Almeria kick off the 2023-24 La Liga season when they host Rayo Vallecano on Friday. Almeria returned to Spain's top flight last season following seven consecutive campaigns in the second division and barely avoided relegation, finishing one point ahead of Real Valladolid for 17th place in the table. Rayo Vallecano look to continue their progress in La Liga as they went from 12th place in 2021-22 to 11th last season despite losing four of their final five matches. The teams split their two meetings in 2022-23, with each winning at home.

Kickoff at Power Horse Stadium is set for 1:30 p.m. ET. Almeria are +155 favorites (risk $100 to win $155) in the latest Almeria vs. Rayo Vallecano odds, while Rayo Vallecano are +185 underdogs. A 90-minute draw is priced at +215 and the over/under for total goals scored is 2.5. (For more soccer coverage, click here.)

Before you lock in your Rayo Vallecano vs. Almeria picks or La Liga predictions, you NEED to see what soccer bettor Jon "Buckets" Eimer has to say.

Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, he has covered the English Premier League, Serie A, the FA Cup and much more. Since the end of last year's Men's World Cup, he has been red-hot, going 167-149-8 for a profit of $2,787 for $100 bettors. Anyone following him is WAY up.

Eimer knows Almeria lost the services of striker El Bilal Toure, who led the team with seven goals last season but signed with Atalanta of Serie A last month. La Union will be looking to receive more production in 2023-24 from Brazilian forward Lazaro after the 21-year-old netted six tallies in 19 matches last campaign - his first in La Liga. Almeria also hope for a performance similar to the one they had against Rayo Vallecano at home last season, when midfielder Lucas Robertone and defender Srdan Babic converted in a 3-1 triumph.

The expert also has considered that Rayo Vallecano allowed 53 goals last season and made an attempt over the summer to reduce that number. The Red Sashes added Alfonso Espino from Cadiz and Aridane Hernandez from Osasuna while also signing fellow defender Florian Lejeune to a four-year contract after the 32-year-old spent 2022-23 with the club on loan. Winger Isi Palazon is eager to improve upon a career season during which he led the team with nine goals and five assists.

Eimer has taken an in-depth look at the Almeria vs. Rayo Vallecano showdown and is leaning Under on the goal total. He also has locked in three CONFIDENT best bets, including one that pays around +600, while offering a full breakdown of this La Liga matchup! You ABSOLUTELY need to see his picks and analysis before making any selections of your own.

Who wins the Almeria vs. Rayo Vallecano La Liga matchup, and what are the best bets you can make? ... Join SportsLine now to see Jon Eimer's picks for Rayo Vallecano vs. Almeria, all from the expert who is up almost 28 units since last year's Men's World Cup!