The Bats host Pío Pío! It’s time to check our La Liga odds series, starring our Valencia-Las Palmas prediction, pick, and how to watch guide!
Los Che finished 16th in Spain's top flight last season, while also reaching the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey and the semi-finals of the Supercopa de España.
Las Palmas is back in La Liga since the 2017–18 season following their promotion from the Segunda División in the previous season. In addition to the domestic league, Las Palmas will participate in this season's editions of the Copa del Rey.
Here are the Valencia-Las Palmas soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
La Liga Odds: Valencia-Las Palmas Odds
Valencia CF: -145
UD Las Palmas: +410
Draw: +250
Over 2.5 Goals: +124
Under 2.5 Goals: -152
How to Watch Valencia vs. Las Palmas
TV: ESPN Deportes
Stream: fuboTV, ESPN+, DirecTV Stream
Time: 3:30 PM ET/ 12:30 PM PT
*Watch soccer LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Valencia Can Beat Las Palmas
Valencia's glory days of instilling fear in Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are long gone. The club has been experiencing a crisis in recent years, as evidenced by their 16th-place finish in the previous La Liga campaign, where they narrowly avoided relegation by just two points.
However, Valencia is currently in fifth place in the league table and has been in impressive form this season. They surprised everyone last week with a professional 2-1 away victory against Europa League winners Sevilla, building important momentum for their upcoming match against Las Palmas. They have enjoyed fine form since the start of the summer, winning five of their last six matches.
Valencia has a good recent record against Las Palmas, winning seven out of the last 14 matches between the two teams, compared to Las Palmas' four victories. In La Liga, Valencia has won eight of their last 12 home matches against Las Palmas, with their only defeat during this period occurring in the opening game of the 2016-17 campaign.
Valencia has the potential to be a formidable team and will be looking to secure a place in European competition this season. Edinson Cavani, Yunus Musah, Nico González, Justin Kluivert, Adri Gómez, Facundo González, Koba Koindredi, and Uroš Račić are no longer part of the team.
In their previous match against Sevilla, manager Ruben Baraja deployed defender Mouctar Diakhaby in central midfield, where the Frenchman scored the opener and dominated in possession. He is likely to retain his place in that position as part of Baraja's new tactical plan. Baraja was pleased with the performances of his summer signings Cenk Ozcacar and Pepelu and is expected to include them in the starting lineup against Las Palmas. The Valencia boss may also rely on injecting youth into the team to secure a victory on Friday evening.
Valencia has been linked with Brentford defender Sergi Canos, who could provide strength on the flanks if brought in. Alberto Mari and Marcos Andre are both ruled out for Los Che. Hugo Duro will retain his place in attack, while Javi Guerra, who scored the winner against Sevilla, is pushing for a starting spot.
Why Las Palmas Can Beat Valencia
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Francisco Javier Garcia Pimienta, the successor of Pepe Mel, managed to secure Las Palmas' return to La Liga after only two seasons. They finished in second place in the Segunda Division, earning them direct promotion and allowing them to compete among the best clubs in Spain for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign.
Currently, Las Palmas is in 10th place in the La Liga standings and had a fairly impressive start to their season, playing out a 1-1 draw against Mallorca in their first match. However, they will need to step up their game to secure a win in their upcoming match, as they have only won one of their last five matches and are not coming into this match with a ton of confidence.
Las Palmas has won four of their last five matches against Valencia in La Liga, which is as many victories as they had achieved in the 18 games preceding this run. However, they are currently on their longest winless streak in the competition, having gone 17 matches without a win.
García Pimienta is likely to stick with his 4-5-1 formation that earned Las Palmas a draw against Mallorca on the opening weekend, with Jonathan Viera playing off the right to maximize his threat. All 11 players selected to play last week are fit to travel to mainland Spain for Las Palmas' first away game of their returning season in La Liga.
Las Palmas enters Thursday's match with a good health picture. Jonathan Viera is a key player for Las Palmas and is likely to create chances and damage Valencia on the counter if given the opportunity. Munir El Haddadi is expected to be slotted in attack instead of Marc Cardona, who did not make a great impression in the opening match. Unfortunately, Alberto Moleiro and Fabio Gonzalez are both in the recovery room and will be unavailable for the visitors.
Final Valencia-Las Palmas Prediction & Pick
The Bats should be able to hold off the Segunda Division second-placers as they still navigate their way back to Spain's top football division.
Final Valencia-Las Palmas Prediction & Pick: Valencia (-145), Over 2.5 goals (+124)