League leader Barcelona will try to regain their form Sunday when they visit Atletico Madrid for a Spanish La Liga match at Wanda Metropolitano. Barcelona (12-2-1) entered Matchweek 16 even on points with Real Madrid but ahead on goal differential. Barca suffered a disappointing 1-1 draw with Espanyol in their most recent league match last Saturday. That was followed by a surprisingly tough 4-3 victory against Intercity in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. Atletico (8-3-4) entered the weekend fourth in the table after defeating last-place Elche 2-0 on Dec. 29 to snap a three-game La Liga winless streak. They also won a Copa del Rey match Wednesday, defeating Oviedo 2-0.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET at Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain. Caesars Sportsbook lists Barcelona as +145 favorites (risk $100 to win $145) in its latest Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona odds, and Atletico are +200 underdogs. A draw is priced at +215, and the over/under for total goals is 2.5. Before locking in any Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid picks or bets, make sure you check out the Spanish La Liga predictions and best bets from soccer insider Jon Eimer.
Eimer, widely known as "Buckets," is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, Eimer has covered the English Premier League, Serie A, the FA Cup and much more.
He has been on fire on his Premier League predictions for SportsLine, going 28-4 on his past 32 picks, making him 59-25-1 (69%) since the start of 2022. That has meant a profit of more than $2,800 for $100 bettors. He is 306-291-8 on all picks on SportsLine since the start of 2022.
Now, Eimer has broken down the Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona matchup from all sides. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid:
- Atletico vs. Barcelona spread: Barcelona -0.5 (+140)
- Atletico vs. Barcelona over/under: 2.5 goals
- Atletico vs. Barcelona money line: Atletico +200, Barcelona +145, Draw +215
- ATM: They have allowed one goal or fewer 12 times in league matches.
- BAR: They have scored two or more goals nine times in league play.
- Atletico vs. Barcelona picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back Barcelona
The Blaugranes have their sights set on winning their first league title since 2018-19, and they know this is a statement match. They beat Atletico 4-2 in the most recent meeting as they peppered the box with passes and got goals from midfielder Gavi and three defenders. Barca have been one of the most dominant teams in the league all season and have allowed an astonishing six goals in 15 matches. Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has posted a clean sheet in 11 of them and also leads the league with an 87.9 save percentage. The defense is allowing just two shots on target per game.
Barcelona's approach is to hold onto the ball, and they average 65% possession, a 7% higher rate than any other La Liga team. Star striker Robert Lewandowski, who has a league-high 13 goals, will miss this game on a booking suspension. That means an opportunity for 22-year-old Ferran Torres, who has started just six matches and has two goals.
Why you should back Atletico Madrid
The Red and Whites are 3-2-1 in their past six meetings with Barcelona, including a 2-0 league victory last season at Wanda Metropolitano. They have hit a rough patch in league play but have beaten their past four opponents 9-1, including three Copa del Rey victories. Atletico got goals from Joao Felix and Alvaro Morata against Elche to snap a league winless streak that dated to Oct. 23 (0-2-1). Their only previous La Liga losses came to Real Madrid and Villarreal. Morata (six league goals) and Antoine Griezmann (five) pace an attack that should be spurred on by the home crowd.
Barca haven't been allowing many goals, but five of their six conceded have come away from home. Atletico have the fourth-most goals in La Liga (23) and have conceded the fourth-fewest (14). They have allowed 48 shots on target, third-fewest in the league. They put almost 37% of their shots on target (fifth-highest in La Liga) while opponents hit the target 28% of the time (third-lowest). Atletico lead the league in tackles (288) and tackles won (174) and are fifth in blocks (154) and should frustrate Barcelona's attackers. They also will obviously benefit from Lewandowski's absence.
How to make Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona picks
Eimer has broken down Sunday's Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid match from every angle. He is leaning Under the goal total and has two confident best bets and offers his full breakdown. He's only sharing those picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Atletico vs. Barcelona in Sunday's Spanish La Liga match? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for the Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid match, all from the soccer expert up more than $2,800 on his Premier League picks in 2022.
