It’s here – the final day of the Champions League’s league phase. We have matchday 8 on Wednesday of this week. The top of the table is pretty set, but with 24 teams set to advance, nearly everybody is still playing for something. All 18 games will take place at the same time, so it’s a great time to get down on some Champions League action.
We’ve dug through all of the action to find you the best Champions League bets. Come check out what we cooked up for the occasion.
Go here for more Soccer picks!
Champions League: Matchday 8 – Picks, Predictions, and Best Bets
Olympiakos (+135) over Ajax
Ajax was a feel good story for us last week. We had them as +550 underdogs over Villarreal and cashed as they scored a late winner. However, that was much more about a fade of Villarreal than it was being about trust in Ajax. They’ve still looked like they haven’t belonged for long stretches of this tournament and have really struggled to put goals away. Olympiakos has also not looked like world beaters, but have been on a nice little run – beating Bayer Leverkusen and Kairat in back-to-back matchdays. The fact that they haven’t conceeded a goal in either of those games, should make keeping Ajax quiet a cinch.
Club Brugge (+170) over Marseille
I continue to be a big believer in Club Brugge. Although they’ll need to win and get some help to advance, they are playing their best soccer right now. After getting shut out in back-to-back matchdays, they exploded for four goals against Kairat. Led by the strong attacking play of Hans Vanaken, I like their chances to keep that pressure up here and take out a tough French squad.
Tottenham Hotspur (-115) over Eintracht Frankfurt
Tottenham is coming fresh off another fixture with a German squad. Just last week, they took a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund behind goals from Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke. Meanwhile, it’s been since December 13th that Frankfurt has won a game in any competition. With Tottenham playing for a first round bye in the knockout stage, you have to image they’re going to bring the heat and win this one easy.
Bodo Glimt Draws with Athletico Madrid (+500)
It wouldn’t be one of my articles if I didn’t take a big stab on a fat line. Bodo Glimt shocked everyone last week with a 3-1 win over Manchester City thanks to a brace from Kasper Høgh. While I was tempted to go with another upset, we can get a great line on just a draw. Athletico is unlikely to move further up the table and might be fine with just a draw here. Watch them pack the box and ride this one to the end.
Bayer Leverkusen (-155) over Villarreal
As I mentioned earlier, Villarreal is coming off an ugly loss to one of the worst teams in the table – Ajax. That marked their fifth straight loss, which includes being shut out three times. They’ve been outscored 12-3 in that span and have lost to three teams not currently in position to move on to the next stage. Leverkusen is much better than what they’ve faced and should coast to a win on Wednesday.
If you’d like even more Champions League: Matchday 8 bets, be sure to check out the Soccer Gambling Podcast. The guys are dropping weekly episodes to make you the smartest guy at the bar.
