European Soccer Is Back: 3 Best Bets for Saturday’s (8/22) Loaded Slate

BettingThePitch

Written by: BettingThePitch

Published: Sat Aug 22, 2026, 8:00 am ET

Read Time: 6 minutes

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EPL

It feels like Christmas morning!

For the first time this season, we have a full Saturday featuring the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and Ligue 1. It's going to be an incredible season, and I hope you join us here at Betting News for the entire ride.

We're going to start small with most clubs playing their first competitive match.

I usually like getting a few matches under our belt before attacking these leagues heavily. That gives us some actual data while also allowing the eye test to tell us what these teams are about.

That said, I found a few numbers I like on today's board.

Let's get into the plays!

Head over to our MLS Picks Page for our expert's soccer analysis, or read my best bets below.

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Featured Plays

Ipswich vs. Sunderland

I'm going to be fading Sunderland all season long.

There, I said it.

They overperformed in just about every major category last season and were fortunate to finish inside the top 10. I faded them plenty last year, and it didn't always work out.

I'm ready to do it all over again.

There were countless matches where Sunderland were outplayed for 89 minutes, only to produce one moment of brilliance and steal a result.

Eventually, I expect that to catch up with them.

The underlying numbers tell a similar story.

Sunderland finished near the bottom of the table in expected goals but outperformed that number by nearly 10 goals.

Defensively, they ranked around the middle of the pack in expected goals conceded. Once again, they outperformed those numbers by nearly 10 goals.

That's a lot of overperformance on both ends of the pitch.

I expect some negative regression this season, and Ipswich are a quality side to test that theory right away.

They return nearly the entire core from last season's Championship squad while adding some intriguing pieces.

The recent addition of Julio Enciso should bring another level of creativity and attacking quality to this team.

There's also the atmosphere to consider.

Ipswich are back at home for their first Premier League match since the 2024-25 season. Portman Road should be absolutely rocking.

Getting Draw No Bet at close to even money gives us some protection while still offering a great price.

I'll take my chances with the home side.

Play: Ipswich Draw No Bet (-105)

Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds United

Calvert-Lewin and Leeds will start their 2026/27 season on the road against Forest.

I'm high on Leeds this season.

They had an excellent summer transfer window and have built a squad capable of making some noise in the Premier League.

I'm not nearly as excited about Nottingham Forest.

Forest didn't do enough this summer to convince me they've significantly improved from last season. They spent much of that campaign battling relegation before eventually finishing 16th.

I'm not saying they'll be that bad again.

However, looking at the current squad, I still view Forest as a bottom-half team.

This won't be an easy opener for Leeds.

The City Ground should be buzzing, and I expect Forest to feed off that energy early.

They should create chances against what I believe could be the biggest weakness for Leeds, the back line.

On the other side, I really like the attacking depth Leeds have assembled.

The addition of Harry Wilson should bring another creative element to the attack. He gives them a player capable of creating something out of nothing in the final third.

Leeds struggled away from Elland Road last season, so improving their road performances should be a major focus.

Forest weren't exactly dominant at home either.

Both clubs enter this opener with something to prove, and I expect each side to create enough chances to find the net.

Play: Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds United Both Teams To Score (-125)

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Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake

Antoine Griezmann and Orlando City should produce plenty of early offense against FC Cincinnati at home on Saturday - MLS Expert Picks

Antoine Griezmann and Orlando City are looking to get back on track at home.

It wouldn't be a Saturday without a little MLS action.

This might actually be one of my favorite matches on the entire slate, and I'm willing to pay up for the total.

Real Salt Lake have been playing an all-gas, no-brakes style lately.

The result has been some incredibly entertaining matches.

Three of their last four have featured at least three goals. Their most recent match against Dallas turned into a seven-goal shootout.

RSL have also struggled away from home this season.

That makes me think they'll likely spend stretches playing from behind, which could be perfect for this over.

Orlando, meanwhile, have come back down to earth after the initial excitement surrounding Antoine Griezmann's arrival.

They haven't won any of their last four matches, despite all four being played at home.

The defensive performances have been even more concerning.

Orlando have conceded at least twice in three of those four matches. Cincinnati could have easily scored multiple goals in the lone exception if not for some poor finishing.

Both teams desperately need a get-right performance.

I expect that urgency to produce an aggressive match with both sides pushing for all three points.

We're paying some juice here, but I want the protection that comes with Over 3 instead of Over 3.5.

A 2-1 result gives us our money back.

Ultimately, though, this feels like a match that could easily finish 2-2.

Give me goals in Orlando.

Play: Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake Over 3 Goals (-150)

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BettingThePitch
BettingThePitch

Just a guy who loves sports, soccer and beating the books!

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