Best Champions League Picks and Predictions Today (How to Bet Champions League Week 2 Slate)

What are the best bets to make in this juicy Champions League Gameweek 2 slate?

Real Madrid take on Espanyol on Sept. 22, 2024. / IMAGO/Jose Breton

The first week of the Champions League in his new format was an underwhelming one. We saw some lopsided wins by European giants over weaker opponents and cautious affairs between top teams like the Man City-Inter and Atalanta-Arsenal games. 

The best part of the new format of the tournament is that it provides multiple high-level matchups in each game week. This week’s slate is no different. Arsenal vs. PSG, Leverkusen vs. Milan, and Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich are the most intriguing matchups of the week. 

Barcelona and Man City, after failing to win in their tournament openers, have the perfect opportunity to bounce back as they go up against Young Boys and Slovan Bratislava, respectively. 

Let’s take a look at the 18 games on the slate and pick our three favorite bets. 

Top Champions League Picks and Predictions Today (Champions League Gameweek 2)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich: Over 3.5 Goals: +120

• Lille vs. Real Madrid: Under 2.5 Goals: +115

• Barcelona vs. Young Boys: Barcelona -2.5: -150

Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich: Over 3.5 Goals: +120

This has the chance to be the most entertaining game of the slate. Bayern Munich is off to a hot start under Vincent Kompany, as they are undefeated in all competitions. In seven competitive games so far, they have scored 30 goals. The only game they didn’t won came over the weekend against their biggest challengers in Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen. Even against the reigning champions, they dominated the game and created enough chances to win. 

Aston Villa will provide a tough challenge for Bayern. Unai Emery is an excellent tactician who causes a ton of problems for better opponents. Last year, Villa beat Man City and Arsenal at home as their fast and athletic front line is very difficult to deal with. Their direct play and counter attacking will help them create chances against Bayern’s high defensive line. 

Aston Villa scored at least two goals in six of their seven competitive games this season. They also allowed a goal in every Premier League game they have played in. Both of these teams like to push forward and exploit spaces. This has the makings of a high-scoring affair. 

Lille vs. Real Madrid: Under 2.5 Goals: +115

Real Madrid is undefeated for the season but they have looked less than convincing in most games. They won their Champions League opener against Stuttgart but struggled throughout the affair as the German side missed two clear chances in the first half of the game. 

Kylian Mbappé missed the weekend’s game against Atletico Madrid with a back injury and his status against Lille is still up in the air. However, Real Madrid doesn’t need their French superstar to take care of business on the road.

Lille was a no-show in Gameweek 1 against Sporting Lisbon, falling down to 10 players in the first half and losing 2-0 on the road. They have been up and down to start the season as they currently sit in fifth-place with three wins and a draw through six games in Ligue 1. 

The French side has some intriguing talents on their attack with the Jonathan David-Angel Gomes-Edon Zhegrova trio. Even though that group is enough to put goals on the board in the French league, Real Madrid is a different beast. 

When Real Madrid is locked in, they have one of the most impenetrable defenses in the world. They haven’t had to reach those heights yet this season but they still managed to get clean sheets against solid La Liga sides like Real Sociedad and Betis this season. 

A low-scoring Real Madrid win is the most likely outcome here. 

Barcelona vs. Young Boys: Barcelona -2.5: -150

Up until Saturday, there was a strong argument to be made about Barcelona being the best team in Europe this season. They had won their first seven games in La Liga in dominant fashion, scoring 23 goals in the process. Over the weekend, however, they suffered an embarrassing 4-2 loss at Osasuna. Manager Hansi Flick decided to rest a couple of key starters like Lamine Yamal and Raphinha and paid the price. 

Barcelona also lost to Monaco in their Champions League opener after defender Eric Garcia was shown a direct red card after 10 minutes of play. Their next game on their Champions League fixture is against Bayern Munich, so they need to get three points on the board before they face the tournament favorites. 

Now, they simply can’t afford to not win against one of the weaker teams in the competition in Young Boys. The Swiss side miraculously made it to this stage after pulling an upset win over Galatasaray in the qualifiers. However, their talent deficiencies were made obvious in Week 1 against Aston Villa when they lost 3-0 at home. 

Barcelona can score as easily as any team in Europe. Young Boys have one win in eight games in the Swiss Super League and allowed 16 goals in that span. Against a highly-motivated Barcelona side, they have no chance of keeping it close. 

A huge Barcelona win is more than likely, so even a Barcelona -3.5 at +150 odds can be considered here. 

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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