UEFA Champions League returns with knockout rounds: which team has best odds to win title?

Did you know that soccer is the most wagered sport around the world?

Now, as the number of American states with legalized sports betting increases seemingly by the month (welcome Louisiana), soccer has become a massive money maker for bettors and books alike.

This month sees the return of the biggest club soccer competition in the world, the UEFA Champions League, with 16 teams left vying for the ultimate prize: the big-eared silver trophy every team wants, the European Cup.

The Round-of-16 kicks off on Tuesday, February 15 with some heavyweight teams, as Sporting hosts Manchester City, and PSG hosts Real Madrid. All eight “ties” are two-legged affairs (home and away games), with the second legs played three weeks after the first.

The PSG Real Madrid matchup looks to be the best tie of the round on paper, and one of many bettor’s picks to win the competition will be out at the first knockout round try.

Defending champion Chelsea, which beat fellow Premier League side Manchester City last May to win its second title (and deny City its first), Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United have all advanced to this round, and are all favorites to move into the quarterfinal round.

If you are looking for a team to bet in the Champions League futures odds, two of the last three finals have been all-English affairs (2019 Liverpool beat Tottenham), and three of the last four finals have had at least one English team (2018 Liverpool lost to Real Madrid), which shows just how strong the Premier League is. Bayern Munich and PSG contested the 2020 final, and both are in the top five current odds to win the 2022 edition.

Here are the updated odds to win the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League title on Saturday, May 28, in St. Petersburg, Russia, for all 16 teams left in the competition.

Predictions:

So, which teams should you be backing right now to win the UEFA Champions League title?

I have to look at all four English teams as major threats to win the competition, and yes, that includes a Manchester United side that looks to be in disarray at times. But with the players in that squad, you cannot count the Red Devils out, especially at +1600 with the bonus code for 888.

But the main focus has to be on last season’s runners-up, Manchester City, at odds of +275, and Liverpool, at +500. Some will back Bayern Munich at odds of +350, but the German champions have not been playing well of late.

“I think right now, if you gave me $500 and said spread it around on some teams, I would do something like this,” an Offers.bet spokesperson said. “Of course, you have to back Manchester City heavily. The Cityzens have to win it at some point, right? I might put $200 on them to win. I would probably put $100 on Liverpool to win it, because Mo Salah has been so good.

“I would probably spread out the other $200 on Manchester United, Chelsea, PSG, and Real Madrid. You will see the winner of the PSG Real Madrid tie’s odds drop dramatically heading into the quarterfinals, so I will try to lock up the higher odds now. I just am not sold on Bayern: I know they won in 2020, but I think the English teams are just a lot more dangerous.”