Free Soccer Bets for Top European Leagues and Other Competitions – January 3-5 Games

2020 is here, and it’s time for me to continue my weekly post that features the best soccer bets for the upcoming weekend. A lot of domestic leagues are on a break, but there are enough games out there.

I will take a look at the latest betting odds of the best soccer sportsbooks online and try to discover some valuable opportunities.

Don’t be surprised if you don’t see the English FA Cup included, as I’ve put together another post with my top betting picks for the FA Cup.

One of the most exciting games in the next round of the Spanish La Liga will be between Getafe and Real Madrid on Saturday. The visitors have drawn three matches in a row, and they are now two points behind Barcelona at the top of the table.

The main difference remains the attack, as Real Madrid often struggles to create enough chances and score goals. Los Blancos failed to find the net twice in a row now, and I expect to see the team struggling against Getafe too. The injury of Eden Hazard and several other Real Madrid players won’t help either.

The home side has a solid defense and often keeps clean sheets at its own stadium. At the same time, Getafe is not among the most prolific teams in Spain either.

I expect a tight game that won’t feature too many chances. In fact, I’m not sure why the total goals line is set at 2.75. It should be 2.5 if you ask me.

The price of -135 for under 2.75 goals might seem a bit short, but you get half of your stake back if there are three goals in the match.

That’s enough of a reason for me to go for it, considering the fact both sides can defend well and don’t score that many goals.

Another game from Spain caught my attention, and it’s the Catalonian derby. Ironically, Espanyol is in the last position in La Liga, while Barcelona is leading the pack.

The insane offense of the visitors is the main reason why they are at the top. The team has scored 47 goals in only 18 games so far. Lionel Messi was injured for a while, but the Blaugranas have been unstoppable since his return.

They score for fun against opposition from the bottom half, and Espanyol has the worse defense in the league. I don’t think the home side can prevent their opponents from scoring a couple of goals.

At the same time, Barcelona has the worst defense in the top 4. The reigning champions often allow the opposition too many chances. I won’t be surprised to see Espanyol on the score sheet too.

Under such circumstances, the +120 odds for over 3.25 look like an excellent choice. The line could be covered by Barcelona alone, and the hosts should have some opportunities to find the net too.

Once again, there’s slight insurance involved, and the price is high enough to be worth a wager.

Next in line is one of the most anticipated matches from the Australian A-League. The second-placed Melbourne City will host Western United, and both teams are in desperate need of points.

The home side’s title aspirations look dead after losing three of the four last games, including the derby against the leader Sydney FC in the previous round. The side’s defense is the biggest issue, as Melbourne City has conceded 18 goals in 11 games.

Only the Newcastle Jets that sit at the bottom of the A-League have a worse defensive record. On the bright side, Melbourne City managed to keep several clean sheets at home, and Western United doesn’t look like a team that could punish the opposition’s fragile back line.

The debutant in the competition has been struggling recently as well, only winning three times in the past seven matches.

I would normally expect lower odds for Melbourne City in this one, but the bad form of the side is the reason why you can get -138 for a home win.

I believe Melbourne City is way better, and this match represents an excellent opportunity to get back on track. That’s why I will back the hosts to earn a victory on Friday.

These are my top soccer picks for the upcoming weekend. I’m sure that there might be other good bets out there. If you believe that’s the case and would like to share your ideas, you can always use the comments section below to leave your own soccer predictions.