Athletic Club vs Elche Prediction: BTTS is a good even-money Bet

| Friday 20th February 2026, 7:55am

Friday 20th February 2026, 7:55am

We've made it through another week and for Spanish football fans, we start up in Bilbao where the home team are odds-on favourites to beat Elche in the Friday night match. Premier Sports 1 will be broadcasting this game for those in the UK.

Our Spanish Football tipster Mark Sochon brings us the Team News, Match Odds and his two Best Bets for the match. Let's check out his Athletic Club vs Elche Predictions here on Betfred Insights...

Athletic Club vs Elche Betting Tips

Half-time result - Draw @ 6/5
Both teams to score @ 1/1

*odds correct at time of publication

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Athletic Club vs Elche Preview:

Athletic Club and Elche clash in La Liga's Friday night offering this week. The hosts are looking to boost their European prospects by claiming what would be a third straight league victory.

Prior to securing three points against Levante and Real Oviedo, Athletic had failed to record back-to-back wins in the Spanish top flight since triumphing on the opening three matchdays back in August. It has largely been a season to forget for Ernesto Valverde, who is widely expected to leave the club at the end of the campaign following his third stint in the San Mamés hotseat.

Injuries and the poor form of key players have contributed to that. Last season's top scorer Oihan Sancet has only netted twice in 17 league appearances, while star winger Nico Williams has had a very disappointing season by his standards.

Unai Simón, Dani Vivian and Aymeric Laporte have also underwhelmed at the other end of the pitch, but all is not lost for Los Leones. A 2-1 comeback victory in Asturias last weekend means they can move to within a point of sixth place with three more points against another of the promoted clubs on Friday.

Champions League qualification looks beyond Athletic this season, but a return to the Europa League stage would still be a decent achievement. They also have the second leg of a Copa del Rey semi-final against Basque rivals Real Sociedad to look forward to, although Valverde's side face an uphill task after losing the first leg 1-0 at home.

Should the 62-year-old depart in the summer, Elche boss Eder Sarabia could be among the candidates to replace him. The Bilbao-born coach confirmed this week he'd like to manage his hometown club at some stage, but he has more pressing matters to attend to, with his current side sliding dangerously towards the relegation zone.

Los Franjiverdes did put in one of their strongest performances in recent weeks last time out. They had the better of what was an open game against Osasuna, but the match somehow ended without a goal, despite Sarabia's side having 17 shots and registering 1.70 xG.

That showing should give them a degree of belief heading into this long trip north. However, they're yet to taste victory in any competition in 2026, drawing three times and losing five. Elche are also still without a road win in La Liga this term.

Sarabia will be hoping his new recruits can help end both of those unwanted records on Friday. The club from the province of Alicante were busy in January, with Lucas Cepeda, Tete Morente, Buba Sangaré and Gonzalo Villar arriving to bolster the squad for the run-in.

Team News:

A tough season for Nico Williams has taken another turn for the worse with a recurring groin issue set to keep him out of this match. Maroan Sannadi and Beñat Prados are also sidelined, while Valverde has additional doubts over Álex Berenguer and Mikel Jauregizar.

Sancet, Iñaki Williams and Gorka Guruzeta should provide the chief goal threat for the home team, while 22-year-old Nico Serrano is hoping to keep his place out wide.

As for Elche, there are frequent changes from week to week, although on this occasion Sarabia may be tempted to stick with the players that performed well last Friday.

The visitors do have a fitness doubt over Grady Diangana, while Barcelona loanee Héctor Fort is their only definite injury absentee.

Athletic Club vs Elche CF Lineups (Predicted)

Athletic Club: Simon, Gorosabel, Paredes, Laporte, Berchiche, Ruiz de Galarreta, Rego, Serrano, Sancet, Williams, Guruzeta
Elche CF: Dituro, Valera, Bigas, Chust, Petrot, Morente, Aguado, Febas, Cepeda, Rodriguez, Silva

Match Odds:

Athletic Club are the 4/6 favourites to extend their winning streak to three matches. Alternatively, you can back Elche to spring a surprise and record an overdue away victory at odds of 4/1. The Draw is priced at 11/4.

If you like the look of the hosts, you can back Athletic to win to nil at 6/4. Los Leones are available at 4/5 to score over 1.5 goals, while they're on offer at 3/1 to win both halves.

Elche are priced at 7/4 to win either half. The underdogs can also be backed at 8/13 to be level or ahead at the interval in the First-Half Double Chance market.

Guruzeta bagged a brace as Athletic beat Levante 4-2 in their last home league fixture. The striker is the 7/2 favourite to net first in this game, while he's on offer at 11/8 to get on the scoresheet at some stage.

Alternative options in the Anytime Goalscorer market include Sancet at 7/4, while you can take your pick with Elche strikers Álvaro Rodríguez and André Silva both on offer at 3/1.

*You can bet on and check out all of our Athletic Club vs Elche Odds with our full betting markets on betfred.com

Athletic Club vs Elche CF Stats

Athletic Club (14.33) have the fourth-most shots per 90 minutes in La Liga.
Elche (0.11) score the third-most goals for every shot they take in Spain's top flight.
Rafa Mir (24) have had the joint-seventh most shots on target this season.

Bet 1 - Half-time result - Draw @ 6/5

Elche have to take some belief from their last performance against what was an in-form Osasuna side. Despite not winning on their travels, they have also tended to compete well in the first half of their road fixtures this season.

Away from the Estadio Martínez Valero, Los Franjiverdes have only conceded eight times in 11 matches before the break. Over half of those encounters were all square at the interval.

Athletic have only been ahead at half-time in 33% of their home league fixtures, with San Mamés not the fortress it used to be. They were leading at the break in their last La Liga outing in Bilbao, although only after Levante had been reduced to 10 men in just the 17th minute.

I can see Elche holding firm for at least 45 minutes, and I'm backing the Draw in the Half-Time Result market.

Athletic Bilbao vs Elche CF - Half-Time Result

Draw

6/5

Bet Here

Odds correct at time of publishing.

Bet 2 - Both teams to score @ 1/1

All of the last seven league games involving Athletic have seen both teams score, while the same is true of six of Elche's last seven matches. The only exception was their 0-0 draw against Osasuna last time out, which was an open affair that saw both teams miss clear chances.

With the likes of Guruzeta and Sancet finally getting among the goals over the past few weeks, the hosts are starting to show a bit more in the final third. Álvaro has also been looking sharp up top for Elche, with three goals and two assists in his last eight La Liga appearances.

Despite not winning away, the visitors have only failed to score in two of their road fixtures in La Liga. That points to value in backing Both teams to score at 1/1 here.

Athletic Bilbao vs Elche CF - Both Teams To Score

Yes

1/1

Bet Here

Odds correct at time of publishing.

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Mark Sochon P/L 25/26 Season:

Points Staked: 173
Points Returned: 164.85
P/L: -8.15

You can check out Mark's Football Betting Tips along with those from the rest of the Betfred Insights Spanish Football writers on our La Liga home page...