Football betting tips: Serie A, La Liga
1.5pts Marcus Thuram to score anytime in Inter vs Lecce (19:45) at 6/4 (Betfair, Paddy Power)
1pt A sending off in Getafe vs Rayo Vallecano (20:30) at 3/1 (William Hill)
Inter vs Lecce
- Kick-off time: 20:30 BST, Saturday
- TV Channel: Premier Sports 2
- Home 1/5 | Draw 21/4 | Away 12/1
Jake Osgathorpe
Champions Inter were shocked last weekend, only able to draw at Genoa. MARCUS THURAM was the man who grabbed both goals for Inter, and I think his price TO SCORE ANYTIME is too big.
Thuram's 23/24 season was impressive, netting 13 times and averaging 0.48 xG per 90, but he was overshadowed by his strike partner, with Lautaro Martinez winning the Capocannoniere after bagging 24 goals.
But interestingly, Martinez struggled for chances in the opener, taking just one shot, which perhaps hints that he is set to get special treatment this season from the opposition, which could help Thuram. It worked last weekend, with the Frenchman taking five shots, hitting the target with all of them, and netting a brace.
This weekend Inter are 1/5 favourites to beat a Lecce team strongly fancied for relegation, and who started the season with a 4-0 defeat at home to Atalanta. A similar scoreline could be on the cards, and if so, the chances Thuram is on the scoresheet seems high.
Getafe vs Rayo Vallecano
- Kick-off time: 20:30 BST, Saturday
- TV Channel: Premier Sports 2
- Home 29/20 | Draw 19/10 | Away 21/10
Jake Osgathorpe
While it's not the marquee Madrid derby, that being Real vs Atletico, this 'smaller' Madrid between Getafe and Rayo has become even more spikey over the last few years.
They have developed a legitimately fiery rivalry, and hopefully, that continues at the weekend. Last season in this fixture there were nine yellows and three reds, while at Rayo there were 10 yellows. In 22/23, there were 8 yellows between the pair at Getafe and five at Rayo, and in 21/22 we saw seven yellows at Getafe and a huge 13 at Rayo.
The card line is set at 5.5, generally 11/10 for the over, which I was all over initially, but the referee appointment for this game - Javier Alberola Rojas - has put me off that line.
The Spaniard averaged just 3.0 cards per game last season, and 3.05 the season before. But, what he has a habit of doing is flashing red cards.
He's reffed two games this season so far, both in European competitions, and he's brandished a red card, and while he only gave one red in 21 games last season, that came in a Rayo Vallecano game.
22/23 saw him hand four reds in 19 games, and he handed out seven reds in 24 games in the season prior. We can back A SENDING OFF IN THE MATCH at 3/1 here and I think that's worth a punt given the ref and the fiery nature of this derby. Just to reiterate again, this fixture last season saw nine yellows and THREE REDS.
Odds correct at 1100 BST (23/08/24)
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