There really isn't all that much of an argument about the fact that Barcelona has one of the best teams in the entire world. That said, the Los Angeles Galaxy and their newest signings are going to hope to prove that they have taken some steps closer to the big boys on Tuesday night in the International Champions Cup against the Spanish giants.
ODDS ANALYSIS
It shouldn't be all that surprising that Barca is listed as the -300 favorite to win this match SU. The Catalan side is favored by a goal and a half on the Asian Handicap at +120 vig, and many are expecting them to just roll over a Los Angeles side which has played a ton of matches in recent weeks.
The total is high, which again isn't all that surprising considering the fact that this is a friendly match. The number to beat is 3 (over -130).
QUOTE TO NOTE
"All five were involved in the recent Copa America in Chile, and therefore began their holidays much later than the rest of their teammates. We owe these players their rest." – Barcelona manager Luis Enrique as a part of the announcement that Lionel Messi, Neymar, Dani Alves, Claudio Bravo and Javier Mascherano will not be a part of this United States tour
RECENT FORM
This is the first competitive match of the season for Barcelona, so there isn't any real data to go by at this point for them.
The Galaxy though, have a lot more hints to point at. They started off this exhibition tournament by beating Club America 2-1 at home at the StubHub Center. This is a much tougher challenge than that against Barcelona.
LA has been playing a ton of matches of late, including midweek when Steven Gerrard played a full 90 minutes for the first time in a Galaxy shirt. The hosts fell behind 2-0 early on, but they ran rampant after that for a 5-2 victory.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
This is an easy match to call at this point, and we certainly suggest backing the American side as quickly as you can.
Barcelona still has a ton of talent on this team for sure. Luis Suarez is still going to be the best player on the pitch, while other tremendous stars like Andres Iniesta, Pedro, Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets will all be on the pitch as well. However, without five starters, two of which would be the ones producing the most memorable moments offensively, Barca just doesn't have the same degree of potency it otherwise would if it had a full squad.
The Galaxy have been in good form, and for our money, they have been taking steps to get closer to the international superstar teams. This fixture means much more to them, particularly at home, than it does to the Spanish giants, and we expect to see a spirited effort out of the MLS side.
If the Galaxy can get anywhere near as much offense in this match as they did against either Club America or against the Earthquakes in recent games, they could end up pulling off a big upset, one which won't just resonate at the club level, but for American soccer as a whole as well.
Los Angeles 3, Barcelona 1
BookMaker has International Champions Cup lines for every match of the season. Barcelona is lined as a -300 moneyline favorite, while the total is set at 3 (over -130). You can make a futures bet and predict the champion, wager on head-to-head matchups or use BookMaker’s live betting feature to gamble while the match is happening.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The fixture between Barcelona and the Los Angeles Galaxy is scheduled for Tuesday, July 21, 2015, at 11:00 p.m. ET at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, CA. The match will be televised live on FOX Sports 1.
