Real Madrid vs. Barcelona prediction, odds: 2022 El Clasico picks, La Liga bets from proven soccer expert

The stakes are high for the first edition of El Clasico 2022 when Real Madrid host Barcelona in a Spanish La Liga match at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Sunday. The bitter rivals come into one of the biggest games on the world football calendar with identical 7-1-0 records, with Barcelona sitting atop La Liga's table with a significant edge in goal differential. Real Madrid are the reigning league champions, finishing 13 points ahead of second-place Barcelona last season. Real have won a record 35 La Liga titles, while Barcelona have 26, and this is the 250th competitive meeting between the teams. Real has a 100-52-97 edge, and the teams split the two meetings last season, with the road team winning each time. They also met in a Spanish SuperCopa semifinal match in January, with Real Madrid taking a 3-2 victory.

Kickoff in Madrid, Spain is set for 10:15 a.m. ET on Sunday. Caesars Sportsbook lists Real as +127 favorites (risk $100 to win $127) in its latest Real Madrid vs. Barcelona odds. Barcelona are the +205 underdogs, a draw is priced at +255 and the over/under for total match goals is 3.5. Before making any Barcelona vs. Real Madrid picks or bets, be sure you check out the Spanish La Liga predictions from soccer insider Jon Eimer.

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, and he is 255-245-7 on all soccer picks in 2002.  

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

• Real Madrid vs. Barcelona spread: Real -0.5 (+120
• Real Madrid vs. Barcelona over/under: 3.5 goals
• Real Madrid vs. Barcelona money line: Real +127, Barcelona +205, Draw +255
• Real Madrid: They have scored in all 13 of their games in all competitions.
• Barcelona: They have three or more goals in seven of 12 matches overall.  
• Real Madrid vs. Barcelona picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why you should back Real Madrid

Los Blancos have won five of the past six meetings in all competitions. They will have an extra day of rest off the midweek Champions League matchups after drawing with Shakhtar Donetsk 1-1 on Tuesday. Barcelona faced a draining 3-3 draw with Inter Milan on Wednesday, and Real have already advanced while La Blaugrana are in serious danger of missing the knockout round. Real's attack continues to run through the stellar midfield featuring Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, and Karim Benzema is still a supreme finisher and has three goals in five matches.

Real also have a strong contingent of young players ready to grab the torch and run with it, led by 22-year-old Brazilian star Vinicius Junior. He has a team-high five goals, and 21-year-old Rodrygo and Federico Valverde, 24, have combined for six goals and three assists. Real Madrid went 13-5-1 with a plus-31 goal differential at Bernabeu last season and are 2-1-0 there so far in this campaign. Los Blancos average more than 19 shots per game, most in La Liga, while allowing an average of 10, and they have yielded 24 attempts on target, tied for third-fewest.   

Why you should back Barcelona

La Blaugrana are intent on making a serious run at the title this season, and they certainly have the talent. It starts with newcomer Robert Lewandowski, who just happens to be one of the world's top strikers. He has a league-high nine goals to go with two assists, and Ousmane Dembele (two goals, two assists) is an excellent sidekick. They could be joined by 19-year-old Ansu Fati, who has two goals and three assists despite starting just once. Crafty veteran Sergio Busquets and Spanish phenoms Gavi and Pedri should provide the excitement -- and scoring chances -- in midfield.

Barcelona could take advantage of the expected absence of Real star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who is recovering from a back injury. Backup Andriy Lunin has started just four games over the past two seasons. A big part of Barcelona's success so far has been the defensive effort. They have allowed just one league goal, and that came in the second game of the season. Marc-Andre ter Stegen leads the league in clean sheets (seven) and save percentage (95), of course, but the back line led by Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde has yielded a league-low 66 shots, with 20 on target (second). 

How to make Barcelona vs. Real Madrid picks

Eimer has analyzed Sunday's El Clasico 2022 from every angle, and he is leaning Over on the goal total and has two other confident best bets. He's only sharing those picks here.

So who wins Real Madrid vs. Barcelona in Sunday's El Clasico showdown? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for the Barcelona vs. Real Madrid match, all from the soccer expert who is locked in on the game all over the world.