Champions League Matchday 1 betting picks – Tuesday 6/9/2022

The UEFA Champions League is finally set to begin and it’s shaping up to be a great tournament. Last year, we saw Real Madrid go on a magical run en route to their record 14th Champions League title. This year, we see the usual suspects at the top of the favorites list, but considering the talent in European soccer, the tournament is wide open. This Tuesday will give us the start of the group stage and we have eight games in store. Here are our best bet from those fixtures.

Dinamo Zagreb vs Chelsea

Raheem Sterling was a big signing for Chelsea over the summer and he is already paying dividends. Thus far in the Premier League season, Sterling has three goals through six games and he has been Chelsea’s best attacking player. Dinamo Zagreb are a good team, but they are nowhere near Chelsea’s level. While they are good for a few surprises, Croatian side’s defense will struggle to hold up in this fixture and Chelsea’s attack should be fed plenty of chances. When that happens, Sterling will be in a great spot to score, and +195 is a great number to bet on it.

Sevilla vs Manchester City

Simply put, Erling Haaland scores goals. With his previous club, Borussia Dortmund, Haaland had 15 goals in 13 Champions League matches. Now, he plays with a club whose entire attacking gameplan is to feed him the ball in dangerous positions. And it has worked. Haaland is on a record pace with 10 Premier League goals through six matches this season. He cannot be stopped, and that should carry on in the Champions League. Haaland is a good bet to score whenever he takes the field, and the -145 on offer at Bovada is not short enough for us to stay away.

Celtic vs Real Madrid

For some reason, Real Madrid are being slept on when it comes to the Champions League. Despite them winning it all last year, the Spanish heavyweights have the fifth-shortest odds to win this year’s tournament and it feels like experts are expecting some regression. We don’t see that happening, however, as they only got better during the summer transfer window. In La Liga, Real have yet to drop a point and they are clearly firing on all cylinders.


Celtic are no slouches, but they are nowhere near Madrid’s level. The Glaswegian giants are once again demolishing the Scottish Premier League, where they have earned all the available points through their six games to date. They have a ridiculous goal differential of +24 and they look like they can be a scrappy team on the European stage. That being said, Real Madrid are in a different stratosphere and this line should be closer to -300. Don’t overthink it; take Real to win.

Paris St-Germain vs Juventus

This is set up to be the match of the day. Both of these teams are European giants and dominate their respective leagues. Paris St-Germain are viewed more positively than Juventus right now, but they are being overrated in this fixture. While PSG have Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar, defense is Juve’s strong suit and it should keep them in this game. No one can completely contain that dynamic PSG trio, but Juventus are one of the few teams that can succeed against them. Also, Juventus should be able to control possession in this game, and as long as they can limit counterattacking opportunities, they will have a good shot at three points.

That being said, it will not be easy. PSG are one of the best teams in the world and they probably have more talent on paper than anyone else in Europe. Still, Juventus are up there with the elite clubs of Europe and they can play at PSG’s level. At +700, we aren’t counting on Juventus to win, but this line does present a lot of value. Juve, on their best day, can compete with anyone and this line is not giving them enough credit.

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