Real Madrid vs. Alaves prediction, odds: Soccer expert reveals La Liga picks, best bets for Feb. 19, 2022

Real Madrid remains atop the Spanish La Liga table but hasn’t played like a champion recently, and it will try to get back on track against Alaves on Saturday at Bernabeu Stadium. Los Blancos (16-6-2) have won just one of their last five games overall, failing to score in three of them, but they are still four points ahead of Sevilla in La Liga’s table. They played to a scoreless draw with Villareal last Saturday before a devastating 1-0 setback to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 matchup. Real should be able to build confidence against Alaves (2-8-14), which is in the relegation zone in 18th place, four points from safety.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET in Madrid, Spain. Caesars Sportsbook lists Real Madrid as the -470 favorite (risk $470 to win $100) on the 90-minute money line in the latest Real Madrid vs. Alaves odds. Alaves is a +1300 underdog, a draw is priced at +550 and the over-under for total goals is 3.5, with the under juiced to -160. Before making any Alaves vs. Real Madrid odds, be sure to see the La Liga predictions from SportsLine soccer insider Jon Eimer. 

Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, Eimer has covered the English Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, the FA Cup and much more. The Indiana-based handicapper compiled a winning record of 260-133-1 with over 90 units of profit for his community on various platforms over a recent two-month stretch.

Now, Eimer has broken down Real Madrid vs. Alaves from every angle and revealed his coveted La Liga picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Alaves vs. Real Madrid:

• Real Madrid vs. Alaves spread: Real Madrid -1.5 (-150)
• Real Madrid vs. Alaves over-under: 3.5 goals (over +130, under -160)
• Real Madrid vs. Alaves money line: Real -470, Alaves +1300, Draw +550
• Real: Casemiro leads La Liga in tackles won with 53.
• Alaves: Joselu leads La Liga in aerials won with 220.

Why you should back Real Madrid 

Los Blancos should have no trouble with motivation in this one after a difficult week. It controlled the game against Villareal with 57 percent possession and a 17-9 advantage in shots (6-2 on net) but couldn’t break through. Then it appeared to be playing for a draw with French powerhouse PSG but saw Kylian Mbappe fire in the winner in the 94th minute. It had just three shots in that game, with none on target. It shouldn’t have such trouble against Alaves, which has yielded the second-most goals in La Liga and has lost eight of its 11 road matches.

Real Madrid has scored the most goals in the league (48) and yielded the second-fewest (20), so it should be able to get back into the win column. Karim Benzema leads La Liga with 17 goals, and Vinicius Junior has 12 and is a sublime playmaker. The 21-year-old Brazilian leads the league in carries into the final third (78) and into the penalty area (68). Real should create a lot of opportunities against a team that has allowed the fourth-most shots in the league. It will just need to cash in. It hasn’t lost a home match (8-4-0) and has a 24-8 home goal advantage.       

Why you should back Alaves

El Glorioso comes in with a small bit of confidence after getting its fifth victory of the season last Sunday, a 2-1 win against Valencia. It also won the most recent meeting between these teams in Madrid, a 2-1 victory in 2020 at Alfredo di Stefano Stadium. Joselu had the winning goal in both of those games, scoring in the 49th minute of the 2020 matchup and on a penalty Sunday. He leads the league with six goals on penalties and is tied for third with 12 overall. He clearly frustrates opponents with his skills in the box, and he is seventh in La Liga in shots with 51.

Alaves also is strong in the air, winning just shy of 58 percent of its aerial duels to lead the league. The 6-foot-4 Joselu is among the best in La Liga in this area. USMNT player Matt Miazga is fifth with a 77.6 percent win percentage but has started on the bench the past three matches. El Glorioso yields shots, but only 29.3 percent are on target, the third-best mark in La Liga. Defenders Víctor Laguardia, fifth in the league in successful clearances (118), and Ruben Duarte, tied for fifth in interceptions (49), are relentless. Real has scored once over its past four games.

How to make Alaves vs. Real Madrid picks

Eimer has analyzed Real Madrid vs. Alaves from every angle, and he is leaning over on the goal total. He also provides his best bets, including one that returns plus-money, and gives his full breakdown of the match. He’s only sharing his picks at SportsLine.

So who wins Real Madrid vs. Alaves? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for Alaves vs. Real Madrid, all from the expert who has crushed his soccer picks, and find out.