Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad prediction, odds, line: Soccer expert reveals La Liga picks, bets for April 21

It’s a critical match in the battle for the top four spots in La Liga when Real Sociedad hosts Barcelona on Thursday in San Sebastian. Real Madrid is 17 points clear at the top, with the next five in La Liga’s table left to battle for the remaining three spots that would result in Champions League bids for next season. Barcelona (17-9-5) is in third place but is level on points with Sevilla. Real Betis is three points behind, and Sociedad (15-10-7) has just five points fewer than Barcelona. Barca comes in off an inexplicable 1-0 home loss to 17th-place Cadiz on Monday, while Sociedad is unbeaten since a 4-1 road loss to Real Madrid in early March (3-2-0).

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Barcelona as a +111 favorite (risk $100 to win $111) on the 90-minute money line in the latest Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona odds, while Sociedad is a +235 underdog. A draw is listed at +260 and the over-under for total goals is 2.5. Before you lock in any Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad picks, you need to see what soccer insider Jon Eimer has to say. 

Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, Eimer has covered the English Premier League, Serie A, the FA Cup and much more. The Indiana-based handicapper compiled a winning record of 260-133-1 with over 90 units of profit for his community on various platforms over a recent two-month stretch.

Now, Eimer has broken down the Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona matchup from all sides and just locked in his picks and La Liga predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad:

• Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona spread: Barcelona -0.5 (+105)
• Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona over-under: 2.5 goals 
• Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona money line: Sociedad +235, Barcelona +111, Draw +260 
• RSO: Real Sociedad has seven clean sheets in its past 10 matches 
• BAR: Barcelona has scored 28 goals in its last 10 league games

Why you should back Barcelona

La Blaugrana is 12-2-0 against Real Sociedad in all competitions since a 1-0 loss in April 2016. Barcelona should be in instant attack mode after dominating the match with Cadiz at Camp Nou but suffering an embarrassing loss. Barca held 76 percent possession and had an 18-6 advantage in shots but was held off the score sheet in a league game for the first time since Dec. 4. It has the second-most goals in the league (60), while Real Sociedad has scored just 32. Barca has dominated possession all season, leading La Liga at 65.2 percent.

Barca also has the second-best road record in the league, losing just twice (7-7-2) away from Camp Nou. It has scored nearly as many goals on the road (28) as Sociedad has overall. Ferran Torres is back from a long-term injury and has four goals in 11 games. The 22-year-old will be up front opposite Ousmane Dembele, who shares the league lead with 11 assists. 

Why you should back Real Sociedad

Real Sociedad has been one of the stingiest defenses in the league, especially on home soil. It has conceded just six goals in its 16 home matches, six fewer than any other team. It has allowed one goal over its five-game unbeaten run overall, and its loss to Real Madrid is its only blemish in its past eight (5-2-1). Opponents don’t have trouble getting off shots, with Real Sociedad allowing almost 11 per game, but they don’t put many on target.   

Real Sociedad has lost just twice at home this season, and it will get a lot of backing from the crowd as it goes after what could be its first top-four finish in the league since 2013. It knows it needs to win games like this, with just six games remaining to close the gap. Mikel Oyarzabal, who has a team-high nine goals, tore an ACL last month, and David Silva will be out on a red-card suspension. However, Alexander Isak (five goals) and Alexander Sorloth (two) are both capable players in attack, and Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi are emerging young stars in midfield.  

How to make Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona picks

Eimer has broken down Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad from every angle. He is leaning under on the goal total and has provided two other confident best bets and a full breakdown of the match. He’s only sharing his expert La Liga picks at SportsLine.

So who wins Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad, all from the soccer expert who has his finger on the pulse of the game all over the world, and find out.