Athletic Bilbao (9 wins, 9 losses, 6 draws) host La Liga table-topper FC Barcelona (20-2-2) Sunday at San Mames Stadium at 4 p.m. ET (ESPN Deportes/ESPN+). Below, we preview Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Athletic Bilbao vs. FC Barcelona odds, and make our best soccer bets, picks and predictions.
Athletic Bilbao played to a scoreless draw last Sunday against Rayo Vallecano. It’s been a struggle lately, as the Lions are winless in the last 4 matches across all competitions. Even worse, it has been shut out in 3 of the last 4, including a 1-0 setback to Osasuna in the 1st leg of the Copa del Rey semi.
Barcelona sits atop the La Liga table, 6 points clear of Real Madrid with a match in hand. It scored a 1-0 win against Valencia last weekend, as Rapinha buried a goal in the 16th minute, and the Catalans ended up hanging on. The team went down a man when Ronald Araujo was shown a red card, so it was a struggle.
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Athletic Bilbao vs. FC Barcelona odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:01 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Athletic Bilbao +245 (bet $100 to win $245) | FC Barcelona +120 (bet $100 to win $120) | Draw +235 (bet $100 to win $235)
- Over/Under: 2.5 (O: +120 | U: -140)
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Athletic Bilbao vs. FC Barcelona picks and predictions
Prediction
FC Barcelona 2, Athletic Bilbao 1
Moneyline (ML)
FC BARCELONA (+120) is worth playing lightly in this road match at San Mames, but be careful.
Barca will be without Ousmane Dembele, as he continues to deal with a muscle problem. He and Pedri (thigh) are among the top players for the Blaugrana, so they’re a tad shorthanded at the moment. Araujo is also suspended, too.
As long as the Catalans do not look ahead to El Clasico next weekend, they’ll be just fine. Barca still has enough star power to get it done, and get out of Bilbao with a victory.
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 2.5 (+120) is worth a roll of the dice at plus-money.
It’s a bit of a gamble to bank on a Bilbao goal, as Barca have kept a clean sheet in 7 of the last 9 La Liga matches. However, Athletic Bilbao has seen Over 2.5 goals cash in 7 of the last 8 matches against FC Barcelona across all competitions.
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