Top UEFA Champions League Betting Picks of the Week – October 17th

Once the UEFA Champions League fixtures have been played this week, we will have reached the halfway point of the group round. Matchday 3 is a pivotal one for a number of teams, as it can often be the game that makes or breaks their chances of moving on to the next round.  The beauty of this round of the tournament is that you only get 6 games to make your mark, and failing in just two of those games can mean the end of the road, which is why sometimes is somewhat difficult to decide your UEFA Champions League Betting Picks. Since several teams already have strikes against them, some of the Tuesday and Wednesday match-ups are of the utmost importance. Let’s take a look at the latest UCL Odds, whilst also making some picks and predictions.

Top UEFA Champions League Betting Picks of the Week – October 17th

Zidane on Kane: “He’s very good at everything, he always finds space & is quick. He’s a complete player.”

Can Real Madrid stop @HKane? #UCL pic.twitter.com/i8HGLIXtL6 — Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) 16 de octubre de 2017

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE ODDS – OCTOBER 19TH

Real Madrid vs. Tottenham Hotspur – Draw

• When: Tuesday, October 17, 2:45 PM
• Where: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
• UCL Betting Odds: Draw +397
• Key Fact: Tottenham has never defeat Real Madrid (four previous games)

This is undoubtedly the best game on the schedule for Tuesday, with both teams taking maximum points from their first two games. Both have scored 6 and conceded 1 in their opening games, and while that might suggest that this one would be a wide-open affair, my belief is that it will be a tight, defensive struggle. Both teams would certainly be happy with a point, which is why I think this looks destined to end 0-0 or 1-1. Always tough to pick a draw, but the odds make it worthwhile.

Manchester City over Napoli

• When: Tuesday, October 17, 2:45 PM
• Where: City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, England
• UCL Betting Odds: Manchester City -180
• Key Fact: Manchester City going for their third successive victory in Group F

Manchester City has made an outstanding start to the Premier League this season, scoring goals at a truly stunning rate in the process. This game is a match-up between the top two teams in Group F, but you have to feel that Napoli is going to be seriously outmatched here. Manchester City has won their opening two games of the group stage, scoring 6 and conceding 0. It’s hard to imagine that Napoli is going to be able to go into the Etihad Stadium and come away with anything, so let’s take City as one of your UEFA Champions League Betting Picks.

Manchester United over Benfica

• When: Wednesday, October 18, 2:45 PM
• Where: Da Luz Stadium, Lisbon, Portugal
• UCL Betting Odds: Manchester United -129
• Key Fact: Benfica host United seeking their first points in Group A

Jose Mourinho has earned a reputation as a manager that does not push his team for big wins on the road, as witnessed by the 0-0 draw with Liverpool over the weekend. That said, there is real pressure for United to do well in the Champions League after being absent for a couple of years, which is why I think they will be a little more attacking in this one. United have scored 7 and given up one through the first two games, while Benfica has only scored once and conceded 7. This should be a comfortable win for United by a couple of goals.

Bayern Munich vs. Celtic – Over 2 ½ Goals

• When: Wednesday, October 18, 2:45 PM
• Where: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
• Betting Odds: Bayern Munich -951
• Key Fact: Bayern fired Carlo Ancelotti after their 3-0 loss to Paris

The chances of Paris Saint-Germain losing Group B would appear to be slim to none, even at this early stage, which means the real battle here is for second place. It is likely going to be Celtic or Bayern Munich who will claim that spot, which makes this game about as big as they get. Celtic have been brilliant on the domestic front, but have always struggled in Europe, one of the reasons they don’t need to be on your UEFA Champions League Betting Picks list. Bayern Munich is a Champions League veteran team, but are not doing well on the domestic front this season. Tough to say which way this will go, but I think we can expect goals, which is why I like the OVER 2 ½.

Juventus over Sporting SP

• When: Wednesday, October 18, 2:45 PM
• Where: Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy
• Betting Odds: Juventus -296
• Key Fact: Sporting’s away record against Italian sides: P13 / W0 / D3 / L10

If the group stage was to end today, Juventus would miss out on the next round, which would be a huge surprise given their recent pedigree in this tournament. Things would look a whole lot better for the Italian giants with a win in this one, as it would vault them into second place behind Barcelona in Group D. Juventus will be looking to bounce back after losing in Serie A over the weekend, and I think they will do just that with a home win in this one, so be sure to include them in your UEFA Champions League Betting Picks.