Spanish soccer has reached a global audience – USA included – due to star players and European and international success. This is our guide to La Liga betting with advice for you.
There’s lots to get through. Here’s a taste of what to expect on this page:
In time, you’ll see how La Liga betting in USA is much the same as anywhere else. Before we come to all that, it’s good to know how the league works. These key facts should help you get to grips with it:
Each season, 20 teams compete in La Liga and play one another home and away
Three points are awarded for every win and one point for draws
After all 38 matches have been played, the team with the highest number of points is crowned La Liga winners and champions of Spanish soccer
Teams that finish in the top four qualify for the following season’s UEFA Champions League
Teams that finish fifth and sixth go into the next season’s UEFA Europa League
The teams that finishing in the bottom three of La Liga are directed relegated to the Segunda Division
They are replaced in La Liga by the winners and runners-up from the Segunda Division, plus the winners of the promotion play-offs
Four teams, from third down to sixth in the Segunda Division, contest the promotion play-offs for the final spot in La Liga
If two teams are level on points, then they are separated using head-to-head record and head-to-head goal difference once both matches have been played
Overall goal difference and goals scored, and even fair play points if necessary, are other tiebreakers to classify a final position in La Liga
So, just how do Spanish La Liga betting odds work? We’ll show you by working through a very popular example of a match result betting market from that league:
In this instance, Barca are betting favourites. For every C$3 you gamble on Barcelona at the above price, you’ll receive a return of C$5. That is C$2 of profit.
Tied games are very common in soccer matches all over the world. Betting on a draw also generates C$2 of profit, but from a C$1 stake. That means your total return is C$3.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, give you C$11 back from a C$4 wager on them to win. The profit made by this bet is C$7.
We’ve quoted decimal prices in this example. You may also find La Liga odds expressed in American moneyline terms or as fractions.
If you’re curious about those different sorts of betting odds, then our odds calculator has more and lets you compare them:
What kinds of wager can you place when you decide to have a go at La Liga betting? Here are some of the most popular.
As we demonstrated above, betting on any soccer game in its most basic form is picking the winner.
How many goals will there be in a La Liga game? Over/Under brackets are traditionally in intervals of one to a half.
If you fancy a soccer player to get on the scoresheet, then there are plenty of ways to bet on this. Goalscorer markets include first, last and anytime scorer, to score two or more, and to score a hat-trick.
What will the exact final score in goals be of a La Liga game?
It’s possible to combine match result and anytime goalscorer bets into one wager. This way you can increase the odds available.
Futures markets that you can bet on throughout the entire season are also popular. Predicting who will finish first in La Liga is a common wager.
Two teams tend to dominate La Liga. Other clubs have won the title, but more often
than not it’s one of El Clasico duo Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Betting without the big two is popular, because winnings are paid out even if the team you pick best
both and win outright.
Returning to goalscorer bets, you can wager on who will score the most goals in La Liga.
La Liga is first held after being proposed back in 1927. Barcelona are crowned inaugural champions
Athletic Bilbao become the first team to successfully defend La Liga and win the domestic double by winning the Copa del Rey
Real Betis win their only La Liga title to date
Sevilla win their only La Liga title to date
Real Madrid become the first team to win La Liga and the European Cup in the same season
Real Sociedad win La Liga and then successfully defend it the following season
Athletic Bilbao win the most recent of their eight La Liga titles
Real Madrid match their own record of five consecutive La Liga titles first achieved in 1975
Andoni Zubizarreta sets the record for most La Liga appearances with 622 games played
Deportivo La Coruna win their only La Liga title to date
Valencia win the most recent of their six La Liga titles, also lifting the UEFA Cup
Barcelona become the first team to win the treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League in the same season. They repeat the feat in 2015
Atletico Madrid win the most recent of their 10 La Liga titles
Real Madrid win a record 33rd La Liga title
Barcelona win La Liga for the 25th time
That’s all folks. Our guide to Spanish La Liga betting has armed you with everything you need to enjoy gambling on soccer.
Remember to view our list of top sports casinos for the best places to get a bet on. For further La Liga betting advice, see the FAQs section below with common queries and all the answers!
La Liga is the top soccer league in Spain.
Popular Spanish La Liga odds and bet types include:
Only the best La Liga betting sites make our top casinos list on this page, so it’s easy to find out which scored highly with our experts.
You can indeed.
In-play or live betting is where you can wager on soccer matches while they are in progress. Odds and markets shift constantly as the action on the pitch unfolds.
