Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid odds, picks, predictions: Best bets for Thursday's Copa del Rey Madrid derby from proven soccer expert

It's a Madrid derby showdown in the Spanish Copa del Rey's Round of 16 on Thursday when Atletico Madrid host Real Madrid at Metropolitano Stadium. The teams met last Wednesday in the Spanish Supercopa semifinals, with Real winning a 5-3 thriller in extra time before beating Barcelona 4-1 for the title on Sunday. Real are one point behind leaders Girona in Spain's LaLiga table, while Atletico are fifth, 11 points off the lead.      

Kickoff in Madrid, Spain is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. Real are +145 favorites (risk $100 to win $145) in the latest Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid odds, while Atletico are +170 underdogs. A draw is priced at +240, the over/under for total goals scored is 2.5, and Real are -0.5 (+145) in handicap betting. (.)

Before you lock in your Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid picks or Copa del Rey predictions, you NEED to see what soccer bettor Jon "Buckets" Eimer has to say.

Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, he has covered the English Premier League, Serie A, the FA Cup and much more. Since the end of last year's Men's World Cup, Eimer has been red-hot on English Premier League picks, going 86-59-5 for a profit of nearly $3,500 for $100 bettors. Overall, he is 248-234-12 (+25.93) on soccer picks over that span. Anyone following him is WAY up.

Eimer knows Real have been dominant lately, and their emphatic victory in the El Clasico matchup Sunday was impressive. Vinicius Junior had a hat trick, and Rodrygo also got on the board as Los Blancos dominated, putting nine of 18 shots on target. They put 11 of 22 on net in the semifinal victory against Atletico and got goals from five different players -- three defenders -- in the rout.

The expert also has considered that Real could be weary after an emotional rivalry matchup, and Atletico have the ability to score a lot of goals. Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata have combined for 23 league goals, and Griezmann scored one in last week's loss to Real. Los Colchoneros are 12-1-0 in home matches in all competitions this season, with a 34-13 goal advantage.

Eimer has taken an in-depth look at the Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid matchup and is leaning Over 2.5 on the goal total. He also has locked in his two CONFIDENT best bets and has a full breakdown of this 2023-24 Copa del Rey matchup! You ABSOLUTELY need to see his picks and analysis before making any selections of your own.