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Barcelona may be the favorite heading into the latest Clasico, but the records can be thrown out when Barcelona and Madrid meet. Barca are ten points ahead in the standings and are riding a 39-game unbeaten streak, but they’re in uncharted waters ahead of Saturday’s showdown at Camp Nou.
In the history of El Clasico, Barcelona have never defeated Madrid while leading the league and Los Blancos by more than ten points. It could be a first given the excellent form of Luis Enrique’s club, but it may not be the only history going Barca’s way on Saturday.
Lionel Messi is a favorite (tied with Luis Suarez) to score in Saturday’s game at -135, but this won’t just be any goal for Messi. The Argentine is currently sitting at 499 career goals, and one more will place Messi into the half-century club. He already has 21 goals against Madrid in his career, but reaching the milestone on a day when Johan Cruyff is honored would be a tremendous moment for the club.
Back to gambling. The money on Real Madrid keeps growing, and Bovada has the moneyline all the way up to +425 to win Saturday. Barcelona doesn’t impress at -200, but they’ve been playing well enough to warrant a line that high. However, the international break could have an effect Saturday, as both teams have gone multiple weeks without league games.
Barcelona is the best team in Europe. They’re still up for five trophies this season, and they could easily win them all. But if you’ve got a couple bucks lying around, Real Madrid are a great value for a team still capable of doing great things.
Prediction: Real Madrid 3-2
Best Bet: Messi (-135) to Score Anytime
Find out how to watch this game in Spanish at AhoraMismo.com: