Barcelona received a gift from the scheduling gods to kick off La Liga’s restart.
After easily dispatching 18th-place Mallorca Saturday, Lionel Messi and Co. face 19th-place Leganes Tuesday afternoon.
There is absolutely no money line value on Barca, but there is a chance to make profits on parlays or props.
The easy parlay to make is to combine Barcelona with Real Madrid, like I did over the weekend, but you can expand on that further with Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Red Bull Salzburg, Porto and Manchester City among the favored teams above -200 for the midweek European matches.
If you take the prop approach, you can take advantage of Barca’s ability to score at will through different avenues.
In Saturday’s win, four different players, including Messi, found the back of the net. Messi does not carry value to score, but others, like Antoine Griezmann, do.
You can apply a similar thought process to many of the big teams playing Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and there are an abundance of options to choose from four top European leagues, including the Premier League, which comes back with a pair of games Wednesday.
All of our odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook, where you can watch select games live with money in your account.
To the picks!!
Joe Tansey
Record: 23-25 (4-3 weekend record)
3-Team Parlay: Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich (-115)
Barca isn’t the only European giant to face the second-to-worst team in its league this week. Bayern Munich, who can clinch the Bundesliga title Tuesday, takes on Werder Bremen.
Real Madrid is also in a favorable situation against Valencia, who has one win in its last six games.
Putting these three behemoths together in a parlay seems like the best way to pick money off all of them.
Barcelona vs. Leganes
Griezmann scored one of Barca’s five goals in its Copa del Rey win over Leganes and he only played 57 minutes in the team’s first game back Saturday.
He should have fresh legs and ample opportunities to score alongside Messi, and I expect there to be plenty of chances in the final third for the La Liga leader.
Barca is coming off a four-goal rout of Mallorca and Leganes has struggled versus the top three sides in Spain all season, so this has blowout written all over it.
Picks: Antoine Griezmann to score (+133) and Over 3.5 (+125)
Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Schalke
I already hate myself for placing any type of money on Schalke, but I’m hoping my luck with Bundesliga money line underdogs continues.
Mainz and Augsburg delivered for me in the last two weeks, and I’m hoping that Schalke gets its first ;eague win in 14 games by building on a promising performance against Bayer Leverkusen.
Schalke won its first match with Eintracht Frankfurt this season, despite being down a man for the final 24 minutes.
If there was ever a time for David Wagner’s side to break its long winless run, it’s Wednesday with the Bundesliga Upset Special title placed on it.
Pick: Schalke (+340)
Other Picks
Premier League: Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United Over 2.5 (+110)
Aston Villa and Sheffield United have produced at least three goals in four of their last six meetings across the English soccer pyramid. Villa has also conceded at least two goals during its four-game losing streak .
Premier League: Manchester City vs. Arsenal Over 3.5 (-103)
Manchester City has put up three goals in five of its last six matches with Arsenal, and in the other one, it posted two.
Austrian Bundesliga: Wolfsberger AC vs. Red Bull Salzburg Over 3.5 (-103)
Red Bull Salzburg can’t stop scoring goals.
The Austrian side, who is managed by American Jesse Marsch, totaled 16 goals in its four league games since the restart. I’m running with that trend Wednesday afternoon against Wolfsberger AC.
Larry Henry Jr.
Record: 17-24 (4-5 weekend record)
Freiburg vs. Hertha Berlin
Freiburg fought back for a 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg on Saturday to remain in the race for a top-six finish. Hertha Berlin suffered a lopsided loss to Eintracht Frankfurt and fell six points behind sixth place Wolfsburg in the process.
The hosts have only picked up one win in their last five head-to-head meetings with Hertha, but I like them off the back of Saturday's solid result.
Pick: Freiburg (+155)
Augsburg vs. Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim suffered a 2-0 defeat to RB Leipzig Friday, despite being strong in some areas of the pitch. Hoffenheim is 3-1-1 in its last five matches against Augsburg and desperately needs three points to avoid a drop in the standings.
At least four goals have been scored in the last two head-to-head matches, and that is another play I like for this game.
Picks: Hoffenheim (+140), Over 3.5 goals (+160)
Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United
Sheffield United’s quest for a top-six finish resumes as it visits relegation-threatened Aston Villa at Villa Park. The Blades have been an impressive story this season, as they have beaten Arsenal, Everton, and Crystal Palace twice in the league play.
Aston Villa sits two points from safety and has already lost to Sheffield United once this season. My money is with the Blades on the road.
Pick: Sheffield United (+125)
Other Picks
Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt (-148) vs. Schalke
Schalke's run of form since the return of play speaks for itself. Eintracht Frankfurt has picked up two wins in its last three meetings with its Wednesday opponent.
La Liga: Eibar vs. Athletic Bilbao (+140)
Athletic Bilbao returned to play with an impressive 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid. Bilbao has two wins in its last four meetings with Eibar, so I like it to pick up three points on the road.
La Liga: Valladolid (+195) vs. Celta Vigo
Six points stand between Valladolid and Celta Vigo in the race for league safety in Spain's First Division. Valladolid is coming off a 2-1 road win over Leganes and has impressed more this season than Celta, who has underachieved