Barcelona hopes to heap pressure on Madrid

Soccer Betting Lines

02/10/2012 - Navarra, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barcelona, by its high standards, is sailing in chartered La Liga territory this season.

The Catalans have exhibited a certain level of dominance in Spain's top flight over the past few seasons, claiming three-straight La Liga titles.

But this season, Barcelona finds itself seven points adrift of leaders Real Madrid, sitting in second place with 48 points.

With Barcelona set to face Osasuna on Saturday at the Reyno de Navarra, it hopes to cut down Real Madrid's lead down to four points ahead of its Sunday fixture at the Bernabeu.

The deficit does not seem to worry defender Gerard Pique, who said that the reigning European champions are strong enough to still win the title.

"At the beginning of the season I would have happily signed up for this situation," Pique said. "Sometimes we win, others we don't, but we always want it. We feel strong enough to move ahead. Count on us being there in the fight at the end of the season."

Pique also offered a prediction for the remainder of the season.

"The struggle for the [La Liga] title is going to be a long one for whoever ends up winning it."

Barcelona has suffered just one loss this season, but its six draws have set the club off of the blistering pace set by Real Madrid.

The Catalans are unbeaten in their last eight league games, taking 22 points over that stretch.

Osasuna, tied with Malaga for eighth place on 28 points, has not picked up three points in a match since Dec. 18 when it defeated Villarreal, 2-1. Since then, Los Rojillos have drawn three and lost two.

Real Madrid, on a six-game winning run in La Liga play, will need a win to maintain the gap over Barcelona should the Catalans take maximum points Saturday. The Galacticos will have need to try and accomplish that feat against a difficult opponent Sunday as it welcomes fourth-place Levante to the Bernabeu.

Third-place Valencia appears to be out of the title race as it trails Real Madrid by 18 points, but the club now has their sights set on solidifying their place in the top three. Without a win in its last five matches, Valencia will look to pick up three points against second-from-bottom Sporting Gijon.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Espanyol welcomes Real Zaragoza to the Estadi Cornella-El Prat, Malaga hosts Mallorca at the Estadio La Rosaleda, Villarreal and Granada square off at El Madrigal, and Rayo Vallecano faces Getafe at the Teresa Rivero.

Racing hosts Atletico Madrid and Real Betis hosts Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, while La Liga play concludes on Monday with Sevilla looking to snap a seven- game winless run with three points at Real Sociedad.

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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

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Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.