This week’s soccer betting preview includes the English Premier League’s Brighton vs Leeds and Leicester vs Watford matches and La Liga’s Villarreal vs Barcelona match. Plus we highlight the best crypto odds for each match.
Brighton vs Leeds to draw at odds of 3.45
Brighton and Hove Albion vs Leeds United
English Premier League
Brighton come off a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa after conceding twice inside the last 10 minutes which extends their winless run in the Premier League to 7 games. Goals have certainly been an issue for Graham Potter’s team this season, with only 12 shots finding the back of the net from 12 matches played.
The Seagulls are also becoming the league’s draw specialists with 5 out of their last 7 matches ending in a level score. First-choice keeper Robert Sanchez is likely to come back into the starting line-up and Enock Mwepu may recover from a muscle strain in time to feature in some way, although both Stephen Alzate and Danny Welbeck remain out of action. Brighton will be looking at the following players to create chances:
- Tariq Lampte.
- Pascal Gross.
- Adam Webster.
Despite missing key players Leeds played a high-intensity game against Tottenham last Sunday. But ultimately they conceded 2 second-half goals to lose 2-1 which negated all of their hard-won efforts including dominant play for extended periods of the match. Away from Elland Road, Leeds has struggled with just 1 win, 2 draws, and 3 defeats from 6 matches. In 5 of these matches, both the hosts and Leeds found the back of the net. Leeds has a fighting chance to equalize any goals conceded should they field the influential Brazilian players Raphinha and Rodrigo Moreno. The following players remain on the sidelines through injury:
- Luke Ayling
- Robin Koch.
- Patrick Bamford
Both teams have seen their fair share of draws and we’re likely to see a highly-entertaining match between a fast-paced Leeds and an attacking Brighton. A draw at odds of 3.45 looks like a value bet.
Barcelona to win at odds of 2.6
Villarreal vs Barcelona
La Liga
In a disappointing La Liga match, Villarreal was held at Celta Vigo and fell 0-2 to an ailing Man United in their midweek Champions League match. They’re currently languishing in 12th place on the table and will now host Barca who are in 7th place. Villarreal will be missing their talisman, Gerard Moreno once again and will rely on a makeshift strike pairing of Arnaut Danjuma and Yeremi Pino. Villarreal are known for their dogged defense but they’ve been struggling with consistency and their form is questionable especially when you consider they were last season’s Europa League winners.
Barcelona beat their local rival Espanyol 1-0 but drew against a strong Benfica side in their Champions League match. Barca will be looking to make it back-to-back La Liga wins under their new head coach Xavi. They boast an impressive record against Villarreal with 18 wins out of their 22 meetings since 2010. This match will be a considerable test of Xavi’s credentials and whether he can successfully instil the Cruyffian style. They’re missing Ansu Fati and Sergi Roberto but will field the following players that are key to their fast-paced attacks:
- Nico Gonzalez
- Gavi
- Memphis Depay
- Ousmane Dembele
Xavi has created momentum and together with his faith in promising young players will lead Barcelona to a low-scoring victory. Barca will play with renewed energy, monopolize possession, and look to break Villarreal down.
A win at odds of 2.6 looks like a value bet.
Watford to score first – Stake promo at odds of 5.0
Leicester City vs Watford
English Premier League
This bet is based solely on Stake’s Watford promotion that automatically pays out if Watford scores first but loses the match.
To say Leicester are experiencing defensive issues is an understatement. They were booed by their fans after a 0-3 home loss against Chelsea. Since the start of the season, the Foxes have conceded 21 goals in the league with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel’s powers rapidly diminishing.
This could be the perfect opportunity for Watford, who are buzzing after a 4-1 victory over Man United to capitalize on the continued absence of Leicester’s Ricardo Pereira and Youri Tielemans. An added benefit is that Watford coach Claudio Ranieri spent 19 months as the Leicester manager. He can lead Watford to a result by playing the counter-attacking style that achieved greatness for Leicester in the memorable 2015/16 season.
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About Eugene Abungana
I have worked with several companies in the past including Economy Watch, and Milkroad. Writing for BitEdge is highly satisfying as I get an opportunity to share my knowledge with a broad community of gamblers.
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