I have three plus-money picks to share for this weekend's loaded European soccer slate.
The pre-weekend narrative: In England, I expect Aston Villa to continue its win streak over West Ham, a side in the relegation battle. Also on Sunday, look for Marcus Thuram to contribute in the final third for Inter Milan.
Check out this weekend's best European soccer picks and predictions for games on Dec. 14, featuring a best bet for Alaves vs. Real Madrid.
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Soccer picks: Dec. 14
Alaves vs. Real Madrid (Dec. 14, 3 p.m. ET)
Best bet: Under 2.5 goals (+110)
Real Madrid has played a lot of soccer over the past few weeks, and at the time of writing, it is currently playing Manchester City in the Champions League.
That's an important fixture that should be heavily prioritized over this Sunday's match with Alaves.
Meaning Los Blancos could start a lot of subs to give some of their normal starters a breather in their upcoming match.
Either way, Alaves should be up to the task of limiting Madrid's offence.
That's because it is among Spain's best defensive sides. Alaves allows the fourth-fewest goals against (1.0 per match).
-> Bet on Alaves vs. Real Madrid
And it scores even less. Alaves scores 0.9 goals per game, which also ranks in the bottom five.
Last Sunday, Real Madrid was shut out, 2-0, at home by Celta Vigo. Though I don't have faith in Alaves scoring multiple goals, I think the side can replicate the defensive effort shown by another mid-table team.
Key stat: Alaves has a 10-5 record on this under in La Liga this season.
EPL prediction
Matchup: West Ham vs. Aston Villa (Dec. 14, 9:00 a.m. ET)
Aston Villa to win (+102): Aston Villa has all the momentum ahead of this matchup.
- The side has won five straight matches, catapulting into third in the Premier League.
- That includes beating Arsenal 2-1 last weekend. That was just the Gunners' second loss all season.
On the other side, there's West Ham, the 18th-place team with three wins so far.
Things have been tough for the Hammers, who own the third-worst goal differential in England (-12). They also have a measly 0-5-3 record against teams inside the top 10.
I don't want to overthink this one, so I'll back Aston Villa to pick up a sixth straight win at plus money.
-> Bet on Sunday's EPL matches
Serie A best bet
Matchup: Genoa vs. Inter Milan (Dec. 14, 12:00 p.m. ET)
Thuram to score (+150): Inter is the most explosive team in Serie A, so I want to back one of its top creators.
- Inter scores 2.3 goals per game, almost a goal more than AC Milan, which scores the second most (1.6).
- Thuram has four goals and an assist in nine Serie A matches, but he caught fire recently. He has three goals in his last three games.
- It was about time Thuram started producing. He is extremely dangerous, ranking in the 96th percentile for shot-creating actions per 90 (any action that leads directly to a shot).
That brings me to his opponent, Genoa. The side allows the fourth-most goals per game (1.5).
Everything points to a big offensive performance from Inter, and I like the value on Thuram getting involved.
Soccer picks made at 3:58 p.m. on Dec. 10, 2025.
