The group stage of the 2023-24 Champions League kicks off next month. While we wait, now is the perfect time to contemplate the title futures — who’s worth a bet and who’s not. We’re doing just that in this article so keep on reading to get our Champions League betting advice!
- What: 2023-24 UEFA Champions League tournament
- When: Group stage begins on September 19
It would help to start with the current UCL odds. Available at top sportsbooks for Champions League, these clubs are favored most to win it at this moment:
| Team |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | +210 | +210 | +210 |
| Bayern Munich | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Real Madrid | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| PSG | +1100 | +1100 | +1100 |
| Barcelona | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Arsenal | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Manchester United | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Napoli | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
Champions League Betting Advice
Alright, we wanted to split up our Champions League betting advice into two simple categories — do bet and don’t bet. Not only that, we’ll be focusing strictly on the top contenders to win (it’s not like you need us to tell you not to wager RB Leipzig to win it all). But we do want to separate the pretenders from the contenders in this article so let’s get right into it:
Do Bet: Man City
We probably don’t need to convince you City is a no-brainer bet. Just when you thought they couldn’t add any more hardware, they just won the Super Cup over Sevilla in a thriller. This comes on the heels of taking the historic treble that included last year's Champion League title. You can’t bet against that type of success.
But here’s what we do need to convince you of betting City alone won’t do it. Repeating the success they had this past season won’t be nearly as easy going forward for more reasons than one.
First of all, the roster has been turned over quite a bit already, with more changes potentially coming. Team captain Ilkay Gundogan and play-maker Riyad Mahrez have already left. Rumors are swirling that key pieces such as Bernardo Silva and Jaoa Cancelo could be goners too. Even for a manager like Pep Guardiola, that type of roster turnover can be chaotic.
Not only that, but internal complacency is always a threat waiting to go off. City has ruled the sport for half a decade now, how long can it really keep up? That’s why you need to compliment your City bet with one more, which we cover next.
Do Bet: Real Madrid
Make no mistake about it, Los Blancos are still feeling the sting of losing to City 5-1 in last year’s UCL semis. A club like that rarely ever gets embarrassed on the biggest stage. The good news is the 2024 squad will look a lot different than the one that got blown out.
A number of formidable players were added over the offseason. Jude Bellingham is the most notable one, but also Fran Garcia, Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz, and Joselu. Though, for the first time in team history, there will be no No. 9 with Karim Benzema off to Saudi Arabia. Madrid wasn’t able to land Kylian Mbappe to replace him (more on that soon) but will have to get creative to make up for Benzema’s scoring punch.
We’re banking Madrid hardly misses a beat. Midfielder Bellingham has a scoring appetite, while Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo will be asked to step up even more. Once this team is given time to gel, we expect them to challenge City more than they did last time.
Don't Bet: PSG
It was a tumultuous offseason for PSG. Messi bolted to Miami and then Neymar took off to Saudi Arabia too. That leaves them with one star from its “big three” — Mbappe. And even with him, his status was questioned all summer long (until just a few weeks ago). He’s on the team for what is likely his last season, and that’s why PSG is a skip-able bet.
We’ve known for years Mpabbe and Madrid have eyes on each other. The chances they don’t marry next season are incredibly slim. Therefore, do you really expect Mbappe’s best when he’s focused on the future? We sure don’t. And if Mpabbe isn’t focused, then PSG won’t have what it takes to land its first-ever UVL title.
Do Not Bet: Barcelona
Barcelona clobbered Real Madrid in La Liga a year ago, winning it by 10 points. So why are we picking Madrid over them in the Champions League?
Simply put, Barca lost too much experience and talent over the summer to command our betting money. Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba joined Messi in Miami, while Ousmane Dembele is now in Paris. These are not small losses in our book hence our pessimism about their UCL chances. We say skip Barca in this spot.
How To Bet On Champions League?
To get all your Champions League betting in one spot, hit one of the sportsbooks listed below. Not only will these sites have futures lines, but wagers on every single game from now until the championship finale in Wembley Stadium. The featured sites rated high in our unbiased sportsbook reviews, not only because of their deep betting menus but also due to massive sign-up bonuses.
