With most of the European domestic leagues now done for the season, it is one of the quitter soccer betting weeks of the year that we have ahead of us. Preparations for the World Cup are about to begin in earnest, but there are still some big games on tap before we get into a period where we will be seeing a lot of international friendly games.
The English Championship playoffs continue this week, with the eventual winner heading into the Premier League. We also have the Europa League Final, as well as the FA Cup Final this week, so let’s get right to our picks of the week based on the latest Soccer Odds.
Atletico is already guaranteed their spot there next season, so this one is all about collecting the silverware. Marseille knocked off RB Leipzig to get here, while Madrid took out Arsenal in a much tougher tie. I like Atletico Madrid to host the Europa League trophy on Wednesday.
Soccer Betting Pick: Marseille 1 – Atletico Madrid 2
Top Soccer Betting Picks of the Week – May 14th Edition
#MondayMotivation “More than a Team, it’s the story of a whole Club, more than a City, it’s the story of a whole People…” 🎤This flow to the 🔵⚪and @marseille is 🔥#OurStoryContinues #TeamOM #OMATM | @SatdelaFF pic.twitter.com/8e3a686asq
— Olympique Marseille (@OM_English) 14 de mayo de 2018
Fulham vs. Derby County – Monday
This is the second leg of the Championship play-off semi-final, with Derby County heading on the road with a slender 1-0 lead for the first leg. It would appear that Fulham has a tough task on their hands here, as they have only managed to beat Derby once in their last 7 meetings, although that win did come earlier this season. There have been 3 draws during that stretch of games, and that is a result that would suit Derby County quite nicely here, as it would be enough to get them into the final. I think a draw is the most likely result. Soccer Betting Pick: Fulham 1 – Derby County 1Aston Villa vs. Middlesbrough – Tuesday
This is the second of the two Championship play-off semi-finals, and it is similar to the other game in that the outcome hangs in the balance. It is Aston Villa who has the decided advantage here after winning 1-0 on the road in the first leg. While the deficit is small, the problem that Middlesbrough have is that they have not scored against Villa in their last 3 meetings. In fact, those 3 games have only yielded two total goals, both of which came via 1-0 wins for Villa. I am sensing a trend here, which is why I am going with Aston Villa to move on to the final against Derby. Soccer Betting Pick: Aston Villa 1 – Middlesbrough 0Marseille vs. Atletico Madrid – Wednesday
The Champions League is the domestic competition that gets all the limelight, but the Europa League Final is still a big event, especially when you consider that it grants the winner access to the Champions League next season. As such, this is a game that likely means more to Marseille, as they are sitting outside the automatic CL spots in Ligue 1.