Free Soccer Picks and Predictions – EPL, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga Bets for the Week Ending Sunday October 3

Last updated: Dec 20, 2023, 12:09PM | Published: Sep 30, 2021, 10:07PM

The best free soccer handicapper in the game is back for another week, with the great Prospector Sam providing free picks for all the action across Europe.

There is no pain quite like the pain of being a Spurs fan. As Colin Ferrel so eloquently states in one of my favorite movies of all time, In Bruges, “Purgatory’s kind of like the in-betweeny one. You weren’t really shit, but you weren't all that great either. Like Tottenham.” And nothing is worse than a life filled with just enough belief that things will one day get better, only for it to never pan out. Sure, rooting for some awful team who gets relegated might be sad, but you know the failure is coming and you can plan accordingly. Meanwhile, Tottenham can win their first 3 games of the season only to fall apart at the seams and bottom out (hopefully) by getting defensively skull fucked against an Arsenal side who had scored 2 goals all year going into the match. As a friend of mine likes to remind me very often “it’s the hope that kills you.” And Tottenham are the kings of building hope and then crushing it.

What was the point of that dreary intro? There really wasn’t one, honestly, I just wanted to vent my sadness. I needed some catharsis to clear my head before diving into some more winners (which are the only thing soothing the pain at the moment), so thank you for tolerating it. If you happen across some Spurs fan on the street, though, promise me you’ll give them a hug. They definitely need one right now.

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Without further ado, picks ⤵️

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‍Free Premier League Picks For Week 7, 2021-22

Man Utd vs. Everton, Sat Oct 2, 7:30am (EST)

If you’re willing to wake up bright and early on Saturday morning for this match (or if you’re still awake from an impressive bender), you’re in for a treat. Well, sort of. Because, if I’m being honest, this game could finish anywhere from 4-0 Everton to 4-0 United and I wouldn’t be shocked. So, if you’re looking for a team to bet, be cautious, but I think the over is a great play here. I expect United, who metaphorically puked all over themselves in a 1-0 loss against Villa last week, to come out firing and to throw everything they have at the Toffees from start to finish. Not only do they have the skill to create and put away chances, but Everton have showed some defensive frailty to start the season and don’t look good enough to keep the Red Devils off the board. On the other side, United haven’t kept a clean sheet in 5 matches and their aggressive style will leave gaps for Calvert-Lewin and company to exploit, which Everton have done well this season (averaging 2 goals per game). Though a midweek UCL fixture could force some squad rotation from United, they still have enough talent on their bench (having a lot of money helps with that) to be dangerous even with backups in, and I think this turns into a higher scoring affair. So long as someone breaks the deadlock before the 35 minute mark, this game should get to 3 goals comfortably.

⛏️ PICK: Total goals OVER 2.5 (-124, 2 units)

MORE: Man Utd vs. Everton simulator

Chelsea vs. Southampton, Sat Oct 2, 10:00am (EST)

Pretty early in the year I pegged Southampton as a relegation candidate, and they haven’t let me down. Aside from holding City to a 0-0 draw, they’ve looked pretty useless on both ends of the field and they’re facing a Chelsea side who just got the life sucked out of them in an important 1-0 loss to City (well, as important as a September game can be, at least). And, while I absolutely loathe betting on Chelsea, I think this game could get ugly pretty quick. The Londoners look like a completely different beast this season with Lukaku up front and its opening space for other players to exploit as well. I think Chelsea put up a crooked number with all the talent they have, and at +164 for them to put in over 2.5 I think there’s a lot of value so long as they can get a goal early to stop Southampton from bunkering down like a bunch of losers. I almost hope I’m wrong because rooting for Chelsea feels dirty, but the play is right here.

⛏️ PICK: Chelsea goals OVER 2.5 (+164, 2 units)

MORE: Chelsea vs. Southampton simulator

Crystal Palace vs. Leicester, Sun Oct 3, 9:00am (EST)

I try my best to avoid betting Palace games, purely because you have no fucking idea what they’re going to do. One day they can be great, the next they’re out there looking like a bunch of Sunday League players who got a few pints before the game. But, while there’s danger in the inconsistency, I’ll take value when it comes, and there’s surely value in the Leicester ML here. The Foxes are better than their place in the table shows, and they’ll pull themselves up into the top 6 within the next few months based on talent alone. Vardy continues to score at an impressive clip, and they have enough pieces around him to handle lower table sides when they play well. While we haven’t seen their best all that much this year, I think they can handle a Palace team who’ve struggled under Viera and look like a relegation club (unless they’re playing Tottenham, then they’re good enough to win the UCL). And, for +135 on a side that finished in the top 5 last year, I think the money is very solid as well. Don’t go too crazy on this one, but the away side are the right play.

⛏️ PICK: Leicester ML (+135, 1 unit)

MORE: Crystal Palace vs. Leicester simulator

Liverpool vs. Man City, Sun Oct 3, 11:30am (EST)

Another big matchup between title contenders this weekend, and the biggest question is whether it could possibly be any more boring than the helpless 1-0 City win over Chelsea last week. Call me a pessimist (shocking, based on the intro), but I say no. I got burned last weekend betting unders, with 3 of the 4 games I lost being under 2.5, which is never fun for someone who prefers to bet the over for exactly that reason. And, while I swore immediately after that I would never bet an under again, that statement was absolutely untrue and I will continue to bet the play I think is correct (hopefully that isn’t surprising, but I’m crazy enough that I feel compelled to tell you I’m not that crazy). As for the game, the template is simple and straightforward. These battles between top clubs tend to fizzle out as neither wants to give up a goal early and both sides want to ensure they don’t lose, because a bad result hurts both on the table and for morale. While Liverpool had a nightmare defensively against Brentford (which conveniently screwed me), they’re still a solid unit on that end of the pitch and won’t be too overmatched even against City. On the other side, City are great defensively and should be able to hold up against Liverpool, even with the clip they’re scoring at. I don’t love doing it, but the under is absolutely the right play based on the matchup and narrative for the game.

⛏️ PICK: Total goals UNDER 2.5 (+112, 1 unit)

MORE: Liverpool vs. Man City simulator

Free La Liga Picks For Week 8, 2021-22

Espanyol vs. Real Madrid, Sun Oct 3, 10:15am (EST)

I’m betting Real Madrid to win this game. Clean, easy, simple. I don’t need to think too much about it or explain hardly anything, and it’s the most obvious pick I could make, but the ML has value and there’s no reason to get too creative. Real lead the league and are averaging 3 goals a game, facing an Espanyol side with just 4 goals and 6 points through 7 matches. I don’t see how they can keep up, so -165 on the Money Line is as good a value bet as you’ll see all weekend. Bet this one early before the line drops like a rock, because it will likely be at least -200 by the weekend. I apologize for the short and boring write up, but there really isn’t anything interesting to say here.

⛏️ PICK: Real Madrid ML (-165, 3 units)

MORE: Real Madrid vs. Espanyol simulator

Free Bundesliga Picks For Week 6, 2021

Mainz vs. Union Berlin, Sun Oct 3, 9:30am (EST)

And, after that dull choice, it’s time to get weird. Mainz play some of the worst soccer to watch in all of Europe, and it’s about time for the luck that’s put them in the top 6 to run out. The home side have just 6 goals in 6 games, yet have 10 points in that span which is damn near impossible to pull off. Yes, as you probably realized, it must be because they’re playing well on defense and their record of 3 goals conceded shows that to be the case. But, as clubs like Sheffield (if you’re more EPL inclined) have learned the hard way, it’s VERY difficult to keep finding results when you play for 1-0 wins. Mainz have had the luxury of a soft fixture schedule and some nice breaks to start the year, but they’re eventually going to face a team who breaks them down and I think Union are the side to do it. The visitors haven’t had the best season in terms of results or goal scoring, but this is a side who finished in European spots last campaign and they can handle anyone in the league who isn’t named Bayern or Dortmund. And, at +270 on the ML for them, the money is pretty damn nice for a match that’s probably closer to a coin flip and could easily fall apart for Mainz if they concede early. It’s obviously not one to bet the farm on (presumably none of you have farms anyway, but I like to cover my bases), but it’s worth a bet for a big payout.

⛏️ PICK: Union Berlin ML (+270, 1.5 units)‍

Free Ligue One Picks For Week 9, 2021

Montpellier vs. Strasbourg, Sat Oct 2, 11:00am (EST)

If Mainz are Lex Luther, then Montpellier are Superman (yeah, I’ve got range). Through 8 matches, Montpellier have scored AND conceded 15 goals, which puts them at close to a 4 goal average per match in Ligue 1. That’s an ungodly number considering we’re almost a quarter of the way through the season, meaning those stats are getting further away from being just a small sample size anomaly. And, with that record in mind, I don’t see any reason not to ride the over here at a pretty generous -136. Strasbourg (I guess I should mention their opponent as well) are also managing to score at a decent clip despite being a newly promoted side, and don’t look all that interested in playing a defensive style to try to limit chances and keep games tight. Both of these teams come out firing in a game that very few people will actually care to watch, but should be a fun one in terms of goal scoring, and I like the over to hit pretty comfortably here as well.

⛏️ PICK: Total goals OVER 2.5 (-136, 2 units)

Free Serie A Picks For Week 7, 2021

Bologna vs. Lazio, Sun Oct 3, 6:30am (EST)

I was going to make some weak Bologna joke to kick this pick off, but it felt lazy and sad so I decided against it. You’re welcome. But, much like the food, there isn’t a whole lot to be excited about for this Bologna team that sits in the middle of the table with a -5 GD through 6 games. Lazio, meanwhile, rebounded from a cold spell to pick up an impressive 3-2 victory over Roma on the weekend and are 3rd in Serie A in goals scored with 15. Between the shaky defense of their opponents, and the pretty large disparity in talent, I think Lazio have more than a decent shot at winning this, which makes their positive ML feel like an absolute steal. Lazio’s Thursday Europa League match may cause a bit of concern for fitness and be sure to check on any updated injuries coming out of that match (sadly, I have to write this article before that happens), but if there’s no big issues that pop up then I like this pick a lot.

⛏️ PICK: Lazio moneyline (+110, 2 units)

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Prospector Sam

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Prospector Sam is a cartoon man that handicaps as well as anyone on the planet. No one knows exactly who The Prospector is, but what is known is how well he does from sports betting. A Boston native, but now based in the goldfields somewhere, Sam is the man when it comes to betting on sports, especially soccer in Europe where he finds value all year long.

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