The elite European football season is drawing to a close, and we have reached the point of the campaign where titles are decided. For outright bettors, there’s plenty of excitement to be had both in Italy and Spain as title fights look set to go down to the wire. In the former, Napoli’s recent 2-1 victory over AC Milan has kept them in touch with table toppers Inter. At the same time, El Clasico rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona are separated by just three points at La Liga’s summit.
While outright and futures betting is certainly a long-term thrill, what about the week-to-week basis? Well, although match-winner markets can provide too much volatility for some punters, the over/under 2.5 goals market can sometimes prove to be a safer haven. But which teams have punters been finding consistent success with this term? Let’s take a look.
Barcelona
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona have been absolute goal machines, both domestically and on the continental stage. With a strike force of Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, and revitalized captain Raphinha, perhaps that shouldn’t be a surprise. That fearsome attacking trident has combined to score a whopping 78 goals so far this season, while winger Ferran Torres has chipped in with an additional 15.
The results have been astounding. There have been a mighty 110 goals in Barca’s 29 domestic games this season, averaging out at 3.79 per game. Over 2.5 goals bets have hit six times in their last seven games, and the recent 4-1 drubbing of Girona at the Olympic Stadium was the fourth game in a row with three or more goals. It has been a similar story on the continent as well, as all but one of the Catalnonian’s games have seen a bet on over 2.5 goals hit, with only the recent 1-0 away victory at Benfica spoiling their perfect 100% record.
While Barcelona have brought plenty of joy to goals bettors this term, they have also enjoyed plenty of success themselves, as the latest sports betting odds will show. The latest odds from Bovada’s sports betting site don’t just make Barca a -300 favorite to win La Liga this season, but they also make them a +300 frontrunner to win the Champions League as well. If they continue in similar form to that which they have already displayed so far this season, don’t be surprised to see them end the year with both trophies in tow.
Paris Saint-Germain
French giants Paris Saint-Germain are another team that has seen bucket loads of goals scored this term. In Ligue 1 alone, their games have seen some 105 goals both scored and conceded, and that number has come in just 27 games, two fewer than the aforementioned Barca. Their average of 3.88 goals per game is well above the number required to consistently hit bets on over 2.5 goals, even opening the door to bets on over 3.5 goals at far bigger odds.
Much like their Spanish counterparts, PSG have a menacing front three of their own. Ousmane Dembele finally looks to have found a home in the French capital and, at 27, has finally matured into the attacker he was always meant to be. With support from young star Bradley Barcola and new signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, goals are to be expected.
You have to go back all the way to February 15th for the last time a game involving the Parisians had two or fewer goals. That was a narrow 1-0 victory away at Toulouse, but in the five games since, a whopping 26 goals have been scored at an average of over five per game. On the continental stage, things have been a little tighter, with just two goals being scored across two legs in their recent round-of-16 victory against Premier League table-toppers Liverpool, but don’t be surprised to see the ball hit the net plenty in the upcoming quarterfinal against Aston Villa.
Holstein Kiel
While Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are on this list for the right reasons, German strugglers Holstein Kiel most certainly are not. They have conceded some 67 goals this season, the second most in Europe’s top-flight leagues behind Premier League basement dwellers Southampton. Kiel are rooted to the foot of the Bundesliga and are five points adrift of safety with just seven games remaining.
But while they have shipped a shed load of goals, they have also scored a few, 38 of them to be exact. That means that their 27 games so far this term have yielded some 105 goals at an average of 3.88 per game. Only six of their matches in all competitions this term have finished with two or fewer goals, and two of those came in back-to-back fixtures around a month ago.
Since the turn of the year, 11 of their 13 games have seen a bet on over 2.5 goals hit, with some 47 goals being scored across those fixtures. Expect plenty more to fly in between now and the rest of the season, especially if Kiel are relegated in the coming weeks and ultimately down tools for their remaining games.
