La Liga Betting: Benitez to go for broke in the Bernabeu again

Real Madrid v Real Sociedad
Wednesday 15:00 (Live on Sky Sports 1)
Real 1.13, Sociedad 26.00, The Draw 11.50

Real Madrid are two points behind Barcelona, having played a game more, and Rafa Benitez is feeling the heat.

To curb some of the calls for his head, he has let his team off the leash at the Bernabeu. Playing with more attacking freedom, Los Blancos have scored 18 times in winning their last two Liga and Champions League home games.

Over the last five seasons, Real Sociedad have made 11 trips to the Big Two and lost on every occasion. Their defeats in the capital have been 4-1, 5-1, 4-3, 5-1 and 4-1.

We backed Over 4.5 Goals for the visit of Rayo Vallecano just before Christmas and, with Sociedad's Imanol Agirretxe in good form (12 goals in 14 Liga appearances this term), Wednesday's visitors can do their bit to get this fixture over the same line for a sixth consecutive season.

Recommended Bet
Back Over 4.5 Goals @ 2.70

Rayo Vallecano v Atletico Madrid
Wednesday 17:15 (Live on Sky Sports 2)
Rayo 6.80, Atletico 1.60, The Draw 4.30

Atletico Madrid surprisingly lost 1-0 at Malaga last time out. That result ended a winning streak of nine across all competitions, but we expect Diego Simeone's men to take all three points from this week's short trip across the capital to Vallecas.

Football Form Labs data shows that, under Paco Jemez, Rayo have lost 14/18 at home to top-six finishers. Last season, they were an improved W1-D2-L3 and it's worth noting that all six matches finished with Under 2.5 Goals.

This season, Rayo have not played anyone as high up the table as Atletico. In four matches against teams now ranked 6th to 11th, they've scored just a single goal.

Atletico have let in just three goals across eight Liga away matches in 2015/16 and the Win to Nil is our best bet.

Recommended Bet
Back Atletico Madrid Win to Nil @ 2.30

Barcelona v Real Betis
Wednesday 19:30 (Live on Sky Sports 2)
Barcelona 1.08, Betis 44.00, The Draw 18.50

Barcelona, the newly crowned Club World Champions, drew two Liga games in a row before jetting off to Japan earlier this month. With Messi, Suarez and Neymar all fit and in good form, they should not drop any more points this week.

Real Betis' first away game of the season brought a 5-0 defeat at the Bernabeu. It left them with a W0-D0-L7 record on the road to the Big Two since 2011/12. The Andalusians did at least score in all six previous games. With Barca logging just two clean sheets in their most recent seven outings at the Camp Nou, the price on Both Teams to Score looks generous.

Pepe Mel's men are W4-D2-L1 on the road since that defeat to Real. They have scored in 5/7, while conceding just three further goals.

Barcelona's firepower should overwhelm them in the end, but there is an interesting pattern in the champions' home wins under Luis Enrique: they have been level at the break in 10/23. At a big price, we're also ready to punt on Betis holding out for at least half a game.

Recommended Bet
Back Both Teams to Score @ 2.56
0.5pts - Back Draw/Barcelona @ 5.80

Villarreal v Valencia
Thursday 15:00 (Live on Sky Sports 1)
Villarreal 1.90, Valencia 4.80, The Draw 3.65

This fixture has seen both teams to score in each of its last four runnings. And we've found other numbers to support the idea that there will no clean sheets again this week.

Valencia's last five away matches have also been against teams currently in the top half (W1-D1-L3). Four of the five brought goals at both ends.

At El Madrigal, Villarreal have scored and conceded in 6/8 Liga games so far this season (W6-D1-L1).

Recommended Bet
Back Both Teams to Score @ 2.06