While Sunday is NFL day in America, not a single play will be run before 1 p.m. ET, meaning you have plenty of time to examine the soccer odds board and get your bets in on a different kind of football.
Below, Nick Hennion and Brett Pund have identified their top bets to make, with a catch: Each game kicks off at 10:15 a.m. ET or earlier, meaning they will also end right around when the NFL kicks off.
Read on to see how our staff is playing the early morning slate of European soccer on Sunday.
Our 2 Early Sunday Best Bets
Wolves vs. Leicester City
| Wolves Odds | +130 |
| Leicester City Odds | +230 |
| Draw | +225 |
| Over/Under | 2.5 (+100 / -125) |
| Time | 9 a.m. ET |
| How To Watch | USA Network |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute Soccer odds here. | |
Hennion: Maybe, just maybe, Leicester City is beginning to turn a corner.
In the Foxes’ last four fixtures, manager Brendan Rodgers’s side has a +2.63 xGOT differential, per fotmob.com. In two meetings with Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest – slightly worse than Wolves, but the closest comparisons – the Foxes have generated 4.14 xGOT and three big scoring chances.
Now, Leicester gets to go up against a Wolves side that struggles to score and has played horribly at home. Entering this fixture, Wolves have a -1 home goal differential against a -4.61 home xGOT differential.
Even if you remove a home match against Manchester City from the sample, Wolves remain due for negative regression as they have a +2 goal differential against a -2.46 xGOT differential.
Plus, Leicester completely bossed Wolves around last season. Despite claiming all three points on just one occasion, Leicester compiled a +3.11 xGOT differential while limiting the Wolves attack to only 0.55 total xGOT across both meetings.
Bet Leicester so long as the visitors are available at +180 or better.
Pick: Leicester City ML (+220)
Real Betis vs. Atletico Madrid
| Betis Odds | +210 |
| Atletico Odds | +210 |
| Draw | +140 |
| Over/Under | 2.5 (+122 / -148) |
| Day | Time | 10:15 a.m. ET |
| How To Watch | ESPN+ |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute Soccer odds here. | |
Pund: Goals have been up this season across La Liga, and I think that continues in Atlético Madrid’s trip to Real Betis.
At home this season, Betis’ games have averaged 2.94 xG per 90 minutes, according to fbref.com, with this total cashing in three of the five fixtures. Manager Manuel Pellegrini’s team also ranks in the top five in the Spanish top flight for big scoring chances created at home with 16.
This is also the same side that has struggled against tougher competition, allowing 2.6 xG to Real Madrid and 2.0 to Villarreal.
Meanwhile, Madrid have been a great attacking team on the road, averaging 2.8 big scoring chances created per 90 minutes away from home. With Antoine Griezmann now allowed to start games, this is an offense that is only going to get better.
I’m electing to go safer in case this ends in a 1-1 draw. However, I don’t hate a play on the total flying over 2.5 goals at +122 odds or the Both Teams to Score line.
Pick:Over 2.25 Goals (-125)
