Barcelona vs. Almeria prediction, odds, start time: 2023 La Liga picks, Feb. 26 best bets by soccer insider
Barcelona will look to get back on track after suffering a rare loss when they tangle with Almeria in Spanish La Liga action on Sunday. Barcelona (19-1-2 in LaLiga), who has won seven consecutive league matches, dropped a 2-1 decision to Manchester United in the Europa League. They defeated Cadiz 2-0 last Sunday. Almeria (6-12-4) has lost three in a row, including a 6-2 decision at Girona on Feb. 17. Almeria are winless in their 13 games against Barcelona in La Liga with 11 losses and two draws.
Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Barcelona as the -230 favorites (risk $235 to win $100) in its latest Barcelona vs. Almeria odds, with Almeria the +575 underdogs. A draw is priced at +360 and the over/under for total goals scored is 2.5. Before locking in any Almeria vs. Barcelona picks, you need to see what SportsLine's Brandt Sutton has to say.
Sutton, a former collegiate soccer player, has been SportsLine's top soccer editor for more than five years. He has followed soccer closely for much longer and factors in managerial tactics, projected lineups and past performances to make the most-informed decisions possible, keeping his finger on the pulse of the game all over the globe.
Sutton finished 2022 as SportsLine's top soccer expert with a 165-130-2 mark, returning nearly $2,200 for $100 players. He's continued his success following the World Cup, going 36-27 on all soccer picks since that point, returning almost $900 for $100 players.
Now, Sutton has taken a close look at the Almeria vs. Barcelona match and locked in his La Liga picks. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Barcelona vs. Almeria:
- Barcelona vs. Almeria spread: Almeria +0.5 (-120), Barcelona -0.5 (-110)
- Barcelona vs. Almeria over/under: 2.5 goals
- Barcelona vs. Almeria money line: Almeria +575, Barcelona -230, Draw +360
- ALM: They are third in La Liga in saves with 142
- BAR: They are second in the league in goals with 45
- Barcelona vs. Almeria picks: See picks here
Why you should back Barcelona
Barcelona has the best goal differential in La Liga at plus-38, and a big reason for that is forward Robert Lewandowski. In 18 starts, he has a league-leading 15 goals and five assists. He is coming off back-to-back goal-scoring matches, scoring the lone goal in the loss to Manchester United on Thursday. He also had one in last Sunday's win over Cadiz.
In addition, Barcelona's backline has been extremely effective in league play. In fact, Barcelona have conceded just seven goals in 22 La Liga fixtures.
Why you should back Almeria
Forward El Bilal Toure is Almeria's leading scorer with five goals and two assists. He scored a goal in the loss at Girona on Feb. 17, and has four shots, including two on target over the past two matches. The 21-year-old made 64 appearances for Reims the past three years in France, scoring nine goals.
In addition, midfielder Lucas Robertone leads the side with five assists, and has one goal in 21 appearances. He had two assists in the 6-2 loss at Girona. He also added assists in draws against Valencia on Jan. 23 and Atletico Madrid on Jan. 15. Since joining Almeria in 2020, he has made 51 appearances, scoring six goals.
How to make Barcelona vs. Almeria picks
Sutton has broken down the Spanish La Liga match from every angle. He is leaning Under on the total and has locked in a pair of plus-money best bets. Head to SportsLine to see his analysis and top picks.
