How to Bet on La Liga

La Liga is the highest rated football league in Europe and features two of the greatest and most successful teams the world has ever seen. For those reasons, it makes it one of the most popular football leagues for people to bet on.

Brief History of La Liga

The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, more commonly known as La Liga, was launched in 1929 and is the highest division of the Spanish football league system.

Since its inception, and up until the end of 2017/18, Real Madrid and Barcelona have won an astonishing 58 La Liga titles combined, and still hold dominance to this day.

Betting on La Liga

As mentioned, Barcelona and Real Madrid hold dominance over La Liga and only two other teams, Atletico Madrid and Valencia, have managed to get their hands on the championship trophy since the turn of the century.

For that reason, the market on who will win the Spanish league trophy tends to offer extremely short odds on the big two and anyone wishing to bet on this market would be better looking at each way options.

As for week by week La Liga betting, we have a few tips to follow to try and maximise potential profit.

1) Do Not Back the Big Two

As already said, the big two of Barcelona and Real Madrid tend to dominate La Liga and bookies only offer extremely short odds on them to win in pretty much every league match they play, especially at home. This is for good reason.

In the last three seasons, between 2015/16 and 2017/18, Barcelona and Real Madrid lost a combined total of nine home games in the league. Four of these were to each other. So, ignoring the big two at home is the way forward because the value isn’t there in backing them to win and it’s hard to bet against them as hosts.

However, if you want to bet against them it’s best to do a few days before a big European cup match if they are playing away in the league. They will tend to rest players, maybe not give 100%, and possibly allow punters to make a bit of money by backing the opposition for victory or even a draw.

2) Look for Value From Other Bigger Clubs

Looking for value bets from the other bigger teams in La Liga, such as Valencia, Atletico Madrid, and Sevilla looks the best way to maximise profit when betting on matches from the top flight of Spanish football. When they play away to clubs around mid-table, these teams may be priced at decent odds and that represents decent value in the market.

Obviously, an analytical approach still needs to be taken and form, team selection etc taken into account but these sort of teams have been banging on the door at the top of La Liga for several seasons and tend to do well against teams below them.
3) Explore the Betting Market

Another way of trying to maximise profit when betting on La Liga is by betting on different markets. Stay away from the match result market altogether and look at bets such as Both Teams to Score, and Under/Over Number of Goals.

In 2017/18, all but three teams conceded less than an average of one goal per match and only four teams scored less than an average of one goal per game. So, there’s a high chance of goals being scored in La Liga matches. Especially in matches between teams close together with regards league position.

4) Keep an Analytical Approach

As in any form of sports betting, regardless of sport or type of bet, an analytical approach is key.

Research recent form, head to head statistics, injuries/suspensions, any off-field problems, look at upcoming fixtures, and ensure you are fully knowledgable regards both teams in a match before placing a bet.

It can be easy to just bet on who you believe to be the superior team, but you will not get the most from betting on matches in La Liga this way. Value bets are hard to find and full research is required.

5) Select the Right Bookmaker

The last point regarding betting on La Liga is to select the right bookmaker, or online betting company.

As mentioned, value bets in Spanish football can be hard to find. To get the most value from the betting markets available you have to look for the best odds and any special promotions or bonuses on offer. The only way to do this is by checking out different websites, making a list of betting odds available, and comparing the sites in order to maximise any potential profit.