Football
Valencia vs Alaves Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction
Valencia welcome Alaves to Mestalla on Sunday, 22nd December for a spicy Spanish La Liga encounter. Valencia is – at the time of writing – rock bottom of the La Liga table with not much to show from their opening 16 games. Alaves aren’t much better in 16th, and so both will be desperate to claim the three points on offer. As Valencia and Alaves prepare for their crucial La Liga clash, bettors can explore a range of football betting offers to maximize their potential winnings.
Kike García//Getty Images
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability: Valencia Edging Out the Early Betting
Home: 28/25 (2.12) – 45%
Draw: 43/20 (3.15) – 30%
Away: 14/5 (3.8) – 25%
Head-To-Head Record
Last five meetings (La Liga)
05/05/2024: Valencia 0–1 Alaves
02/09/2023: Alaves 1–0 Valencia
13/02/2022: Alaves 2–1 Valencia
27/08/2021: Valencia 3–0 Alaves
24/04/2021: Valencia 1–1 Alaves
Valencia Current Form – WLWLL
The hosts are the favourites for this encounter, at least according to the betting markets and implied win probability of 45% for Valencia to come away with all three points here. Interestingly, they have not managed to beat Alaves since 2021, but more worrying is the season they are currently having.
Giorgi Mamardashvili and Jose Gaya are likely still going to be sidelined due to injury for this one and so they join Thierry Correia and Mouctar Diakhaby. There is no underestimating the impact of this loss, and we are likely to see the effect on full display come Sunday afternoon.
Key Players to Watch
- Hugo Duro: Duro will have to be instrumental if Valencia are hopeful of coming away with maximum points here. He has been their most consistent player in front of goal, and we expect him to once again lead the line for the hosts here.
- Pepelu: The Spaniard has been a breath of fresh air in the middle of the park for Valencia. His movement in and around the Valencia system is nothing short of incredible and Valencia will be hoping to hang onto him for as long as they can. It’s no surprise that teams like City have started snooping around for the 26-year-old.
- Cesar Tarrega: The passionate, hard, and no-nonsense, defender has made no secret about how much playing for Valencia means to him. His aggression, simplicity and tenacious defending will need to come through here once again and hopefully inspire his side to a defensive performance worthy of coming away with all three points.
Valencia Team News
Giorgi Mamardashvili (leg injury), Jose Gaya (knock), Mouctar Diakhaby (knee injury) and Thierry Correia (cruciate ligament injury) are all out for Valencia.
Alaves Current Form – LLDLD
Eduardo Coudet will know that he has taken over a side that has struggled to find attacking outputs in La Liga this season. At the time of writing, they still occupy 16th place on the table – just a stone’s throw away from the bottom in all fairness!
These fans would have begun to forget what winning looks like at Alaves, but given the positive influence their new manager has already on their style of play, one can be hopeful.
This will be a game they will certainly want to win, but whether it has come too soon into Coudet’s tenure remains to be seen.
Key Players to Watch
- Kike Garcia: Garcia has shown real prowess through the middle of the Alaves attack. He is no stranger to scoring and they will be hoping he continues his fine form when they face Valencia here.
- Abdel Abqar: Often criticized for wanting to play the ‘perfect pass’ in every situation, Abqar’s patience and bravery to express himself each time he plays for the club is something we think has a massive impact on the defensive confidence of the team.
- Jon Guridi: More often than not finding himself in the number 10 role for Alaves, Guridi has shown time and again that his creative attributes have impressed his new boss, continued to endear him to the fans and most importantly presented a platform for his side to launch their attacking intent.
Alaves Team News
Carlos Benavidez (muscle injury) is the only injury concern for the visitors.
Predicted Line-Up
Valencia: 4-4-2
Dimitrievski, Vasquez, Tarrega, Mosquera, Foulquier, Rioja, Guerra, Pepelu, Perez, Duro, Lopez.
Alaves: 4-2-3-1
Sivera, Tenaglia, Abqar, Mourino, Diarra, Blanco, Jordan, Vicente, Guridi, Martin, Garcia.
Suggested Bets
These are our best bets for this La Liga encounter between Valencia and Alaves.
Draw: This one looks very likely to end in a draw. Neither side have shown anything to suggest getting behind either one here. The draw offers enough value at 43/20 (3.15) with Betway and BetWinner
Both Teams to Score: Neither side has shown any sort of defensive attribute, and whilst both hold attacking quality, both teams to score looks to be a play here. 11/10 (2.1) with Betway and BetWinner
Anytime Goal Scorer (Kike Garcia): Garcia has been in exceptional form for Alaves, and we expect him to continue that fine display against a rather lack-luster Valencia defensive system. 29/10 (3.9) with Betway and BetWinner
Value Bets
Alaves Win/Draw Double Chance: Valencia seemingly continues to plod along, we think Alaves have shown enough improvement with their new manager to justify us backing them to leave with something here! 7/10 (1.7) with Betway and BetWinner
Under 2.5 Goals: Whilst we don’t back either side’s defensive ability right now, given what is on the line for both of these teams, we expect the game could get quite cagey. Back Under 2.5 goals at 5/10 (1.5) with Betway and BetWinner
Correct Score 1-1: Looks like a draw, smells like a draw and runs like a draw – probably a draw! 26/5 (6.2) with Betway and BetWinner
Prediction: Draw
We think this one ends all square. You have two teams who have struggled to show defensive prowess. Both of them hold attacking weapons and neither can afford to drop any more points here. Back the draw!
Ryan Liberty is an experienced sports writer whose articles have featured in some of the biggest sports publications in South Africa. With a strong understanding of all major sports and an in-depth understanding of betting, Ryan consistently delivers insightful content. He's also known for his ability to break down complex topics into engaging, reader-friendly pieces.