Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Matchday 10 Picks: Who Will Prevail in El Clasico?

The most eagerly anticipated La Liga match of the season takes place at Camp Nou on Sunday. We make our picks for Barcelona vs. Real Madrid.

Real Madrid will aim to capitalize upon Barcelona’s defensive frailties when the teams meet at Camp Nou this weekend. Los Blancos are the top scorers in La Liga this season, with 22 goals through just eight games, and star striker Karim Benzema has been on fire. That could spell bad news for Barcelona, which is enduring a poor season after running into financial trouble.

Here are my picks and predictions for Sunday’s La Liga matchup between Barcelona and Real Madrid (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook).

Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Game Info

Date/Time: Sunday, October 24, at 10:15 a.m. ETTV: ESPN+Location: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Odds Analysis

Real Madrid is the narrow favorite to win this game, with FOX Bet offering a market leading price of +155 on Los Blancos. DraftKings is also offering an above average +150 on Carlo Ancelotti’s men. If you think Barca can secure a famous victory, DraftKings is the best option, as it has +175 on the home team. 

The draw is best priced at +280 with FanDuel, Unibet and SugarHouse Sportsbook.

Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Odds Picks

Real Madrid to win (+145)Over 2.5 (-150)Karim Benzema to score (+125)

SEE ALSO: Top La Liga Matchday 10 betting picks

Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Predictions

Real Madrid to win (+145)

Los Blancos won their last four games against Barcelona. It finished as a 3-1 win for Los Blancos when the teams met at Camp Nou last season, and Real Madrid then earned a 2-1 home win in April.

Barcelona has regressed significantly since then. Talismanic captain Lionel Messi left the club in the summer, and several other players departed as president Joan Laporta tried to bring down the wage bill.

Barca has beaten a few teams of average ability this season, but it has wilted against elite competition. It lost 2-0 to Atlético Madrid, 3-0 to Bayern Munich, and 3-0 to Benfica.

Real Madrid is certainly an elite team and suffered its first defeat of the season before the international break at the start of October – a shocking 2-1 loss to Espanyol – but it bounced back by thrashing Shakhtar Donetsk 5-0 on the road in Champions League play on Tuesday. 

This will be its first league game in three weeks, and it can return to the top of the table with a win. It should have far too much quality for a Barca team that looks short of confidence right now.

Over 2.5 Goals (-150)

The total goals market does not look particularly attractive in this game, but it should go Over 2.5. 

Three-quarters of Real Madrid’s league games have gone Over 2.5 goals so far this season, and its matches have averaged four total goals. 

Barcelona games see an average of 2.75 goals. Over 2.5 paid off in only half of its matches, but it has struggled to contain elite strikers like Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski and Atletico’s  Luis Suárez, so it could have a torrid time against Benzema.

Both games between these teams last season saw more than 2.5 goals. Barca badly misses Messi’s brilliance in attack, but Sergio Agüero and Ansu Fati have recovered from injuries, and Memphis Depay is in fine form, so the Blaugrana could cause Real Madrid’s defense problems on Sunday.

Karim Benzema to score (+125)

Benzema scored in each of his last five games for club and country.

He was on target in Real Madrid’s games against Sheriff Tiraspol and Espanyol before the international break, and he then scored in France’s 3-2 UEFA Nations League victory over Belgium.

The French forward followed it up with a goal in the final, as Les Bleus beat Spain 2-1, and he then put in a man-of-the-match performance against Shakhtar on Tuesday – capped with a late strike.

Benzema has 13 goals in 16 games this season, including 11 in his last 10, and he could punish Barcelona this weekend.

Picks made 10/22/2021 at 8 a.m. ET