There’s a full schedule of soccer across all the big European leagues and CSB brings you the pick of the midweek betting action in Germany, England, Spain and Italy
Who do Bettors Favour?
The best sportsbooks offering odds on this week’s Bundesliga games are rating Bayern at 1.25 in their Friday clash against Wolfsburg, while in the English Premier League, Leicester are given the edge by the betting markets for their game against Tottenham. In Italy, Atalanta are 1.75 favourites against Roma and Real Sociedad are the favourites to beat Villarreal in what could be a close game.
Bayern Munich v Wolfsburg, 2021-12-17
The reigning Bundesliga champions have a solid six-point lead at the top of the table and having completed a perfect Champions League group record, winning all six games, they will sign off for the winter break with a relatively straightforward home tie against Wolfsburg.
They have dropped points, against Borussia Monchengladbach and, more surprisingly, against Frankfurt and Augsburg, but that hasn’t stopped them amassing one of the best records across the top European leagues as they home in on a record-breaking tenth consecutive title.
Things look far less optimistic for Friday’s opponents. Having hit the top of the table after a strong start, they went off the rails in dramatic fashion, losing four in a row that led to the departure of head coach Mark van Bommel. He was replaced by Florian Kohfeldt, but there hasn’t been much improvement as the team has continued to slip down the table.
Of course, beating the reigning champions would be a major boost and give Wolfsburg something to build on in the New Year. Given their recent performances, that seems unlikely, and the home win is the best option here.
Leicester v Tottenham, 2021-12-16
Antonio Conte has had a major impact in a short space of time at Tottenham, but this month he has faced another challenge as the effects of COVID 19 have wrought havoc with his plans.
One game – a Europa League tie with Rennes – has been cancelled, while Saturday’s fixture against Brighton was postponed and with players, coaches and staff all potentially vulnerable to contracting the virus, plotting a path through the hectic December and early January schedule has become horrendously difficult for the man who previously led Chelsea to the Premier League title.
For his opposite number, this game represents a chance to register a much-needed sequence of consecutive wins, following Leicester’s 4-0 victory over Newcastle at the weekend. A lack of consistency has been the problem for Brendan Rodgers’ side, but they have a strong home record and they are in the mood to take advantage of weakened opponents on Thursday night.
Atalanta v Roma, 2021-12-18
Atalanta continued their remarkable winning streak against Verona at the weekend, extending that sequence to six and they have gone unbeaten in Serie A since October 3. Currently, in third place, they have reasonable ambitions of competing for the title and they will have a good opportunity to further secure their position when they take on Roma on Saturday.
The visitors have shown glimpses of ability, but they have struggled for the kind of consistency that once defined teams coached by Jose Mourinho. The ‘Special One’ is not quite as formidable these days and his approach has yet to work in Rome, as they go into this game in seventh place.
On the plus side, Roma managed to break a two-game losing streak when they beat Spezia at the weekend, but this task is much tougher and given their recent struggles, it is difficult to be confident of their chances against these opponents. You will have to wager at a short price if you want to go with Atalanta, but they should arguably be even shorter.
Real Sociedad v Villarreal, 2021-12-18
After spending a few weeks at the top of La Liga back in the fall, Real Sociedad’s season has taken a dramatic turn for the worse and three consecutive defeats have left them in freefall.
The latest big defeat came in the form of a 4-0 loss to Real Betis, a result that also saw the extension of their scoreless streak to four games. In fact, their problems in front of goals have left them as the lowest scoring side inside the top eight.
Going into the weekend’s game, confidence will not be high in the Sociedad ranks, but they may be helped by the fact that Unai Emery’s visitors are also enduring a tough run. Villarreal have won just two out of their last nine and are scoring at only one goal a game. With chances likely to be thin on the ground in this game, the draw appears to be the logical solution.
Best Online Sportsbooks to Bet on Soccer
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