Real Madrid dropped to third in the La Liga table after losing last weekend so they can ill afford another slip up when Rayo Vallecano come calling.
I thought the Spanish champions might be a bit vulnerable on the road at Real Betis, with a huge Champions League clash against city rivals Atletico looming just a few days later.
All three recommended bets came up for me as Betis claimed a 2-1 win and that saw Carlo Ancelotti's men drop two points behind Atletico and three adrift of Barcelona in a thrilling title battle.
Real Madrid bounced back by beating Atletico 2-1 at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night, with one of our Super Singles landing thanks to the European champions winning a corner in the dying seconds.
The second leg should be a cracker back at the Wanda Metropolitano but first Real need to see off Rayo Vallecano in another Madrid derby.
This is another potential banana skin for Ancelotti's side, with Rayo sitting seventh in La Liga after a resurgence this season under head coach Inigo Perez.
Vallecano have lost just two of their last seven – to leaders Barca and in-form Villarreal – so Real Madrid can't afford to take their eye off the ball.
How the bookies view it: More derby joy for Real
Rayo Vallecano have won just once at the Bernabeu in their history so it's no great surprise to see them as 15/2 outsiders with BoyleSports. Real Madrid are 2/7 hot favourites and the draw pays 4/1.
Recent head to head: Rayo can draw some comfort
Rayo Vallecano claimed a surprise draw on their last trip across the Spanish capital and the last three meetings in La Liga have all ended level. But Real Madrid have won 11 of their last 12 at home to Rayo, including a 10-2 tanking in 2015.
Players to watch: Hot Rod revved up
Rodrygo took his Champions League career tally to 25 with a cracker against Atletico, making the 24-year-old the fifth youngest to hit that figure. His confidence will be up and the Brazilian is 7/4 for anytime scorer here.
Midfielder Alvaro Garcia has chipped in with three goals for Rayo Vallecano this season and could be a decent long-odds option for anytime scorer. He's 6/1 at BoyleSports to stun the Bernabeu.
Probable line-ups
Ancelotti will probably freshen things up a little ahead of that crunch second leg against Atletico and Jude Bellingham is available again after suspension. Real are still without long-term crocks Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao while Jesus Vallejo and Dani Ceballos are also set to miss out.
Rayo Vallecano have problems up front after Randy Nteka went off early last weekend. He joins the suspended Jorge de Frutos on the sidelines while Unai Lopez, Isi Palazon, Joni Montiel, Abdul Mumin and Sergio Camello are also set to miss out. Raul de Tomas is a doubt too.
Real Madrid: Courtois, Alaba, Vazquez, Rudiger, Mendy, Modric, Rodrygo, Tchouameni, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Mbappe.
Rayo Vallecano: Batalla, Ratiu, Chavarria, Hernandez, Lejeune, Diaz, Ciss, Trejo, Garcia, Embarba, Guardiola.
Anything else catch the eye?
Although Real Madrid will have one eye on that clash with Atletico, it's hard to see Rayo Vallecano causing an upset here with so many players missing in attack.
That makes me think a home to nil looks decent value at 21/20 with BoyleSports, while combining a Real victory with under 3.5 goals pays 23/20.
Ancelotti will probably go strong to begin with then give some stars a breather once the game is won. So backing most goals to come in the first half could also pay off at 11/5 with BoyleSports.
This La Liga match between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano will be played on and kick off at 15:15. Check below for our tipsters best Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
