La Liga and Serie A Bring Football Into the Spotlight in 2018
Published January 5, 2018 by Florin P
2018 begins with a round of exciting matches in the Spanish first division as the top La Liga teams resume their chase for a European Cup berth.
English football provided fans of the sport with some exciting matches in the final days of 2017. As a new year has started, it is time for La Liga and Serie A to reignite interest for football. Some exciting matches are scheduled this weekend in the domestic championships, a few capable of determining the winners. Meanwhile, all the French football teams are involved in the Coupe de France, with dozens of matches scheduled over the weekend.
A Chance for Juventus and Napoli to Break Free
The two teams are separated by a single point and both of them play easy matches over the weekend. While they face teams struggling at the second half of the standings, AS Roma and Inter Milan will take on tougher opponents. 10bet Sportsbook offers odds of 4/5 on AS Roma to win at home against Atalanta after both teams have squandered points last weekend. Players bold enough to wager on the visitors can expect odds of 4/1, while the draw is priced at 3/1.
Inter Milan and Fiorentina are favorites to win and not surprisingly 888 Sport prices them both at 3/2. Napoli is expected to win the home game by a wide margin and both Juventus on the road and AC Milan at home are credited with the first chance. 10bet Sportsbook offers odds of 2/5 on both teams to prevail, which accurately reflects the difference between them and their opponents.
In Spain the Race is on for Champions League Places
By winning the El Clasico against their archrivals, Barcelona has secured a significant advantage at the top of La Liga. They have virtually won the championship after the first half and they are likely to pick up another three points against Levante. This leaves the race wide open for the three Champions League places and five teams are in the mix. Atletico Madrid and Sevilla are both given even odds of 1/2 at 10bet Sportsbook to win their home games and the same value is assigned on Real Madrid on the road.
Valencia is the pleasant surprise of this championship and as runners up in Primera Division they can consolidate their position. A victory over Girona at home looks very possible and that’s why the odds only revolve around 3/5 at 888 Sport. Elsewhere in the Spanish championship, Villarreal tries to close the gap separating it from the teams on the podium with a victory over Deportivo la Coruna. The most difficult match to predict is the one between Leganes and Real Sociedad, which looks like a coin flip.
Ligue 1 Teams Chase the Coupe de France
It’s hard to believe that PSG can lose the championship this year, after building a gap of nine points between itself and the runners-up. This weekend they play on the road against Rennes, a team they have defeated before in the French domestic cup. 888 Sport suggests that the French champions can do it again by offering odds of only 3/5 on them to prevail away from home. The reigning champions have an easy match also on the road against a team from a lower division, and are expected to crush Yzeure.
Other teams from the French first division are involved in high profile Coupe de France games this weekend. Lyon plays on the road against Nancy, one of the most promising teams from the second league and a strong candidate to promote. Those who choose to bet on them at 10bet Sportsbook can expect odds of 3/5, while the hosts are priced at even odds not to lose. Despite their overall poor performance in the domestic championship, Guingamp has a strong tradition in Cup matches. They play at home against Niort, another strong team from the second division and the odds revolve around 3/5 as well.
