Finally! The moment we have all been waiting for! The Champions League Round of 16 first leg is set to begin on February 18 and wrap up February 26. Everyone (and their wallet) is in for a treat with the matchups.
On the first day of matches, we will get to see Athletico Madrid vs. Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund vs. Paris Saint-Germain. On the second day of matches (February 19), we will get to see Atalanta vs. Valencia and Tottenham vs. RB Leipzig. The third day of games (February 25) we will see Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich and Napoli vs. Barcelona. Last but not least, the last game day for leg one (February 26) will feature Lyon vs. Juventus and Real Madrid vs. Manchester City.
Projected Outcomes
Athletico Madrid vs. Liverpool: Liverpool is arguably the best team in Europe at the moment. There is no question about it. It is going to be hard for Athletico Madrid to pull off a win even at home. Liverpool has a 42% chance of winning, with a 29% chance of a draw, leaving Athletico at a 29% chance for victory. Liverpool’s betting odds are at +125 on the money line at the moment, so this could be an easy way to double your money if you choose to bet on them winning.
Borussia Dortmund vs. Paris Saint-Germain: Before the arrival of Erling Haaland to Dortmund, I would have said that PSG has this game in the bag, and it will be an easy win. The 19 year old Norwegian has been on FIRE since arriving to the club, and has scored 8 goals in his past 5 matches for the club. He is going to be quite the presence for PSG to handle. On the other side, PSG has a healthy squad, and having the likes of Mbappe, Icardi, Neymar, and Di Maria coming at your defense is one of the scariest things to think about, Not to mention Edison Cavani is on the bench as a substitution. There is too much speed for Dortmund to deal with, so I am going with PSG to win. Currently the money line on this match up has PSG at +130, Another quick way to double your money if you bet on PSG.
Atalanta vs. Valencia: Now, I am not too excited about this match up. Lets face it. Neither of these teams are going to last much longer after this round. I feel that the first game between these two sides is going to be a draw, or Atalanta is going to win by a goal. Atalanta is favored to win and stands at -115 on the money line currently. A draw would get you +280 on your bet for this game.
Tottenham vs. RB Leipzig: This is going to be another close game. Tottenham is going to make this game much closer than it needs to be, and if Mourinho and co. are not careful, they could end up losing at home. In the end, I do think that the Spurs will get the victory at home, even though it may be closer than any spurs fan wants it to be. Betting on a Spurs victory will get you +125 on the money line.
Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich: Even though the game is at Stamford Bridge, it is going to be a rough game for the blues. Chelsea has had a shaky season so far, and Bayern is still at the top of the table in the Bundesliga and in form. I am taking Bayern Munich for the win this game, who are favored to win, and are currently -105 on the money line.
Napoli vs. Barcelona: Although there is trouble internally at Barcelona, and many rumors spurring about Lionel Messi wanting to leave, I still think Barcelona will get the result and win this game. They are currently favored and sit at +105 on the money line. Could be another easy win to double your money.
Lyon vs. Juventus: This game is a no brainer for me. Juventus, even without Douglas Costa, is going to win this game. I feel that Juventus just has too many offensive weapons and too strong of a defense for Lyon to break. Cristiano Ronaldo is going to score at least 1 goal, and Juventus will will comfortably. Betting the Juventus win will get you -135 on the money line.
Real Madrid vs. Manchester City: I might be letting my favorite team get the best of me for this decision, but I think Zidane and co. are going to pull out the victory against Manchester Shitty. Even though City’s manager has gone on the record and said he is going all in on the champions league, I still do not feel they will pull off the victory against Real Madrid. There is still doubt that Raheem Sterling will be fit for the matchup as well, taking a major element out of City’s attack. On the other hand, Eden Hazard is also trying to race back to full health before the matchup. This could end up being an interesting match up, and definitely has the chance to go either way, but I am predicting a 1-0 result to Real Madrid, which would get you +155 on the money line currently.
The Dreaded “P” Word…
So what if someone decided to Parlay the results of some of the games? Say a 7- team Parley? Well.. If you decide to pick Liverpool, PSG, Tottenham, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Real Madrid, you would have a +20586 Parley bet. To put that into perspective, that turns $5 into $1029.32. This is by no means me telling you to go out and make this bet. But, it is me just relaying the bet I am intending on making to you all in hopes that we all win big.
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