La Liga: Real Betis vs Villarreal - Betting Tips, Odds & Prediction

Villarreal faces another challenge to their quest for a top four finish as they travel to Benito Villamarin to take on fellow Champions League football chasers Real Betis on Monday. 

The Yellow Submarine are currently fifth with a game in hand, but they must get through a rejuvenated Real Betis side to get their momentum going. Both sides shared the spoils in their previous outing, so there will be a strong desire to get back to winning ways and boost their hopes of securing a spot in the UCL.

Real Betis

Real Betis' six-match winning streak was halted in their last outing, but it was still an impressive achievement, as they ended Barcelona's eight-match winning run. Manuel Pellegrini's side held the Blaugrana to a 1-1 draw despite the absence of their star playmaker, Isco.

Things don’t get much easier for Betis, however, as fifth-placed Villarreal awaits next. The best legal sports betting sites consider them slight underdogs in this match for a reason. 

Team News: Isco will be available for selection after returning from suspension. 

Predicted Lineup: Adrian; Sabaly, Bartra, Llorente, Rodriguez; Cardoso, Fornals; Antony, Lo Celso, Isco; Hernandez

Villarreal

Villarreal have played a wonderful brand of football this season, but their fluid football could not pick the locks of a resolute Athletic Bilbao defence last weekend. Marcelino’s team will look to rediscover their rhythm when they visit Benito Villamarin.

Villarreal have fared better on the road than on home. Although they’ve dropped points in nine of their 14 away games, Alex Baena and his teammates boast the second-best away record in the league, with 23 points from 14 trips.

Team News: Raul Albiol might miss the trip to Betis as he remains out of training for physical discomfort. 

Predicted Lineup: Luiz Junior; Navarro, Foyth, L Costa, S Cardona; Pino, Comesana, Parejo, Baena; Perez, Barry

• Real Betis have won in three of their last five meetings with Villarreal
• Three red cards have been handed out in the last two matchups between these teams
• Both teams have found the net in each of the last four encounters in this fixture

Real Betis have enjoyed playing Villarreal in recent seasons, but they might find it difficult to contain a side that has been quite comfortable away from home. Villarreal have scored 51 times this season, with only Real Madrid and Barcelona finding the back of the net on more occasions. 

Betis did win the reverse fixture by 2-0, but as we previously pointed out, Villarreal tend to play better football when they are playing away from home. For this reason, we are not confident that Betis can defy football betting odds and replicate that result at Benito Villamarin.

Both teams will be pushing for the win, and each has the quality to secure the result. However, with little to separate them at the moment, we believe this match will end in a draw.

2-2 Draw - $11

If you're after a bet with greater potential returns, a 2-2 draw could be worth considering. Both teams have top-class attacking talent and will be pushing for all three points to break into the top four.

There has been just one draw in the last eight encounters between these teams, but the sides are more evenly matched this time around. With PlayUp pricing a 2-2 draw at $11.00, this is a bet we can’t walk away from this weekend.