We’re down to the round of 16 in the Champions League tournament. After the knockout phase drawing, which clubs have the clearest path to a title? We examine those odds here, as well as give our best-value betting picks. Read this before the tourney resumes!
Everyone has betting picks for the Champions League winner, but we're here to cut through the noise and separate the fact from the fiction. Who are the real UCL tourney contenders? Well, we're about to tell you.
But first, it is important to know which clubs are the betting frontrunners. Here's a look at the current odds, per online bookmakers:
| Team |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Bayern Munich | +275 | +275 |
| Man City | +350 | +400 |
| Liverpool | +550 | +600 |
| Juventus | +1200 | +1200 |
| PSG | +1200 | +1200 |
| Real Madrid | +1400 | +1400 |
| Chelsea | +1400 | +1600 |
| Atletico Madrid | +1600 | +1800 |
| Barcelona | +1600 | +1800 |
The above betting lines are recent as of Monday, December 14 — hours after the knockout round drawing. Speaking of which, below is how the tournament was seeded out.
The round begins on February 16 and ends exactly a month afterward on March 16. As usual, teams will play each other twice in a home-and-away series. Here are the matchups:
The tournament final will take place in Istanbul this year come May 29. Futures bettors looking for THE team that'll raise the Champions League trophy have come to the right place. Below we're giving you three gambling picks — one that's a favorite, one that has a lot of betting value, and another one that's a perfect underdog choice. It's up to you to decide which club meets your wagering desires.
If you must pick one team to win it all, no matter their current odds, then our pick is Liverpool.
Two years removed from winning this very tourney, Jurgen Klopp's side is once again looking formidable. They ran through the UCL group stage, going 4-1-1 with a goal difference of +7. On the Premiership side, they're battling for first place currently.
And here's the kicker: Liverpool has won despite a multitude of injuries up and down the roster. At the moment, Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Diogo Jota are all sidelined for the foreseeable future.
If Liverpool can nurse those players back into shape, especially van Dijk, then they're in the driver's seat for a title. We have a hard time seeing Liverpool's "big three" of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, and Mo Salah being contained by any opposing defense.
Betting pick: Liverpool (+550)
Technically speaking, Juventus are among the tourney favorites, having the fourth-best odds to win it. However, at a betting line of +1200, most oddsmakers aren't particularly high on their chances.
Given those relatively long odds, we think Juventus is worth an investment, albeit a meager one. It's a great insurance bet — especially if you're already wagering on Liverpool with its questionable health — and has the potential to pay off big time.
Of course, any conversation about Juve's title chances starts and ends with Ronaldo. He's yet to deliver an elusive UCL title in two seasons with the club. But if there's a player that can will a team "over the hump," it's certainly Ronaldo, a five-time winner of this very event.
The club is now in its third manager since Ronaldo arrived on the scene in 2018. Thus far, results for current manager Andrea Pirlo have been mostly favorable. Confidence is especially high lately after shellacking Barcelona 3-0 to end the UCL group stage.
But more than anything, a wager on Juventus here is a wager on Ronaldo. Even at 35 years old, gambling on the sport's G.O.A.T. (arguably) is worth it, especially at a steep +1200 line.
Betting pick: Juventus (+1200)
Most are writing off Atletico after a wildly mediocre UCL group performance. For one, they were clobbered 4-0 by the reigning UCL winners, Bayern Munich. And in the other five matchups, Atletico went just 2-0-3.
But we can't help but feel that's a drastic overaction. That Munich performance was an outlier on an otherwise great 2020-21 campaign. Atletico has only lost one other game, to rival Real Madrid, the entire year.
Given the right draw — as PSG did a year ago — things could line up for Atletico. It's defensive is virtually second to none and perhaps capable of slowing down attacks such as that of Liverpool.
But again, Atletico should be the prayer bet. We certainly don't like them over the aforementioned Liverpool or Juventus. But if you're a bettor that absolutely needs to go with an underdog, then Atletico should fit the bill.
Betting pick: Juventus (+1600)
There you have it, three Champions League picks. If you need an online sportsbook to lock in your futures wager, then feast your eyes on the table below. Not only are these betting sites top-notch to use, but they also have killer promotions available.
Promotions such as the sign-up bonus. This deal is geared for first-time players. Upon creating an account at a bookmaker, the new player will earn free play based on whatever their initial deposit is (e.g. a 100 or 50-percent match). It's not unheard of for such promos to top out in the thousand dollar range — so don't you dare leave money on the table!
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