We’re in the season’s dog days for soccer clubs all over Europe, and the final stretch is upon us. Teams such as Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain are starting to run away with their respective leagues’ titles. Others, such as Arsenal and Bayern Munich, are clinging to the top spot while their competition breathes down their neck. It really is the “witching hour” of the entire season, as NFL Redzone would say.
With roughly 12 match days left to play across all leagues, every game is must-watch soccer as players and coaches will be giving it their all. Even at the bottom of the table, every single top league in Europe has a relegation fight to keep an eye on.
This makes for an interesting few months of betting. Who will rise to the big moments? It’s time to see what these clubs are really made of.
Here are my best footy bets for this weekend across Europe.
All Odds Courtesy Of Fanduel Sportsbook
FC Barcelona ML (+115)El Clasico is consistently the most-watched regular-season soccer game in the world. FC Barcelona and Real Madrid coming together always creates fireworks – as two historic rivals go at each other with everything they’ve got. Take Barca to win this one at +115, as they extend their lead in the title race.
Barcelona are just a different beast this year. They have a nine-point lead over Real Madrid in La Liga and have the best defense in Europe. Xavi’s men have only allowed eight goals through 25 league matches this season. Winning three games in a row, they are primed to separate themselves with a win here and all but guarantee the trophy.
Barcelona have also had Madrid on skates over the past few fixtures between these sides. La Blaugrana has won seven of the past ten El Clasico’s held at Camp Nou. Ride the Barca wave for now and take them on the ML at +115.
Napoli ML (-140)Napoli are having a dream season, and it isn’t stopping anytime soon. Take them on the ML against Torino FC at -140.
Gli Azzurri are dominating Serie A with an 18-point lead at the top of the table. They only have two losses this season and have scored an outstanding 60 goals in the league – 13 more than second best. They are through to the quarterfinals of the Champions League and are obliterating everyone in their path.
This isn’t about to change against Torino, who sit eighth in the league. Napoli won this matchup 3-1 at home earlier this season, making a mockery of Torino’s defense getting seven shots on target. Although this one will be played in Turin, Napoli won’t be phased. They are the best away team in Europe at the moment, winning nine of their previous ten matches on the road.
Take Napoli on the ML at -140 and enjoy an easy win. Like the Boston Bruins have been in the NHL, Napoli are just a money train you should be riding until the end of the season. I wouldn’t shy away from taking the Napoli Team Total Over 1.5 at +100. They are goal-scoring machines who scored 21 goals over the past ten games.
Tottenham Hotspur ML (-125)My last bet takes you to England’s top division. Take Tottenham Hotspur on the ML at -125 as they visit Southampton.
Tottenham is faltering a bit at the moment, with four losses in their past ten matches. The team has been struggling to score goals all season and were dumped out of the Champions League Round of 16 just over a week ago. Talk about inconsistency.
However, this is the perfect spot to turn things around against last-placed Southampton. Tottenham lost only one game between these two sides in the previous ten fixtures. They beat the Saints 4-1 earlier this season and are coming off a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest. Despite being away from home, the Spurs have only lost twice in Southampton since 2005.
On top of all that, Tottenham have not locked up fourth place in the English Premier League. They can’t afford to be complacent here against the worst team in the division. Take the Spurs on the ML at -125.
