La Liga Preview: Real Madrid could croak it among the Frogs

Levante can hurt Real Madrid this weekend

A quintet of televised games from Spain have spawned a multitude of bets for Tobias Gourlay

Real Betis v Granada
Friday 20:30 (Live on Sky Sports Xtra)
Betis 1.855/6 Granada 5.04/1 draw 3.7511/4

Five televised games this weekend and five odds-on favourites.

Betis are up first - be aware this is a Friday night kick-off - and recent form suggests they will justify their status.

Pepe Mel has guided Betis to three wins in their first five at the Benito Villamarin. Each time, the three points have come with a clean sheet and a first-half lead.

Granada are on a losing streak of three, despite our man Youssef El-Arabi extending his scoring run to four a week ago.

El Grana's away record is poor (W1-D0-L4), although Barcelona, Levante and Real Madrid are among La Liga's top five home teams and the win at Mallorca was impressive.

If you back the favourites before kick-off, however, you should at least be buying an option to trade: Betis have scored first in 11/14 home games.

Recommended Bet
Back Real Betis @ 1.855/6

Malaga v Real Sociedad
Saturday 21:00 (Live on Sky Sports 4)
Malaga 1.594/7 Sociedad 6.86/1 draw 4.3100/30

Sociedad have been pretty awful on the road under Philippe Montanier, failing to win any of 14 away games since early February. They scored twice to nab a first point of the season at Valladolid a fortnight ago, but those are the team's only goals in the last four rounds of La Liga.

Malaga, however, lost last time out at La Rosaleda and could be tired after a Champions League trip to AC Milan for a match that finished less than 72 hours before this one kicks off.

It's not clear there's a big bet here - beyond that the visitors' Antoine Griezmann will not be sampling the local nightlife - but you might consider laying the favourites: Malaga have won only 3/13 against Sociedad, who have taken three points home with them from four of their last six trips to the south coast.

Real Mallorca v Barcelona
Sunday 16:50 (Live on Sky Sports 4)
Mallorca 13.012/1 Barcelona 1.261/4 draw 7.06/1

Barca have won nine of their last ten on the island. They've won five on the road anywhere and Wednesday's result in Scotland looks like a blip. With regulars like Gerard Pique and Dani Alves returning to full fitness, the league leaders should have more than enough to beat a Mallorca team on a losing streak of five.

Giovani Dos Santos' absence might not sound like much to Spurs fans, but it will hinder Mallorca in attack and, rather than looking at match goals, it might pay to concentrate on how many the visitors can score.

A fortnight ago, Real Madrid won 5-0 here. Barca have scored five in each of their last two away games and Any Unquoted - which pays out as soon as one team scores four - is available at 3.613/5.

Recommended Bet
Back Any Unquoted Correct Score @ 3.613/5

Atletico Madrid v Getafe
Sunday 18:45 (Live on Sky Sports 4)
Atletico 1.384/11 Getafe 10.09/1 draw 5.49/2

Diego Simeone's Atletico are W11-D2-L0 at home to teams that aren't Real Madrid or Barcelona. They lost at Valencia week ago and the reserves were beaten in Portugal on Thursday, while Getafe have won each of their last two away games.

Atletico/Atletico is tempting - it's been a winner in 4/5 at the Vicente Calderon this season and Getafe shipped four at home to Betis on Monday - but the standout bet is Both Teams to Score at even money. That's what's happened in 4/5 Getafe away games and 4/5 Atletico home matches.

Radamel Falcao failed to score for the first time in eight games last weekend, but has notched in each of Atletico's five home games so far.

Recommended Bet
Back Both Teams to Score @ 2.01/1

Levante v Real Madrid
Sunday 20:30 (Live on Sky Sports 4)
Levante 11.010/1 Real 1.351/3 draw 5.79/2

Real Madrid have had more shots than anyone else in this season's La Liga. Levante have had fewer than anyone else. (Take a bow, Opta.) This clash would appear to turn on the accuracy of Real's shooting, then, and recent history suggests it might not be all that.

Since returning to La Liga in 2010, three of Levante's four home matches against the Big Two have stayed Under 2.5 Goals. Real have failed to score in either of their two previous visits - the Ciutat de Valencia is the only ground that Jose Mourinho has twice taken them to and twice left without three points.

Juan Ignacio Martinez's Frogs are W4-D1-L0 at the Ciutat this season and Obafemi Martins has scored in each of his first three home games for them. If you fancy the hosts to beat Iker Casillas at least once, the Nigerian's your man.

At the other end, Mourinho is without Higuain, who has started Real's goal rushes in 6/14 appearances this season, and Benzema. Although Real have scored 11 unanswered goals in three Liga matches since el classic, a small bet on Under 2.5 Goals appeals.

Recommended Bet
Back Under 2.5 Goals @ 2.6813/8