Matchweek 3 of La Liga continues on Monday as Rayo Vallecano visit the defending champions Barcelona.
Barca are -750 favorites on the moneyline for this one on DraftKings Sportsbook, with a draw available at +850. Fancy a Rayo Vallecano upset? They are +1600 to pick up three points.
Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano Prediction, Pick
This bet can be found under the “Match Parlays” tab. The defending champions Barcelona have gotten off to a perfect start so far in La Liga and will be looking to make it three wins from three on Monday against Rayo Vallecano. In their first match, Barca took down Elche 5-0 and then backed that up with a 2-0 victory over Athletic Club.
What stands out in those two matches is actually their defense. They’ve conceded no goals and only two shots on target across those two matches. Three defenders, Xavi Espart, Gerard Martín and Eric García have started both games. Andreas Christensen started at center back in the opening match, while Pau Cubarsí entered the fray against Athletic. Rayo Vallecano have scored once in each of their first two games, but they have not faced a team this good so far in the new campaign.
When you look at the recent matches between these teams, Barcelona winning without conceding is a common occurrence. In the last five matches between the teams, Barca have won without allowing a goal on three occasions. They’ve won four of those games in total, including one draw. Vallecano have only netted twice against them in that same time span.
Based on their start to the season and the recent history between these teams, Barca winning without conceding seems like the obvious choice here and that’s what I’m rolling with on Monday.
