Betis vs Barcelona preview: is this the winning tip?

La Liga fans are in for a pleasant Saturday afternoon with the Betis-Barcelona game at a quarter to five. It’s a match between two attacking teams with a great tradition, so it should be an entertaining and exciting 90 minutes.

Team news Betis vs Barcelona

Barcelona hit a bit of a slump in November as they were unable to win a game in the league for three rounds. The loss of points came at a price as defending champions Real Madrid closed the gap. Against Mallorca, however, Hansi Flick was able to field his best starter again and the Catalans got back to winning ways with a knockout win. With no one eliminated in the midweek game, the same line-up will be ready for Saturday’s clash. The starting line-up could even be the same, with one or two changes in midfield.

Betis played a cup game on Wednesday and, as on paper, beat their fourth division opponents 3-1 with reserves. The Andalusians needed the win like a loaf of bread, as they were also stuck in the league and had not won in four rounds. They have also slipped back to mid-table, and a brace would be good for Sevilla’s confidence.

However, the fact that several key players are out of form – Carwalho, Isco, Roca, Mendy and Bellerín are all unfit – makes things more difficult for them.

What to bet on Betis-Barcelona?

Because of the above, bettors have (also) smashed Barcelona’s original odds of 1.90+ and at the time of writing, the bookmakers are paying just over 1.60. At times like this, it is worth asking whether it is worth going after the crowd and investing in a possible minus ev odds.

In our opinion, no, so even if the flag is really flying for Barca, we wouldn’t get a good deal on a win at this odds.

Moreover, Betis are very good at home, unbeaten in six of their seven league games this season. However, they are not doing well against Barca, scoring 13 (!) goals in their last three games against the Green and Whites.

If the form against Mallorca continues, Barca could win this game and Lewndowski, who has been more modest in recent games, could be back in action. The Polish striker, rested against Mallorca, is at his best when Yamal and Rapinha are playing on the two flanks and as that will be the case, the veteran goal scoring prospect could flash a few lights.