The UEFA Europa League Group Stage continues on Thursday when top UEFA league squads that didn’t qualify for the Champions League throw down. Ajax heads to AEK Athens a big time underdog. Marseille hosts Brighton a slight home dog, and Freiburg battles Premier squad West Ham in what should be the day’s most competitive matchup. Check out odds, analysis, and free picks for six of Thursday’s top Europa League games.
Check out lines for UEFA Europa League, plus the betting analysis and free picks for six of Thursday’s best games.
UEFA Europa League Odds for Group Stage Final Games of Matchday 2 | MyBookie Soccer Preview
2023–24 UEFA Europa League | 53rd season of Europe’s premier club football tournament
Matchday 2: Thursday, October 5th, 2023
AEK Athens vs Ajax Amsterdam
UEL Odds: AEK Athens +118; Ajax Amsterdam +210
Thursday, October 5th at 12:45 pm ET
OPAP Arena, Athens, Greece
The road underdog is in awful form. Ajax has lost 3-of-5 with a couple of draws. The last match was a disaster as Feyenoord dropped Ajax 4-1.
Athens has won 4-of-5. The lone loss came in the last match, though. Losing to OFI Crete via a 2-0 score is a sign Athens’s form could be heading south. Backing Ajax makes sense.
Europa League Pick: Ajax Amsterdam | Bet West Ham United vs Backa Topola
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Games
Marseille vs Brighton & Hove Albion
UEL Odds: Marseille +184; Brighton & Hove Albion +139
Thursday, October 5th at 12:45 pm ET
Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France
Brighton is a quality squad that plays in a much better league, the EPL compared to Ligue 1, but the odds make the road team unplayable.
Both these teams head into this off 2 straight losses. Brighton’s 2 straight losses came versus Chelsea and via a 6-1 pasting handed down by Aston Villa.
Marseille fell to Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco. The Ligue 1 squad has home pitch advantage, which will mean something in this.
Europa League Pick: Marseille | Bet West Ham United vs Backa Topola
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Games
SC Freiburg vs West Ham United
UEL Odds: SC Freiburg +162; West Ham United +155
Thursday, October 5th at 12:45 pm ET
Europa-Park Stadion, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Bundesliga squad Freiburg hosts West Ham United in what should be an excellent matchup. Freiburg shows 2 wins and a draw in their last 3. West Ham shows 3 wins and a loss to Liverpool in their last 4.
Freiburg has the edge because this happens on their pitch. Not only that, but the Bundesliga squad offers a slightly better payout and in a close match, going with the team offering the better payout is the wise play.
Europa League Pick: SC Freiburg | Bet West Ham United vs Backa Topola
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Games
Sporting CP vs Atalanta
UEL Odds: Sporting CP +124; Atalanta +214
Thursday, October 5th at 12:45 pm ET
Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal
Both squads are playing excellent soccer. In their last, Atalanta drew 0-0 versus Serie A rival Juventus. The draw came on the heels of 4 straight wins.
Sporting CP has won 5 straight. The Portuguese Liga team gets home pitch advantage and based on rosters, should be better than Atalanta. Sporting gets the nod.
Europa League Pick: Sporting CP | Bet West Ham United vs Backa Topola
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Games
Liverpool vs Union St-Gilloise
UEL Odds: Liverpool -1.5 -170; Union St-Gilloise +1.5 +132
Thursday, October 5th at 3:00 pm ET
Anfield, Liverpool, England
Liverpool should be playing in the Champions League, not the Europa League. Since the season started, Pool has designated themselves a legit contender to unseat Manchester City as the English Premier League’s top squad.
The 2-1 loss to Tottenham in London in the last shouldn’t bother soccer handicappers. Union St-Gilloise won’t touch the Reds. Pool covers the handicap spread.
Europa League Pick: Liverpool -1.5 | Bet West Ham United vs Backa Topola
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Games
Villarreal vs Stade Rennais
UEL Odds: Villarreal +104; Stade Rennais +246
Thursday, October 5th at 3:00 pm ET
Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal, Spain
Based on recent form, the home team is the loser. Villarreal’s last win came against Almeria on Sep 17.
Since then the home squad has lost 2 and drawn twice. Stade Rennais has won 2-of-3. We’d go for the draw but the odds on the road squad entice.
Europa League Pick: Stade Rennais | Bet West Ham United vs Backa Topola
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Games
2023 UEFA Europa League Matchday 2 Schedule
| Date | Time | Round | Home | Away | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 5 | 12:45 p.m. | Matchday 2 | AEK Athens | vs. | Ajax Amsterdam |
| October 5 | 12:45 p.m. | Matchday 2 | Aris Limassol | vs. | Rangers |
| October 5 | 12:45 p.m. | Matchday 2 | Marseille | vs. | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| October 5 | 12:45 p.m. | Matchday 2 | Raków Czestochowa | vs. | SK Sturm Graz |
| October 5 | 12:45 p.m. | Matchday 2 | Real Betis | vs. | Sparta Prague |
| October 5 | 12:45 p.m. | Matchday 2 | SC Freiburg | vs. | West Ham United |
| October 5 | 12:45 p.m. | Matchday 2 | Sporting CP | vs. | Atalanta |
| October 5 | 12:45 p.m. | Matchday 2 | TSC Backa Topola | vs. | Olympiacos |
| October 5 | 3:00 p.m. | Matchday 2 | AS Roma | vs. | Servette |
| October 5 | 3:00 p.m. | Matchday 2 | BK Hacken | vs. | FK Qarabag |
| October 5 | 3:00 p.m. | Matchday 2 | Liverpool | vs. | Union St.-Gilloise |
| October 5 | 3:00 p.m. | Matchday 2 | Maccabi Haifa | vs. | Panathinaikos |
| October 5 | 3:00 p.m. | Matchday 2 | Molde | vs. | Bayer Leverkusen |
| October 5 | 3:00 p.m. | Matchday 2 | Slavia Prague | vs. | Sheriff Tiraspol |
| October 5 | 3:00 p.m. | Matchday 2 | Toulouse | vs. | LASK Linz |
| October 5 | 3:00 p.m. | Matchday 2 | Villarreal | vs. | Stade Rennais |
2023-24 UEFA Europa League Odds to Win
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Liverpool | +222 |
| Leverkusen | +530 |
| Milan | +970 |
| Brighton | +1275 |
| West Ham | +1400 |
| Roma | +1600 |
| SL Benfica | +2100 |
| Villarreal | +2500 |
| Atalanta | +2500 |
| Sporting Lisbon | +2700 |
| Galatasaray Istanbul | +2700 |
| Marseille | +3100 |
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Feyenoord Rotterdam | +3600 |
| Lens | +3700 |
| SC Braga | +4000 |
| Glasgow Rangers | +4100 |
| Rennes | +4300 |
| Freiburg | +4700 |
| FC Shakhtar Donetsk | +6400 |
| Slavia Prague | +7000 |
| Young Boys Bern | +7000 |
| Toulouse | +9000 |
| Sparta Prague | +10000 |
| Qarabag FK | +20000 |
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