Yoel Abulaf (@uncyobo)

LALIGA: Athletic Bilbao vs. Getafe, 1pm EST OVER 8.5 Total Corners (-167) 1.4 units + Nico Williams Anytime Goalscorer (+270) .5 units (DraftKings)

In the first match of the LaLiga season, Bilbao will host Getafe. Bilbao, who ended their 40-year cup drought by beating Mallorca on penalties in April to win the King’s Cup, finished the league in 5th place. Valverde’s team, which has added players like Gorosabel and Djalo to its squad, enters the league with an ambitious roster, aiming for a top-four finish while retaining their star players. The legendary Muniain, who left the club, passed on his number 10 jersey to Nico Williams, the star of the 2024 Euros. The friendly matches Bilbao played without key players like Nico and Unai Simon should not be taken as a significant measure of their potential, as they only won two out of seven. There are some question marks regarding Bilbao’s goalkeeping situation for this match. With ongoing injuries to both Unai Simon and his backup Agirrezabala, 20-year-old Alex Padilla may take the spot, as he did in the friendlies.

Last season, Getafe finished LaLiga more comfortably than in previous years, thanks to Bordalas’s return to the team and contributions from loan players. However, players like Enes Ünal, Mason Greenwood, Moriba, and Latasa have left the team, and their chronic goal-scoring issues were evident in the friendlies. While Bilbao has a much stronger and more established squad than Getafe, the fact that it is the first match of the league and Bordalas’s defensive, tough-playing approach could make things challenging. I’m leaning towards over 8.5 total corners, and I’ll take a small bet on Nico Williams as an anytime goalscorer.

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