Real Madrid vs. Barcelona prediction, odds: 2022 El Clasico picks, La Liga bets from proven soccer expert

It’s the first leg of the world’s biggest football rivalry when Real Madrid host Barcelona in El Clasico 2022 at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Sunday. It’s a battle for the top spot in the Spanish La Liga table, with both teams coming in at 7-1-0 and Barcelona in first place on goal differential. Real Madrid are the reigning league champions and have won 35 titles, while their bitter rivals finished as runner-up in 2021-22 but have won 26 championships. Los Blancos ran away with the title last year, finishing 13 points ahead of La Blaugrana, but they split the two league matchups. The road team won each time, with Real winning 2-1 at Camp Nou and Barca pulling off a stunning 4-0 victory in Madrid in the most recent meeting. Real Madrid also won a Spanish SuperCopa semifinal matchup 3-2, in Saudi Arabia back in January. This is the 250th competitive match between the teams, and Real has a slight 100-52-97 edge all-time.

Kickoff is set for 10:15 a.m. ET on Sunday. Real are the +127 favorites (risk $100 to win $127) in Caesars Sportsbook’s latest Real Madrid vs. Barcelona odds, with Barcelona the +205 underdogs. A draw is priced at +255 and the over/under for total match goals is set at 3.5. Before making any Barcelona vs. Real Madrid picks or bets, be sure you check out the Spanish La Liga predictions from 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, the FA Cup and much more, and he is 255-245-7 on all soccer picks in 2002.  

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

• Real Madrid vs. Barcelona spread: Real -0.5 (+120
• Real Madrid vs. Barcelona over/under: 3.5 goals
• Real Madrid vs. Barcelona money line: Real +127, Barcelona +205, Draw +255
• Real Madrid: They have scored in all 13 of their games in all competitions.
• Barcelona: They have three or more goals in seven of 12 matches overall.  
• Real Madrid vs. Barcelona picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why you should back Real Madrid

The loss to Barcelona was the only home setback for Real last season, as they went 13-5-1 with a plus-31 goal differential. It also snapped a five-game win streak for Los Blancos against their rivals. The stakes for this one are much higher than last year, when Real were well ahead in the race for the title. They also were without star striker Karim Benzema, and the Frenchman should be ready to go this time. He has three goals in five matches this season, and he led the league with 27 in 2021-22. He was one of the goal-scorers in Real’s SuperCopa victory in January.

Vinicius Junior also got on the board in that match, and the 22-year-old has a team-high five league goals. The scoring chances are mostly generated by veteran midfielders Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, and they create a lot of opportunities. Los Blancos average a league-high 19 shots per game while yielding 10 per contest. They have allowed just 24 shots on target, tied for third-fewest. Real get an extra day of rest after a 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday. Barcelona played a 3-3 draw with Inter Milan on Wednesday.

Why you should back Barcelona

La Blaugrana are intent on making a serious run at the title this season, and they certainly have the talent. It starts with newcomer Robert Lewandowski, who just happens to be one of the world’s top strikers. He has a league-high nine goals to go with two assists, and Ousmane Dembele (two goals, two assists) is an excellent sidekick. They could be joined by 19-year-old Ansu Fati, who has two goals and three assists despite starting just once. Crafty veteran Sergio Busquets and Spanish phenoms Gavi and Pedri should provide the excitement — and scoring chances — in midfield.

Barcelona could take advantage of the expected absence of Real star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who is recovering from a back injury. Backup Andriy Lunin has started just four games over the past two seasons. A big part of Barcelona’s success so far has been the defensive effort. They have allowed just one league goal, and that came in the second game of the season. Marc-Andre ter Stegen leads the league in clean sheets (seven) and save percentage (95), of course, but the back line led by Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde has yielded a league-low 66 shots, with 20 on target (second). 

How to make Barcelona vs. Real Madrid picks

Eimer has analyzed Sunday’s El Clasico 2022 from every angle, and he is leaning Over on the goal total and has two other confident best bets. He’s only sharing those picks here.

So who wins Real Madrid vs. Barcelona in Sunday’s El Clasico showdown? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for the Barcelona vs. Real Madrid match, all from the soccer expert who is locked in on the game all over the world.