With European competition over for the first half of the season, clubs will be looking to finish strong ahead of the 2022 World Cup break.
There are five Premier League matches to pick from, with leaders Man City taking on Fulham and Leeds hosting Bournemouth, among others.
Barcelona are in La Liga action at the Camp Nou taking on Almeria, while Celta Vigo hosts Osasuna and Real Valladolid welcome Elche in an important relegation battle. In Italy, Napoli look to dust themselves off from a meaningless loss at Anfield as they travel to Atalanta, while AC Milan host Spezia at the San Siro.
12 Bundesliga teams are in action across Germany, including both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, while two matches in Ligue 1 tease a larger Sunday slate in France.
Finally, there’s the MLS Cup final to cap off the 2022 domestic season in the United States. The top two teams in the league, LAFC and Philadelphia Union, match up on the west coast.
MORE: Sporting News soccer betting guide
Borussia Dortmund vs. VfL Bochum best bet, prediction
- Best Bet: Under 3.0 total goals
- Odds: +123 / 2.23 (Sports Interaction)
- Prediction (Win/Draw): Dortmund to win
Borussia Dortmund have looked lackluster over the past few weeks as the injuries pile up and the players tire with the calendar turning to November. They were timid after going in front midweek against Copenhagen, and played to a 0-0 draw with Man City the week prior. Sandwiched between there was a 2-1 road win at Eintracht Frankfurt, but even that came on just 0.60 xG. Bochum shouldn’t provide much of a challenge here, and even if they do find a goal against Dortmund’s injury-riddled defense, the hosts should come out on top, but as soon as they find a lead, they’re more likely to shut up shop than push for more and expend any unnecessary energy. — Kyle Bonn
BetMGM does offer under 3.5 total goals at -130 odds.
LAFC vs. Philadelphia Union best bet, prediction
- Best Bet: Highest scoring half: 2H
- Odds: -110 (BetMGM)
- Prediction (Win/Draw): LAFC to win
Finals usually feature a cagey start, and these two teams are going to end up in a war. LAFC’s glitzy style will match up against a gritty Philadelphia Union side that could frustrate the hosts through the first 45 minutes. Things should open up, though, in the second half as both teams go for glory. Going back to the start of September, Union games have seen 15 of 20 goals scored in the second half, while LAFC games saw 15 of 23 goals scored after the break. This seems simple. — Kyle Bonn
Celta Vigo vs. Osasuna best bet, prediction
- Best Bet: Osasuna moneyline
- Odds: +220 (BetMGM)
- Prediction (Win/Draw): Osasuna to win
It’s a mystery why Celta Vigo is such a heavy favorite in this match. Sure they’re home, but that’s about all they have going for them, otherwise in freefall. They’ve stopped creating chances, with just 3.52 xG over their last four games. Osasuna are simply the better side here, and they should be able to take care of business at both ends, with Ezequiel Avila in good form. — Kyle Bonn
Barcelona vs. Almeria best bet, prediction
- Best Bet: Barcelona to win & both to score
- Odds: +160 (BetMGM)
- Prediction (Win/Draw): Barcelona to win
Despite their European struggles, Barcelona have been sensational in front of net in domestic play, scoring essentially at will. They have also, however, been suspect at the back of late. They conceded two to Viktoria Plzen midweek, and while they’ve kept three successive league clean sheets, they saw a goal ruled out by VAR against Valencia and games against Athletic and Villarreal featured big misses by the opponent. Almeria have gone five straight matches finding the back of the net and El Bilal Toure is in great form both scoring and creating chances. Barcelona should win but will also concede at least once. — Kyle Bonn
Yesterday’s picks
On a slow day with few choices to pick from, both picks from Kyle on winners resulted in both teams slumping to disappointing home draws.
Udinese conceded an early goal to Lecce, and Gerard Deulofeu had a rare off day in a disappointing draw for the hosts. Meanwhile, Troyes grabbed an early goal and looked a good pick to slide through with three points, but conceded a garbage late goal in the 85th minute to share the spoils.
| ✔️ or ❌ | |
|---|---|
| Troyes to win (Bonn, -110) |
❌ |
| Udinese to win to nil (Bonn, +150) |
❌ |
Soccer best bets records
Records below compiled since the first edition of this post on Monday, October 3.
| Kyle Bonn | Simon Borg | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Bets (Won-Lost-Push) |
39.8% (35-53-1) |
32.4% (12-25-1) |
| Total Units (+ Won / – Lost) |
+1.47 | -11.55 |
| Match Predictions (Correct picks) |
49.4% (41 of 83) |
50.0% (19 of 38) |