The start of the Spanish domestic soccer season is upon us, with the action from LaLiga set to come thick and fast over the next 40 weeks or so.

The season gets underway with matches to be played over numerous days, with Alaves and Getafe kicking things off on Sunday, August 16, at 03:30 AEST.

Quick Picks

Our pick: Atletico Madrid to win

Value bet: BTTS to hit across most games

Long shot: Over 2.5 Goals

Betting Preview

The Matchweek 1 schedule is as follows:

• Alaves vs Getafe - Sunday, August 16 at 03:30 AEST
• Sevilla vs Rayo Vallecano - Sunday, August 16 at 05:30 AEST
• Racing Santander vs Villarreal - Monday, August 17 at 01:00 AEST
• Espanyol vs Levante - Monday, August 17 at 03:00 AEST
• Celta vs Osasuna - Monday, August 17 at 05:30 AEST
• Deportivo vs Elche - Tuesday, August 18 at 05:00 AEST
• Atletico Madrid vs Malaga - Thursday, August 20 at 05:00 AEST

FC Barcelona will have to wait until Matchweek 2 to get their La Liga title defence underway, as will Jose Mourinho as he begins his second reign as Real Madrid boss.

Valencia, Real Betis, Real Sociedad, and Athletic Bilbao will also start their respective La Liga seasons the following week.

Still, there’s plenty of sizzling looking Spanish soccer to sink your teeth into, with several games likely to have value.

Betting Markets to Watch

Betting odds for all upcoming La Liga matches are already available on Sportsbet, with value worth exploring across the board.

The matches between Racing Santander and Villarreal, and Atletico Madrid and Malaga could hold some value, as Villarreal and Atletico both had strong finishes last season in La Liga.

Their opponents, meanwhile, were two of the three to be promoted last season. Having not played in the top-flight for quite a number of years, though, don’t be surprised if both put up something of a fight as they look to make positive starts.

While there may not be huge shocks, value could certainly be uncovered in the goals or BTTS markets.

Villarreal will be led by Iñigo Pérez this season after he left Rayo Vallecano to replace Marcelino, and will be aiming to make a fast start against a newly promoted side.

They are considered favourites by quite some margin, and are likely winners, but value could be found in the draw.

Deportivo are the other team to have been promoted, and are making their return after eight years away and some troubling times away from the field. Malaga are also set to play their first La Liga match in eight years after their own decline.

This can be a huge driver for both teams, although while Malaga will face a tough test against Atletico, Deportivo are big favourites to beat Elche.

Our Prediction

Check the latest La Liga betting odds at Sportsbet.

We think Atletico Madrid are the most likely to secure a win in MW1 of the 2026/27 La Liga season.

Our value bet is in the goals market, the BTTS hitting will typically offer value across the league. It landed in about 57% of the 380 matches (216 games) last season.

A long shot is the Over 2.5 Goals market for many of the games being played. This market was hit about 50% of the time last season, and with the biggest clubs not involved, goals may be a little drier on the ground in this matchweek.