This weekend’s soccer predictions will focus on 11 games across Friday to Sunday in the EPL, Bundesliga and La Liga in 4 different parlays.
Soccer Picks and Parlays #1
Some Friday action across all 3 leagues.
Leeds vs Nottingham Forest Prediction
It’s relegation battle here with both teams on 26 points, Leeds 16th and Forest 17th.
Leeds got routed 4-0 last week but there’s no shame in a heavy loss to Arsenal. It’s just their 2nd loss in 12 overall matches and the 2nd time they’ve failed to score in 15, the other game being vs Liverpool. It’s also just the second home game in any competition this season where they didn’t score.
Forest’s form has picked up being undefeated in 4 EPL games, with just 1 loss in all matches across 7. Their last 5 games read: 0-0 draw Arsenal, 1-0 loss Braga, 2-0 win Brentford, 4-0 win Ferencvaros, 1-1 draw Crystal Palace last week. That’s just 2 GA in 5 games, and with Leeds not being super high scorers, maybe this could be tight and low-scoring. Perhaps a draw, Under 2.5 or Under 3.5 in a parlay.
Forest have some absentees in the suspended Williams, while Sels and Hudson-Odoi were injured last game.
However, it was 3-1 Forest in November. In their last 7 meetings, the home team has always scored and a road team hasn’t won in 8 games. Granted, they don’t play each other every season.
This is a true relegation scrap with neither wanting to give up ground. 1-1 is an option, or being at home, let’s just ask Leeds to score.
- Soccer Picks: Leeds to score
Celta Vigo vs Osasuna Prediction
Osasuna may only see 45% of their La Liga games hit the BTTS prop, but it’s been the way to go lately, cashing in 4/4 and 9/13. And you could’ve bet even higher in the goals department with scores of 2-2, 3-2, 3-1 and 2-2 last week. Osa are undefeated in 4 and have just 1 loss in 8 overall matches.
They’re now 9th and just 2 spots and 7 points lower than 7th Celta. But … road games have rarely been a good place to bet on Osa where they’re 1-2-8 and outscored 14-6 in La Liga. But then when you look at their last 7 road games in any comp, they have scored in 5/7 when you count Copa del Rey matches.
Celta’s BTTS trend is the opposite. 59% of La Liga games have hit it, but recently it’s an even 4-4 in all comps, but still 3-1 in their last 4, but they had a 0-0 with Getafe last week. After 4 straight wins, they’re 0-2-1 and have scored just 2 goals in 3 games, but have scored at least 1 in 6/7 and 11/13.
Recent scores between them have mostly seen goals, with Celta winning 3-2 this year and other scores being 1-0, 3-2, and 3-0.
And if there are goals, surely we could see Budimir from Osasuna or Iglesias from Celta involved who have 10 and 8 goals respectively in La Liga. Iglesias has 1+ shot on target in 6/7 and Budimir 4 goals in 3 games to go with 4 shots on target and 11 attempt in that time.
While I can easily see a BTTS, Celta have been keeping some clean sheets and Osa are poor on the road typically.
- Soccer Picks: Celta Vigo to score
Union Berlin vs Eintracht Frankfurt Prediction
This is not the best standalone Friday game in the Bundesliga. Union hosts, and they’ve not won in 5 games. After 3 straight draws, it’s been losses of 3-0 and 3-1. But maybe it can be exciting. Union have only 1 clean sheet in 10, but have scored in 11/12. Their defense could be tested with wingback Juranovic and centre-back Leite out injured.
Then there’s Frankfurt, who haven’t won in 8, to go with 1 win in 12. They’ve conceded 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, and 1 goals in this 8-game slide. But they’ve scored in 9/10. The BTTS & Over 2.5 is 6-1 in their last 7. But there’s a wildcard in the mix, as Frankfurt have a new coach, Albert Riera on the sidelines now for his first game. Usually new coaches try to fix what’s broken, which is clearly the defense.
- Soccer Picks: Union Berlin to score
- Parlay Picks: LEE to score / CV to score / UB to score (+102)
Soccer Picks and Parlays #2
Saturday
Mainz vs Augsburg Prediction
930am
It’s not a great matchup on paper between 16th Mainz and 11th Augsburg. Both both are showing signs of improvement lately.
Mainz have actually only lost 1 of 9 games and have won 3/4 in all comps. They’ve scored multiple goals in 4/5 and if we look at those 5 games we see plenty of goals coming from both teams: 2-2, 2-1 win, 2-1 loss, 3-1 win, 3-1 win. It’s now just once in 9 games that they haven’t scored. While striker Hollerbach is done with a torn ACL, he’s only scored once all season. That could give an opportunity for Silas to start up top.
Augsburg are undefeated in 4 themselves and have also won 2 straight with scores of 1-1, 2-2, 2-1 win and 2-1 win.
Mainz won 4-1 away to Augsburg last year and are 3-1-0 in the last 4 matchups.
- Soccer Picks: BTTS
St. Pauli vs Stuttgart Prediction
930am
St. Pauli are down in 19th at 3-5-12, so this looks like an easy win for 4th-placed Stuttgart. And it should be.
Stuttgart are one of the hottest teams in Germany as winners of 4 straight and being 8-2-1 in their past 11. They beat Holstein Kiel in the Pokal this week 3-0, though it was 1-0 until the final moments. They’ll have short rest but have scored multiple goals in 7 of these past 11 games, while keeping clean sheets in 3/4.
St. Pauli has lost 2 straight, and are winless in 7, with just 4 wins in all comps this year. They’ve lost 2-1 and 3-0 in recent weeks, but do pull out some draws sometimes at 0-3-4 in their last 7. They’ve also at least scored in 8/11 too. They’ll have a slight rest advantage, having their Pokal match on Tuesday, vs Wednesday.
Last year both won 1-0 on the road, while this year Stuttgart won 2-0 at home, so it has been a lower-scoring matchup.
- Soccer Picks: Stuttgart to score
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction
1230pm
Gladbach has pulled themselves up to 12th, but are again winless in 4 league games. They’re a full 14 points back of 6th Leverkusen.
Leverkusen seems to be improving. After 3 straight losses, they’ve now won 1-0, 3-0, 3-1 and 3-0. They’ve also scored multiple goals in 6/10. They’ll have the shorter rest as that last win came on Tuesday in the Pokal quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, a 4-0 win over Augsburg is Gladbach’s only win in 7 games and since that win they’ve had a 5-1 loss, 0-0 draw, 3-0 loss and 1-1 draw.
It was 1-1 last game this season and 3-1 and 3-2 Leverkusen last year. Leverkusen have only failed to score once in 13 meetings. BTTS is 6-2 in the last 8 but Gladbach is poorer this season than others.
You’d expect a Leverkusen win, and to have some scoring chances as only Heidenheim and Werder have given up more shots on target against then Gladbach.
- Soccer Picks: Leverkusen to score
- Parlay Picks: MAI vs AUG btts / STU to score / BL to score (+136)
Soccer Picks and Parlays #3
Saturday
Barcelona vs Mallorca Prediction
8am
Barcelona played in the Copa del Rey this week and it was a regular Barca game. They scored multiple goals, won, yet still managed to concede to a far inferior team, and they beat Albacete 2-1. They did so without an injured Raphinha (leg) and will try to do so again this weekend without him.
A 2-1 loss to Sociedad five games back is Barca’s only non-win in 17 games and the only time they didn’t score multiple goals in that time. Something they should do again vs Mallorca.
Mallorca are 14th, but on the road off the island, they have the 3rd-worst road mark, at 1-2-8 and have been outscored 20-10.
They have wins in 2/3 where they’ve won 3-2 and 4-1, but both were at home. In between those was a road loss to Atletico Madrid, 3-0. They’ve now conceded multiple goals in 4/5.
They gave up multiple goals to Barca in the last match, losing 3-0 and Barca has won 4 in a row, while being undefeated in 19 meetings (17-2-0), but .. the last 2 games in Barcelona were just 1-0 wins.
For the parlay, I like Barca to win and score 2+, but both teams scoring in a Barca win, would make this playable by itself. If someone was to score for Mallorca, it would have to be Vedat Muriqi. He has 15 La Liga goals and 16 overall this season. In January he had 5 goals and won La Liga Player of the Month. Last week he had 1G, 1A, 5 shots and 3 on target.
- Soccer Picks: Barcelona to win and score over 1.5
Bournemouth vs Aston Villa Prediction
10am
I see some good BTTS potential in this game. However, Villa won 4-0 earlier this season and 1-0 in their last game last year. But, the BTTS is 3-2 in their last 5.
And it’s a bet that almost always hits in Bournemouth games, except … last week when they beat Wolves 2-0, but that’s Wolves. It had hit in 9 straight Bournemouth games previously and they’re now undefeated in 5 in regulation and have only 2 regulation losses in 11 overall games.
Villa had been a good BTTS team for a while, but more recently that prop is just 2-5 and 1-4. They’d won 1-0, 2-0 and 3-2, before losing 1-0 to Brentford last week.
- Soccer Picks: Over 1.5
Real Sociedad vs Elche Prediction
3pm
Sociedad has been climbing the table under Pellegrino Matarazzo and are up in 8th. Their games typically see goals, scoring 30 and allowing 30 in La Liga. They’re easily the highest BTTS team in the league at 82%. The next highest teams are just 68%, and one of those being Elche, the other Mallorca.
Sociedad won in the Copa del Rey this week in another high-scoring game beating Alaves 3-2. In all comps they’re now undefeated in 9 (5-4-0) and the BTTS has hit in all of them and also in 10 straight.
Meanwhile, the promoted Elche are fading and are now 13th. Their form is the complete opposite, being winless in 6. The BTTS is 6-0 and even the BTTS & Over 2.5 is 5-1. It was a 3-1 loss to Barca last week and they’ve now given up 3, 3, 2, 2, 1 and 3 goals in recent games. They’ve proved good for a goal, doing so in 11 straight and 15/16.
All of those trends were true when these teams last met in November in a 1-1 draw. Historically though, Under 2.5 is on a 6-0 run.
I like Sociedad to win, BTTS or simply Sociedad to score.
- Soccer Picks: Sociedad to score
- Parlay Picks: BAR win & score O1.5 / BOU vs AV O1.5 / SOC to score (-115)
Soccer Picks and Parlays #4
This will be a fun 2-leg parlay to cheer for on Sunday morning, with 2 big games in Germany and England, both kicking off at 1130am EST.
Bayern Munich vs Hoffenheim Prediction
1130am
Hoffenheim probably aren’t going to catch Bayern who are 9 points ahead of them, but they certainly could make the title race a little more interesting with a win, as they and Dortmund are within striking distance. Hoffenheim are currently 3rd.
Now Hoffenheim haven’t had much success vs Bayern, losing 4-1 this year and 5-0 and 4-0 last year. Now, last year they were one of the worst team, but still, they’ve won just 1/10 vs Bayern in recent years (1-2-7).
But if we focus on this year and recent games, Hoffenheim are on fire. They’ve won 5 straight outscoring opponents 14-3 in that time, have 1 loss in 15 and have scored in 13/15.
So they should be able to at least give Bayern a run giving their dip in form. A ‘dip in form’ is relative to Bayern’s high standards, but their last 2 league games have been a 2-1 loss to Augsburg and a 2-2 draw with Hamburg. In between, it was just a 2-1 win over PSV. Still, it’s only 2 losses in all matches all season which is solid and they’re getting players back. Last week it was Musiala. But defensively they conceded in 6/7 and 8/10 and often to far worse teams than Hoffenheim.
Hoffenheim made some moves in the transfer window bringing in midfielder Luis Engelns from Paderborn and Yannick Eduardo from the Dutch second division, a forward who had 12 goals with Dordrecht, while shipping out Gieger, Berisha, Drexler and Szalai in the past week and a half.
- Soccer Picks: BTTS & Over 2.5
Liverpool vs Man City Prediction
1130am
Not the top of the table clash it used to be, but it’s still 6th Liverpool hosting 2nd Man City.
The Reds will have some revenge in mind having lost 3-0 in Manchester in November after being undefeated in 4 meetings prior and winning 2-0 in both games last year. While the BTTS is 0-3 recently, it’s 13-5 going further back. And that’s what I see happening hear.
Mostly, because I don’t trust the defense for either. Liverpool have conceded in 4/6 and haven’t shut out any EPL teams (Qarabag and Marseille). But you have to give them credit for only having 1 loss in 16 games.
Man City have only lost twice in 19 themselves, but they’ve given up multiple goals in 3/6 and at least 1 in 7/10. And giving up 2 to Man U, 3 to Bodo/Glimt and 2 to Spurs, while only beating Wolves and Galatasaray in 5 games before this week, shows they’re not at the peak of their powers. Bu they came out strong in the EFL Cup on Wednesday and easily brushed aside Newcastle whom they were already leading 2-0 on aggregate. Marmoush scored twice and Reijnders added a third in the first half and Man City won 3-1, to advance 5-1 on aggregate to the final.
- Soccer Picks: BTTS
- Parlay Picks: BM vs HOF btts & O2.5 / LIV vs MC btts (+155)
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Ryan Métivier is a seasoned editor, writer and communications professional with years of experience in all fields. When it comes to covering sports, he’s written for numerous outlets and organizations including the OHL, CHL, SportsXpress, Sports Betting Dime, Cleveland.com, MassLive, FanSided and others.
While he’ll always cheer for his hometown Toronto teams, when it comes to betting, his only allegiance is his bankroll. Ryan specializes in global soccer, the NFL and the NHL, but if there is a bet to be made, he’ll make it. As the founder of Shred The Spread, Ryan focuses on combining storylines, trends, analytics and good bankroll management to creating simple bets that make sense.
When not making a case for why both teams will score in an MLS soccer match, he can be found focusing his efforts on fitness, attempting to learn Spanish, cooking or planning his travel adventure.
