Champions League Betting Guide: Odds, Match Preview, & Picks

The UEFA Champions League final comes at you on Saturday, June 1. Athletico Madrid's home, Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain will play hosts. Here at stateside, the opening kick is at 3 pm EST with live TV coverage on TNT or streaming on B/R Live.

The current Champions League final odds on some of the top sportsbooks are as follows: 

• Liverpool (-109)
• Tottenham (+285)
• Draw (+240)

It will be an all-English Premier League affair for the first time since 2008 when Manchester United and Chelsea clashed for the richest prize in European club soccer. Before you plop down a bet, here's everything you need to know ahead of match day.

Who Has The Advantage?

Naturally, when breaking down the matchup, you have to start with head-to-head games. The Reds and Hotspur's meet twice this EPL season — both ending in the same exact result.

Way back in September, Liverpool eeked out a 2-1 victory at Wembley Stadium, Tottenham's temporary residence at the time. More recently, at the end of March, the Reds once again won 2-1, thanks in large part to an injury-time own goal from the Spurs. 

The pair of triumphs were all part of a stunning EPL run from Liverpool, in which they lost just one game. With an eye-popping goal difference of 67 — 39 better than Tottenham for comparison — the Reds tallied 97 points and finished second in the table. They're arguably the greatest team to never win an EPL season, which is why they enter the finale with the better Champions League winner odds.  

Much of the Reds' success comes in the form of its dazzling attack. True to his mad scientist ways, manager Jurgen Klopp somehow engineered an even more efficient offense — and this time, not at the cost of his defense.

Klopp has relied less and less on the press, his former calling card, all-year long. Nevermind that it's less physically taxing for its players, freeing up energy to get back on defense, but goal-scoring has actually gone up, thanks in part to Mo Salah and Sadio Mane. The two-head monster tied for tops in goal-scoring this EPL campaign. 

Tottenham's hopes seemingly pin on Harry Kane. He hasn't suited up for the club since an ankle injury in the UCL quarterfinals back in early April. Though, the Englishmen has come out and said he's "confident" he'll be ready to go for Saturday's clash.

It's almost amazing how far the Hotspur's have come in his absence. Teammates have stepped up and then some, including Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura, the hero of the stunning semi-final comeback against Ajax with a hat-trick performance. Now imagine that gutsy team with its leader, Kane, back in the lineup? Watch out!

No one expected Tottenham to even advance this far. Not after spending $0 in the transfer market before the season. Not after Kane's injury. Not against Manchester City or going down 3-0 to Ajax, on the road no less. At this point, what's one more stunning upset, right? Especially in a Champions League season that's been filled with one shocker after another.

Who To Bet On? 

Having two weeks to prepare for an opponent, little less one inside your own league, makes this game a virtual toss-up. Betting the regulation-time draw wouldn't be a bad idea, honestly. At +240, that's a great insurance policy. 

Of course, no one likes to bet on the draw, especially not in the final. That's why we're giving Liverpool the razor-thin edge. Unlike Tottenham (playing in its first UCL title game ever), the Reds have been there, done that. A year ago they tasted a 3-1 defeat on this very stage to Real Madrid. 

That shortcoming has fueled them ever since. During the summer, the team fortified its shaky back line with the signings of goalkeeper Alisson and defender Fabinho. It panned out considering no EPL team conceded fewer goals this year than Liverpool, at a meager 0.6 per game. 

Bet Liverpool, but brace yourself because this win won't come easy against a pesky Hotspur club that's defied the odds all year long.  

Pick: Liverpool (-109)

Bonus Bet: Over/Under 2.5 goals

The betting line here is practically even — the over at -109 and -107 for the under.  

We're picking the over. Recent history shows us Champion League finals are usually high-scoring affairs. In the past eight championship games, all but two had at least three goals scored. The past two, for example, ended 4-1 and 3-1.

When you throw some of the world's best footballers together on the grandest stage of all, you should expect fireworks. Salah, Kane, Mane, Moura — what else do you think is going to happen? 

Pick: Over (-109)

Get your bets in before June 1 at one of our trusted partners below! Stay posted on all Champions League odds here!

Category : News

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