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Published on Aug, 16 2024
The Hansi Flick era at Barcelona begins on Saturday when the Blaugrana kick off their 2024-25 La Liga season against Valencia at Mestalla Stadium in Valencia. Last season Barca finished second in the standings, 10 points behind champion Real Madrid. The result prompted the firing of manager Xavi in May after almost three seasons in Barcelona. One week later, the club hired Flick, the former Hoffenheim, Bayern Munich and Germany manager. Meanwhile Valencia are coming off a season in which they were ninth in La Liga.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. The Blaugrana are the -135 favorites (risk $135 to win $100) in the latest Barcelona vs. Valencia odds, with Los Ches the +360 underdogs. A draw is priced at +270, and the over/under for total goals scored is 2.5. Before you lock in your Valencia vs. Barcelona picks or La Liga predictions, you need to see what proven SportsLine soccer expert Martin Green has to say.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Last year he was profitable in multiple areas on his soccer picks, including Euro qualifying (+6.30 units), the EFL Cup (+4.47), the FA Cup (+3.07), and the Champions League (+3.05), among others.
Now, Green has broken down Valencia vs. Barcelona from every angle and revealed his picks and La Liga predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Green's picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Barcelona vs. Valencia:
The Blaugrana have one of the best goal scorers in the world in Robert Lewandowski. The striker from Poland, who will turn 36-years-old next Wednesday, tied for third in La Liga last season in goals (19). He led an attack that ranked third in the league last season in goals (79).
In addition, Barca have dominated the head-to-head series against Valencia recently. Barcelona are undefeated in their last nine matches against Valencia, earning seven wins over that time. Valencia have not beaten the Blaugrana since a 2-0 victory in January 2020. See which team to pick here.
Hugo Duro is coming off a career season for Los Ches. A 24-year-old center forward, Duro led Valencia last season in goals, with 13 on 63 shots. He was rewarded in the offseason with a contract extension that will keep him in Valencia through the 2027-28 season.
In addition, Los Ches have a rising star at goalkeeper in Giorgi Mamardashvili. Nicknamed the Georgian Wall for his shot-stopping prowess, Mamardashvili carried Georgia to a penalty-shootout victory over Greece in March to clinch the country's appearance in the European Championships, its first major international tournament. At Euro 2024, he led all goalkeepers in saves with 29 (11 more than his closest pursuer) and led Georgia to the knockout stage. See which team to pick here.
Green has broken down the La Liga match from every possible angle. He is leaning Over on the goal total and has locked in two best bets, including one that would pay plus-money. He's sharing his La Liga picks and analysis only at SportsLine.
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