The home of the Dallas Cowboys hosts a different kind of big-time football Saturday when Barcelona and Real Madrid face off in a preseason friendly version of El Clasico. The teams have combined for 62 Spanish La Liga titles, with Real holding a record 35. But Barcelona are the defending La Liga champions, and they finished 10 points ahead of their arch-rivals last season. Real led La Liga in goals, but top scorer Karim Benzema is now playing in Saudi Arabia. That means Vinicius Junior and newcomer Jude Bellingham will be keys to their success. Star striker Robert Lewandowski remains with Barcelona, who added Ilkay Gundogan and have a lot of young talent.
Saturday's match is set for 5 p.m. ET kickoff. Real Madrid are +115 favorites (risk $100 to win $115) in the latest Barcelona vs. Real Madrid odds. Barcelona are +180 underdogs, a draw is priced at +260 and the over/under for total goals scored is set at 3.5. Before locking in any Barcelona vs. Real Madrid picks, be sure to see the El Clasico in Dallas predictions from SportsLine's Jim Holliman.
Holliman has been a writer and editor for nearly 25 years and grew up with soccer in his blood. He played competitively through high school and has been following the game closely since the 1970's heyday of the North American Soccer League. His interest has expanded worldwide, and his betting approach is centered on crunching the numbers, but he sees the whole field and relies on his instinct.
The expert had a profitable season on both English Premier League and the German Bundesliga and is 63-62-1 overall on his soccer article picks for SportsLine. He went 34-30-1 (+1.69 units) on EPL picks and 7-3 (+2.79) on the Bundesliga. The expert also was 21-10 (+11.47) on 2022-23 UEFA Champions League picks.
Now, he has broken down the Barcelona vs. Real Madrid matchup from every angle. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Real Madrid vs. Barcelona:
- Barcelona vs. Real Madrid spread: Real Madrid -0.5 (+110)
- Barcelona vs. Real Madrid over/under: 3.5 goals
- Barcelona vs. Real Madrid money line: Barcelona +180, Real Madrid +115, Draw +260
- BAR: They held the ball for more than 64% of their La Liga matches last season.
- RM: They averaged almost 61% possession in their 2022-23 league games.
- Barcelona vs. Real Madrid picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back Barcelona
The Blaugrana are in a bit of a time crunch to get ready for the season after a stomach virus wrecked some preparation time. The outbreak affected more than a dozen players and led to the cancellation of last weekend's match with Juventus. That means key players should get more time together in the next few games. Barca faced Arsenal on Wednesday, and their 5-3 loss should give them even more motivation here. Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Raphinha scored the goals and Barca held 60% possession. They should now turn their focus to defending more tightly Saturday.
The opening match of the summer was against Japan's Vissel Kobe, and they peppered the net, putting 10 of 22 shots on target in winning 2-0. Barca had La Liga's best defense -- by far -- last season, conceding just 20 goals in 33 matches. Lewandowski scored 23 himself, and Gundogan should thrive as he plays a more prominent role. He was lost in the loaded Manchester City attack but managed eight goals and four assists last season. Manager Xavi will likely lean on the young legs of Torres, 23, and Ansu Fati and Pedri, both 20. They combined for 17 goals in 2022-23. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why you should back Real Madrid
Los Blancos dominated the last meeting between these teams, winning 4-0 at Camp Nou to advance to the final of the Copa del Rey on 4-1 aggregate. They beat Osasuna to win that title and also claimed the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. They lost to Man United in the Champions League semifinals. Now they're gearing up for what they hope to be a more successful season. Vinicius will carry the scoring load, and new addition Jude Bellingham was one of the most coveted transfer targets. The 20-year-old had eight goals and four assists for Borussia Dortmund in 2022-23.
Benzema had a hat trick in the Copa del Rey rout, but Vinicius also scored, and the young Brazilian netted the winner in Real's preseason opener against AC Milan. Los Blancos were down 2-0 at halftime, but Federico Valverde had a brace before Vinicious sealed the 3-2 victory. Real got a goal from Bellingham in a 2-0 victory against Man United on Wednesday. Vinicius, 23, had 10 goals and nine assists last season in a secondary role, and Rodrygo, 22, had nine goals and eight assists. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Real Madrid vs. Barcelona picks
Holliman has broken down the Barcelona vs. Real Madrid match from every angle. He has offered his two confident best bets, including one that returns nearly +300, and has a full breakdown of this El Clasico friendly match. He's only sharing those picks here.
What are the best bets for Barcelona vs. Real Madrid in El Clasico Dallas on Saturday? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, all from the soccer expert who just crushed his Champions League picks, and find out.