Barcelona, off the heels of a thrilling 5-4 comeback win over Iberian rivals Benfica in the Champions League, will host Valencia this weekend. The title race is not yet lost, but Barcelona must pick up plenty of points in the second half of the season to make it competitive. Valencia are unbeaten in four straight matches across all competitions. Read on to access an expert Barcelona vs Valencia prediction and explore tips and stats for Barcelona betting in 2025.
- LaLiga
- FC Barcelona vs Valencia CF
- January 26, 2025
- 3 PM EST
- Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys
- Fubo, ESPN Deportes
Barcelona vs Valencia Prediction: Who do Sportsbooks Favor?
Barcelona are massive favorites to pick up 3 points at home this weekend. The Catalonians are (-430) to win. If they get upset by visiting Valencia, winning bettors will enjoy a payout of (+1100). A draw is lined at (+605).
Want to better understand the 3-way moneyline (1X2) market? See our soccer betting tips and learn about La Liga betting odds.
Barcelona Still Holding Onto Title Aspirations in 2025
Contrary to all of Barcelona’s cup successes, both domestically and continentally, their domestic campaign has taken a turn for the worse. Indeed, Blaugrana have emerged victorious just once out of their last eight league matches. The slide dates back to November 10, and includes losses to Leganes and Las Palmas at home. It was not what many expected following their late October masterclass against Real Madrid, a match they won 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
But as alluded to earlier, the state of the club cannot be judged solely on its domestic endeavors. Barcelona excelled in the Spanish Supercopa following the holiday break, again defeating Real Madrid by a score of 5-2. After an easy triumph in the Copa del Rey over Real Betis, Barcelona faced a 4-2 deficit with just over a dozen minutes to play against Benfica in the Champions League.
Barcelona mounted an extraordinary comeback, sparked by a second Robert Lewandowski penalty, to come out with all 3 points. Raphinha’s second goal proved to be the game-winner. With the victory, Barcelona clinched an automatic place in the knockout stage of the Champions League as a top-8 side in the league phase. Only Liverpool, with a perfect 7 wins through 7 matches, looks down on Blaugrana on the table, despite scoring 11 less goals.
Valencia Recovering From Winless December
Valencia’s December was one to forget. After a 4-2 triumph over Real Betis at home, Valencia CF failed to win another league match until this past weekend. A 1-0 home win over Real Sociedad marked the end of a 7-match winless streak. But it wasn’t all bad; Valencia drew three of them and only lost to Real Madrid after giving up a late goal from Jude Bellingham.
A couple of favorable Copa del Rey draws saw Valencia go through to the quarterfinals of the famed Spanish cup. Matchups with Eldense and Ourense, second and third-tier sides respectively, both ended in 2-0 wins for visiting Valencia. Interestingly enough, Valencia’s last six goals have come from six different goalscorers. Perhaps that is why the transfer rumors at Valencia have centered around their backline instead of in attack.
It is the young center back Yarek Gasiorowski who has attracted interest from German club RB Leipzig. The left-footed player has shown great promise both at Valencia and with the U21s in Spain. Red Bull seems to be quite smitten by Yarek, as RB Salzburg made a play for the youngster in the last transfer window. The release clause has been set at 60 million euros, according to Marca.
Barcelona vs Valencia Prediction: Expert Barcelona Betting Pick
These two are set to meet twice in the next fortnight, as Valencia drew Barcelona at home in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey. Not only will this match offer a mental advantage to the winner, but should also provide a sneak peek at the potential tactical clashes for the upcoming game.
Valencia has not beaten their Catalonian counterparts on the road since 2016. In fact, they haven’t managed to win in this fixture at all since 2020. A result for Barcelona this weekend would make it ten games unbeaten against Valencia on the bounce.
A big factor in this match, as usual, will be Lamine Yamal. The teenager is arguably Barcelona’s best player, and without him, the club has looked off. But he has played a handful of games now after returning from injury and is back in good form.
My projections rate Barcelona’s home offense as 76% better than the average LaLiga side. On the other hand, Valencia sports what I would say is the second-worst away offense, only behind Osasuna. I handicap this line at -2.5 (+132) for Barcelona. So with plus money available on the flat Asian line of -2, there is value on the hosts to keep this one far out of reach.
I believe Barcelona’s recent league struggles are mostly an aberration considering their performances in other competitions. Valencia will likely be blanked in what should be home cooking for Barca. Go with the spread of -2 at (+102) at Bovada.
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