The UEFA Champions League is believed to be the biggest competition for football not just in Europe, but around the globe for club football. Many people that generally pay no heed to football turn to the sport when the two strongest teams of Europe collide. Not even the Club World Cup gets the same attention as the competition here is arguably the best it can be.
When there’s a crowd watching, there’s money to be made on betting and the biggest stage for football is also an equally big platform for bettors to make money. Even if you’re not the most ardent football fan or have been out of the loop, here’s how you can potentially wager successfully on UEFA Champions League matches.
Betting Guide for The UEFA Champions League
Win-Draw-Win
The simplest betting scheme in football is the Win-Draw-Win format. Apart from the draw condition, you have to figure out which team is going to win the fixture to get the wager right. Each team has a number attached to it along with a plus or minus sign. Minus indicates that the team is a favorite while a plus sign is given to the underdog.
On a betting site, you will see odds listed for Barcelona vs Manchester City as +230 and -250 respectively. For -250 or Manchester City, you have to put in $250 to win $100. For the underdog or Barcelona in this case, you get around $230 for every $100 that you wager and if they win. As you can see, betting on the underdog pays more. The draw condition also has a number and is generally a positive sign as draws are common in soccer. Draws are fairly common as well in football so there’s also a wager for that.
Outright Betting
For outright betting, you don’t focus on the individual game but the entire tournament itself. You have to wager on which team you think will win the final. Considering the UEFA Champions League, you have to wager on the team that makes it to the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia on 28 May 2022 and wins the final.
First Goal Scorer
The first goal scorer market, as the name suggests, requires you to wager on the player that will score the first goal of the match. You have to do some research about the policy that your oddsmaker offers as some don’t count certain kinds of goals as first goals.
But you’ll notice the entire roster of both teams with various odds listed. As expected, the strikers and forwards have the best odds in this department but you can make a good amount if you know a particular defender or another unexpected player might hit the back of the net.
Live Betting
Football also has a lucrative live betting system that’s available on select platforms. Essentially, you can bet on various factors of the match as it takes place. Live betting isn’t available on most betting platforms and only the top sites offer these as it takes up a lot of processing. Here are some examples of what live betting can be like:
Next Goal Scorer
As the name suggests, you have to wager on who will score the next goal in the match. It’s a profitable market to bet on but considering the number of options available, it can be a bit tricky. People generally focus on those teams desperate for a breakthrough and the striker or forward that’s the prolific scorer for the team.
This is a recurring form of betting market as it gets updated until the final whistle blows. You can use this aspect to your advantage if you manage to get all of your wagers or a majority of them right.
Next Player to Be Carded
Similar to the next goal scorer market, you have to wager on the player that will get a card from the referee. Many players have a reputation of ending up on the referee’s bad side while some refs are known to not be so lenient when players cause trouble. You can use all of this information to add another layer of profitability to your game.
Betting Odds for The UEFA Champions League with Rankings
1. Manchester City
For anyone going by just the stats from the UCL, it might not be apparent why Manchester City has the best odds of winning the biggest European Tournament. Pep Guardiola’s team doesn’t have the highest goal scorer in the tournament and nor have they been invincible in the group stage. Their strength lies in understanding the game and coming up with good counterattacks. The team is full of talent in all departments and has been capable of dealing great blows.
They’re expected to make it easily through both legs of the round of 16 and onwards. Manchester City also holds a significant lead in the Premier League which denotes some of their potential to head forwards and lift the coveted trophy in both tournaments.
2. Bayern Munich
On a great day, Bayern Munich can rest head and shoulders above their competition. They’re well above the pack on their way to another Bundesliga win. Between Manchester City and Bayern, the margin is very small but City does have the edge, though it wouldn’t be a shock to anyone if Pep Guardiola’s men manage to pull off a win in the UCL. They’ve done it before and considering their upset in the previous iteration, they’d want to come back for blood.
Their next game is against RB Salzburg which seems like an easy matchup for the German giants. The real competition for them lies ahead and depending on who they take on later, the odds will fluctuate heavily.
3. Liverpool
Liverpool went from a meme club to one of the most dominant forces in the world after Jurgen Klopp took on the helm. Liverpool can be aptly described as an underdog that can punch well above its weight class. They’ve done it before and they can certainly do it again, having shown the ability to come back after a rough patch in the EPL. With Sadio Mane and Salah back in the squad after AFCON, the team is in full swing and has the potential to beat out the competition.
Unlike Bayern and Manchester City, Liverpool has a big competitor for their draw as they take on Inter Milan, who will give them a tough time. Out of that bout, it’s still expected for the team in Red to pull through.
4. Chelsea
Chelsea shares similar traits with Liverpool and has been a name to fear. Despite having a decent season in the English Premier League, they’re a few ways from the top, and getting to 1st position may be harder now. However, it doesn’t harm their chances for the coveted Champion’s League trophy, especially considering they’ve had a strong run so far. They’re the defending champions and certainly know how to win the league.
They take on LOSC, and unless the Lille team can pull off something astounding, Chelsea might easily sweep the floor and move on to the next stage.
5. PSG
Many people would disagree with PSG’s lower odds while others will blame recency bias for believing that the Paris side will have a breakthrough. One of the most talented teams in the world, the French giants would love to bag some major silverware and they’ve had a drought for ages in that department. With players like Messi, Mbappe, and Neymar, it’s foolish to count PSG out from the fight and they have the firepower to surprise even the best teams in the world.
The trouble comes from the fact that they face Real Madrid. While La Liga’s best team has always been capable of putting sublime performances on the pitch, they’re lacking the same pomp and show from the Ronaldo era. Nevertheless, PSG’s match against Real Madrid will affect the odds the most and paint a picture of what the future will look like.
Betting Tips for UEFA Champions League
Stay Updated
The major difference between good bettors and great bettors is that they have better information and make more accurate depictions from that knowledge. The best bettors pay attention to any reliable knowledge they can get from reliable sources. There’s an emphasis on reliability here as football has been plagued by numerous banned outlets that tend to get unnecessary attention.
Fortunately, you don’t need to have connections in the club yourself to get these updates as major outlets do a great job of giving out this information. Apart from insider reports, be aware of the changes, friction, and records between teams to make healthy assessments.
Track Your Bets
Tracking your bets can be a bit challenging as people tend to fall for many biases. The goal here is to keep a detailed log of all of your bets and often separate the failed wagers from the successful ones. Highlight what were the reasons for any assumptions you made and why they ended up being right or wrong. Not only will it help you clear out some of your own misconceptions, but help you formulate a way you can get your bets right.
Remember, even the most successful bettors don’t always get their bets right and have less than 60% accuracy for their wagers. The secret sauce is knowing when to go all in and when to play it safe.
Use Multiple Bookmakers
One of the biggest advantages of online sports betting is that sports bettors can practically shop for lines and odds. You’ll notice that many oddsmakers will provide fairly average or even bad odds that won’t offer a great deal of profit to you. Even if it’s your go-to option, you can always look around other reliable sites and bet there instead.
Modern betting sites use similar layouts and have simplified payment solutions so it won’t be a hassle if you use different betting sites if you can find preferable markets elsewhere apart from your most opted platform.
Use Data, Not Your Gut
Many people, including Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson himself, believe that the Champions League is the biggest football event in the world, surpassing the World Cup as well. The biggest reason for such a powerful statement is that many of the top clubs in the world are comprised of top talent from various countries. Together, it’s a deadly ensemble that makes up for any gaps that may exist in a national team.
This combination can always lead to unexpected results and football has always been a game where miracles can happen within a few minutes. Rather than blindly pick one out, use all the information that you can by analyzing the domestic league as well as the Champions League to call your wager.
Conclusion
By being aware of the strongest teams in each tie, utilizing as many markets as you can with caution, and by using concrete data, multiple bookmakers, you can make the most of UEFA Champions League betting. Not only is it an excellent way of enjoying the best that football has to offer each year, but it gives an excellent platform for sports betting.
With the round of 16 matches not far away, it’s about time that you start looking up options for football betting. Being such a universal sport, you will have to do some digging around to find options that aren’t blatant scams and frauds. No need to play Sherlock Holmes as you can find the world’s top betting sites online with the help of Betting Sites Ranking.
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