Spanish La Liga Predictions, Picks and Best Bets March 1-3

Predictions and Picks for La Liga Matches March 1-3

WagerTalk La Liga handicapper Kevin Dolan presents his February 23-25 La Liga predictions and betting preview around key La Liga matches including Valencia vs Real Madrid and Mallorca vs Girona. Which teams is he looking to pick up points and which will have goal scoring? Read his La Liga betting tips now!

Celta Vigo vs Almeria | Friday March 1 | 3:00pm ET

Celta Vigo -120 | Almeria +335 | Draw +275

Two teams trying to stave off relegation meet on Friday night over at the Estadio de Balaidos as bottom-of-the-table Almeria look to get their first win of the season so far against 17th-placed Celta Vigo.

A recent unbeaten run of three straight games for Almeria does hold a little room for optimism here however, especially as two of those three results came against solid teams in Athletic Club Bilbao and Atletico Madrid also, but they’ve yet to fully get over the line in a game this season and Friday could present one of their best opportunities in which to do so.

Celta Vigo meanwhile, despite sitting 12 points above Almeria in the table, have arguably been in even worse form of late, winning just one of their last seven games overall, and losing five of those seven outright as well.

A large part of those recent issues for Celta Vigo has been a defense that has allowed at least 2.0 GAPG across their last three starts, and one that has given up the third most goals from open play in the league this season as well.

Almeria have seen Both Teams to Score hit in 77% of all of their road games this season, the 2nd highest frequency rate in the entire league, so they’re more than capable of finding the back of the net here, especially against a backline as vulnerable as this Celta Vigo one is right now.

Further to that, the Over 1.5 goals has hit inside the first half in 62% of all Almeria’s road games this season, so La Union should be able to crack the back of the net in this one early for a pretty big payday on Friday.

La Liga Prediction: Almeria to Score Exactly 1 First Half Goal (+210)

Valencia vs Real Madrid | Saturday March 2 | 3:00pm ET

Valencia +440 | Real Madrid -155 | Draw +290

Even with two draws across their last four league games in all, Los Blancos remain in firm command of the LaLiga title race this season with a current six-point gap and a vastly superior goal difference between themselves and their two closest rivals of Girona and Barcelona.

Madrid does face a tricky second leg against RB Leipzig next week in the Champions League, but do at least hold a one-goal advantage in that tie from the first leg, winning 1-0 over in Germany just over two weeks ago.

That second leg will likely draw Real Madrid’s attention away somewhat from this game, but they nonetheless will not want to concede any more ground than they have given up across recent weeks, with another potential slip-up in this one likely meaning the title race will be back on.

No team has been better defensively at home this season than Valencia have, with Los Ches allowing a paltry six total goals (0.50 GAPG) to opponents all season inside the Mestalla, only three of which came from open play as well.

With a clean sheet percentage of 83% inside their first halves at home this season also, this should be another extremely low-scoring, tactical affair early on Saturday that we’re banking stays under the total.

La Liga Prediction: 1H Under 1 (-125)

Mallorca vs Girona | Sunday March 3 | 12:30pm ET

Mallorca +230 | Girona +125 | Draw +230

In what’s been a goal-heavy fixture between these two teams across recent meetings, with a total of 13 goals scored across just their last two head-to-heads, another potential classic could be on the cards here on Sunday as league top scorers Girona take on Mallorca down at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix.

Girona will look to rally on a current six-point deficit at the top of the table on Real Madrid by turning around a recent form book that has seen them win just one of their last four league games in all, two of which were outright defeats as well.

Mallorca are a team that knows all about recent poor form as well, winning just one of their last eight league games overall as they continue to sit precariously close to the drop zone this season.

Despite the frenetic nature of recent meetings between these two teams, both of their last two league games at this venue have been level at the break, and that’s been pretty much a constant for both of these sides all season as well, with Mallorca owning a league-high 77% draw rate at the break at home this season, while six of Girona’s 13 road games have also been level at half time as well.

Take the first-half draw on Sunday between Girona and Mallorca down on the Balearic Islands.

La Liga Prediction: 1H Draw (+109)