a single clean sheet in their last ten games. They were clinging on in the final stages at home to Mallorca, handicapped by the dismissal of Sergio Ramos, who will be suspended here, while Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Christoph Metzelder are injury absentees.

Murcia have the joint-worse defensive record on the road, and have won just once away from home, which was way back at the end of September. The Paprika-Men have conceded eleven goals, losing three consecutive away games, which is the kind of form likely to send them back down to the Segunda Division from where they emerged last season. Though Murcia held Real Madrid at home earlier in the campaign, their away form is positively anaemic in comparison to their performances at the Nueva Condomina Stadium, so they are expected to wilt in front of 80,000 partisan fans at the Santiago Bernabeu.

PinnacleSports.com price Real Madrid favourites 1.781 (-1.5)* with Murcia 2.180 (+1.5)*.

 

*All odds subject to change – so check out the latest live odds across the top online sportsbooks here at BookieLabRat.com.

For more information on Pinnacle Sports online bookie read the latest PinnacleSports Bookmaker Review that includes payment methods, payouts, financial security, sports coverage, etc. 

Entry Filed under: European Football,Sports Betting