Reigning champion Real Madrid faces a must-win situation on the road at Camp Nou when they face Barcelona in the latest El Clasico rivalry on Sunday. Real Madrid (17-5-3) won their 35th league title last season, and they are second in La Liga's table. However, they are nine points behind league leader Barcelona (21-2-2), who seek their 27th league title, and first since 2019. Real Madrid won the first league meeting this season, taking a convincing 3-1 victory at Bernabeu. The teams have met twice since then in domestic cup matches, with Barca taking both of those by a combined score of 4-1.
Kickoff is at 4 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Barcelona as the +115 favorites (risk $100 to win $115) in the latest Real Madrid vs. Barcelona odds, with Real Madrid the +225 underdogs. A draw is priced at +245, and the over/under for total goals scored is 2.5. Before you make your Barcelona vs. Real Madrid picks, make sure you see the La Liga predictions and best bets from soccer insider Jon Eimer.
Eimer, widely known as "Buckets," is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, Eimer has covered the English Premier League, Serie A, the FA Cup and much more.
He is 68-48-2 (+21.15) on all soccer article predictions for SportsLine in 2023, bringing a profit of just over $2,100 for $100 bettors. He also is on a stunning run on his English competition picks, going 34-12-2 (+22.74) on his Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup predictions. Anyone who follows him is way up.
Now, Eimer has broken down Real Madrid vs. Barcelona from every angle and just revealed his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Eimer's picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Barcelona vs. Real Madrid:
- Barcelona vs. Real Madrid spread: Barcelona -0.5 (+110)
- Barcelona vs. Real Madrid over/under: 2.5 goals
- Barcelona vs. Real Madrid money line: Barcelona +115, Real Madrid +225, Draw +245
- BAR: Barca have eight clean sheets in their past 10 La Liga matches
- RMA: Los Blancos have outscored their past eight league opponents 14-3
- Barcelona vs. Real Madrid picks: See picks here
Why you should back Barcelona
Barcelona were disappointed to be knocked out of European competition, but they will be rested for the stretch run and know a victory Sunday could essentially seal a title. They face a Real Madrid squad that is weary from a midweek Champions League matchup, and the hosts have won three of the past four in all competitions. They allowed 13 shots in the most recent matchup, but none were on target. They held Real off the board until the 93rd minute in a 3-1 victory in the Supercopa final back in January.
Robert Lewandowski had one of the goals in that trophy performance, one of 25 he has scored in 32 matches in all competitions. He leads La Liga with 15 in his first season with the team. The backline and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen are putting together a historic season for the Blaugrana. They have yielded eight goals in 25 matches (one at home), and ter Stegen has 19 clean sheets. He leads La Liga with a 89.5 save percentage, and Barca have allowed 55 shots on target (2.2 per game).
Why you should back Real Madrid
Los Blancos have won five of the past six El Clasico's in La Liga, including the past two at Camp Nou by a combined 5-2 score. Real Madrid lead the league with 50 goals, and they come in confident after beating Liverpool 1-0 on Wednesday to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals. Karim Benzema had the lone goal in that game, and he has scored 11 goals in 15 league matches while dealing with injuries. He is healthy, and he and Vinicius Junior (eight goals) should test Barca's back line.
The most recent meeting was a 1-0 loss in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. Real Madrid lost on an own goal and controlled most of the match, holding the ball for 65% of it and outshooting Barcelona 13-4. The back line has yielded 10 goals in 13 road matches, and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is third in the league in save percentage (71.5). Los Blancos will have a real sense of urgency, knowing this is their best chance to put a dent in Barcelona's big lead in the title race.
How to make Real Madrid vs. Barcelona picks
Eimer has broken down the Real Madrid vs. Barcelona match from every possible angle and locked in his two best bets. You can only see his El Clasico picks and analysis at SportsLine.
So who wins Barcelona vs. Real Madrid on Sunday? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see which wagers in Barcelona vs. Real Madrid have all the value, all from the soccer expert who is up more than $2,100 on his soccer picks in 2023, and find out.
