Real Sociedad vs. Athletic Bilbao

An excellent matchup between two of the Top 8 teams in the Spanish La Liga. They met in April in a 1-1 deadlock and plenty is at stake in this rematch. Third-ranked Real Sociedad is tied with Sevilla and Real Madrid with 24 points in a battle for the top spot. They focus on defense, outscoring league foes 16-9 through 11 matches, unbeaten in their last 10 games though five were DRAWS. And the offense is dealing with several injuries as they march into this one with forward Carlos Fernandez and central midfielder Jon Guridi still out, while attacker Mikel Oyarzabal is unlikely to play. Athletic Bilbao is eighth in the 20-team league standings with the emphasis on controlling the pace, outscoring opponents 10-6 in 10 games. That's the top-ranked defense in the league. Athletic Bilbao is unbeaten (2-0-2) in its last four, with 1-1 ties against Valencia and Espanyol. Six of their last 11 contests have ended in ties and the wagering value is for this one to end up the same as April's meeting - deadlocked! Take Real Sociedad/Athletic Bilbao to DRAW.