Real Madrid resume their La Liga title fight and kick off 2024 as Los Blancos host 14th-placed Mallorca at the Bernabeu in a midweek showcase.
Sitting atop the Spanish top flight table above Girona on goal differential, Real Madrid will resume play after a two-week winter break knowing manager Carlo Ancelotti will be around for the foreseeable future. Ancelotti signed a contract extension last week, warding off strong reported interest from Brazil.
With Ancelotti on long-term and Jude Bellingham continuing to rip goals in at will, Madrid are in a good place as other top Spanish sides like Barcelona and Atletico Madrid falter.
Mallorca are in good form, having avoided defeat for five straight matches, but will struggle to deal with the world-class squad of Real Madrid, even with their litany of injuries.
USA: Click here to see the latest odds for Real Madrid vs Mallorca and bet La Liga matches
Real Madrid vs Mallorca prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Real Madrid (-475)
- Score prediction: Real Madrid 2-0 Mallorca
Every point matters as Real Madrid battle Girona in the La Liga title race, with the two clubs jockeying back and forth each and every matchweek. Madrid will know how important every match can be, and with their injuries piling up, Carlo Ancelotti will need to manage the minutes of his available squad members.
Yet with a few weeks off, Real Madrid for now should be rested and ready to take the field in force, and while they might take a bit of time to shake off the rust, Los Blancos have a number of in-form players like Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo to lead the way.
| Madrid win |
Draw | Mallorca win |
Both teams to score Y / N |
Over / Under 2.5 goals |
RMA -1.5 |
MAL +1.5 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings (USA) |
-475 | +550 | +1000 | +130 / -160 | -160 / +120 | -135 | +115 |
Real Madrid vs Mallorca match facts
- Date: Wednesday, January 3, 2024
- Kickoff Time: 7:15 p.m. local (1:15 p.m. ET / 10:15 a.m. PT)
- Location: Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid, Spain)
- Official: Alejandro Muniz Ruiz
- Last meeting: Mallorca 1-0 Real Madrid (Feb. 5, 2023 | La Liga)
MORE: Real Madrid transfer news for 2024 January window
Real Madrid vs Mallorca best bet
The betting market has inflated the goals total for this matchup with the teams on opposite ends of the table, but there’s plenty of reason why Mallorca could keep a lid on the game throughout.
Real Madrid haven’t exactly lit up the scoreline of late, largely thanks to the injury absence of Vinicius Jr who won’t be back for at least another two weeks. They put four goals up on Villarreal last time out, but their opponent in that match owns the league’s third-worst defensive record. Mallorca, in contrast, rely on a solid back line, conceding just 22 goals in 18 matches, including just four goals in their last five.
Their issues come in the attacking third, where they have struggled to find options in front of net outside of Vedat Muriqi who remains out injured with a calf problem. Expect Mallorca to play this match defensively to see if they can snatch one and steal some points.
Real Madrid vs Mallorca prop bet
- Pick: Jude Bellingham anytime goal scorer
- Odds: +115 (DraftKings)
- Pick: Rodrygo anytime goal scorer
- Odds: +105 (DraftKings)
Is the betting market suffering from Jude Bellingham fatigue? Last year, with Erling Haaland scoring at will in the Premier League en route to a season record tally, his odds were consistently at absurd levels. While Bellingham isn’t scoring at nearly the same rate as Haaland was, he’s still finding the net on a consistent per-match level, but for some reason isn’t remotely the favourite to score in Real Madrid matches.
Instead, the betting favourite to find the net is Rodrygo, who continues to prove prolific in place of the injured Vinicius Jr, with six goals in his last six league games. Vinicius is back in the Real Madrid squad, but after over a month on the sideline, it’s unlikely he would start and sap minutes from his Brazilian club teammate.
Since the start of October, at least one of these two players has netted in nine of Real Madrid’s 11 league matches, and both have found goals in two of their last five. Even with a low-scoring affair expected, one of these should provide the goods for Los Blancos, and with both at slightly plus odds, it’s an exceptional risk/reward pairing should one or both come through.
Real Madrid vs Mallorca live stream, TV channel
- TV Channel (English): —
- Streaming (English): ESPN+
- TV Channel (Spanish): ESPN Deportes
- Streaming (Spanish): Fubo, ESPN+, WatchESPN
The Real Madrid vs Mallorca match will be televised in the United States on ESPN Deportes in Spanish. That broadcast can be found streaming on Fubo, as well as on WatchESPN for those with a valid login.
An English-language broadcast can be found exclusively on the company’s premium streaming service ESPN+.