Real Betis vs Barcelona Betting Tips & Predictions

Barcelona are 3 wins away from winning La Liga again but despite massive 8-0 and 6-0 wins in their last two matches there is still no margin for error. They weren’t actually at their best against Sporting last time out and some kind refereeing decisions and three converted penalties saw Luis Suarez help himself to 4 more goals to add to the 4 he’d scored only 3 days earlier in Galicia.

The Catalans have a local derby at home to Espanyol next weekend prior to a trip to a Granada side that are battling against the drop on the final day. They should win this and their final two games as well but they are likely to have to work harder here than they did in their last two outings.

Betis have improved considerably at home since the turn of the year. They’ve only lost 1 of their last 8 matches at the Estadio Benito Villamarín and they’ve won four times to nil in that period including their last two home games against Levante and Las Palmas. They also held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw at the start of the run and they can be tough to break down and boast the best defensive record in the bottom 9.

Betis are virtually safe on 41 points but like all clubs in this league they will be up for the visit of Barcelona and could be roared on by a crowd in the region of 50,000 which can also make a difference and isn’t something Barca have to deal with too often in Spain. Barcelona have only won 4 of their 17 away games in the league this year by a margin greater than 2 goals and Betis won’t cave in at the back like Rayo Vallecano and Deportivo have done in recent weeks. Therefore there looks to be real value in backing Real Betis + 3 Goal Handicap at 10/11 and even though the gulf in quality is likely to show through, Betis should have enough to restrict Barcelona to at most a 2 goal win.