The 2023-24 La Liga season gets underway on Friday when Almeria takes on Rayo Vallecano in their home opener. Almeria posted an 11-8-19 record last season, their first in La Liga since going 8-8-22 in 2014-15. La Union finished one point ahead of Real Valladolid to avoid relegation and were eight behind Rayo Vallecano, who were 11th in the table but lost seven of their final 11 matches. The teams met twice in 2022-23, with each recording a victory at home.
Kickoff at Power Horse Stadium is set for 1:30 p.m. ET. Almeria are the +155 favorites (risk $100 to win $155) in the latest Almeria vs. Rayo Vallecano odds, while Rayo Vallecano are +185 underdogs. A 90-minute draw is priced at +215 and the over/under for total goals scored is 2.5. Before locking in any Rayo Vallecano vs. Almeria picks, you need to see what proven SportsLine soccer insider Jon "Buckets" Eimer has to say.
Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, he has covered the English Premier League, Serie A, the FA Cup and much more. Since the end of last year's Men's World Cup, he has been red-hot, going 167-149-8 for a profit of $2,787 for $100 bettors. Anyone following him is way up.
Now, Eimer has broken down Almeria vs. Rayo Vallecano from every angle and just revealed his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Eimer's picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Rayo Vallecano vs. Almeria:
- Almeria vs. Rayo Vallecano money line: Almeria +155, Rayo Vallecano +185, Draw +215
- Almeria vs. Rayo Vallecano over/under: 2.5 goals
- Almeria vs. Rayo Vallecano spread: Almeria -0.5 (+150)
- ALM: La Union ended last season with a three-game winless streak
- RV: The Red Sashes won only four of their final 18 matches in 2022-23
- Almeria vs. Rayo Vallecano picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back Almeria
La Union played well at home last season, recording 10 of their 11 overall victories and three of their five draws. They went 3-2-1 in the final six matches on their own pitch and allowed just one goal over the last three. One of their home wins came against Rayo Vallecano, a 3-1 triumph in which the club converted three times in the first 39 minutes.
Argentinian midfielder Lucas Robertone, who was tied for fifth in La Liga in 2022-23 with seven assists, opened the scoring in the eighth minute and Serbian defender Srdan Babic doubled the lead in the 17th. Winger Adri Embarba, who began his career with Rayo Vallecano and spent time with Espanyol before joining Almeria early last season, also had a strong performance against his former club with a pair of assists. Lazaro, a 21-year-old Brazilian forward, was second on La Union last campaign with six goals in 19 contests and will be counted on to provide more offense now that El Bilal Toure (seven goals) signed with Serie A's Atalanta. See picks at SportsLine.
Why you should back Rayo Vallecano
The Red Sashes allowed 53 goals last season and made an attempt over the summer to reduce that number. The club added Alfonso Espino from Cadiz and Aridane Hernandez from Osasuna, signing the former to a three-year contract the latter to a two-year pact. In addition, Florian Lejeune inked a four-year deal with Rayo Vallecano after spending 2022-23 with the team on loan from Alaves.
Isi Palazon is eager to improve upon what was the best season of his career thus far. The 28-year-old winger was first on the Red Sashes with nine goals and also notched five assists, tying forwards Alvaro Garcia and Sergio Camello -- who now plays for Atletico Madrid -- for the team lead. The 30-year-old Garcia was third on Rayo Vallecano with five goals last season, one of which came in a 2-0 victory against Almeria. See picks at SportsLine.
How to make Almeria vs. Rayo Vallecano picks
Eimer has broken down the La Liga match from every angle and is leaning Under on the goal total. He has locked in three confident best bets, including one that pays around +600, while also offering a full breakdown of this matchup. You can only see his La Liga picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Who wins Almeria vs. Rayo Vallecano, and where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for the Rayo Vallecano vs. Almeria match, all from the soccer expert who is up almost 28 units on his soccer picks in 2023, and find out.