Champions League Betting Predictions and Odds 2024/25

When it comes to betting on the Champions League, there are always numerous considerations to make, and in some ways, it is more difficult than predicting the winner of domestic leagues. However, we can still make some good predictions.

The past two finals sum up perfectly what is meant by the introduction paragraph. In the 2022/23 Champions League final, Inter faced Manchester City and the latter won the tournament, as expected before the season began. Last season, Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund, once again, as expected before the season.

However, neither Inter nor Borussia Dortmund were expected to reach the latter stages of the competition, let alone the final. So this is where predicting things can get difficult - we'll include some of these teams in the 'Top 8' section.

For me, there are only two teams that I could confidently say I could see them winning the Champions League. Yes, they are boring answers, but they are the best two teams in football currently.

That means we're going with Shakhtar Donetsk and Crvena Zvezda. Just kidding, it's Manchester City and Real Madrid.

Starting with City, they were beaten by last year's winners, Real, in the quarter-finals on penalties. Had they won that game, they probably would have gone on to win the tournament for the second year in a row.

Off the pitch, they are beginning their Premier League hearing, but Pep Guardiola will be able to quieten the noise. In his hands, he has one of the best squads that the Premier League has ever seen, led by one of the best strikers that the League has seen.

The other glaringly obvious option is Real Madrid, and after winning it last season, they would be favourites to win it again automatically. Then, they added Kylian Mbappe to the squad, and their chances have increased.

Even before adding the Frenchman, their chances were superb, but they have added further quality, and this is only a good thing for Carlo Ancelotti. Perhaps, we are witnessing the rise of a new era of Galacticos, and another Champions League title would only add to that.

Yes, they are easy picks. Yes, they are boring picks. But they are good picks to win the Champions League, and they would not be the bookies favourites by the margin they are, unless they were that good.

In our league previews, we looked at promotion, or top four spots in this section, and we are going to divert slightly. Unfortunately, there are no odds for a side to reach a certain part of the competition.

This means you can bet on winners, or clubs to finish within the Top 8 of the League Stage. So, we are going to do the latter, and look at some sides who could finish within the top eight. Just for some value, we're going to be looking away from Madrid, City, and Arsenal, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, given they are all priced below evens.

My first selection is going to be Inter. Having reached the final two seasons ago, they didn't manage to progress as far last season, losing to Atletico Madrid. However, they won the Serie A, and did so dominantly.

Simone Inzaghi is a fantastic coach, and whilst he has an aging squad, there is a substantial amount of talent within it. At his fingers, he has, arguably, one of the best striker duos in Europe and a very strong defensive line. Therefore, I think they could be a good pick at the price.

My next pick is going to be Atletico Madrid. Aside from PSG and Leverkusen, they have quite an easy run of fixtures. With the new format, they could be one of the sides to benefit from the new structure, and after a fantastic summer, they could be in with a good chance.

Perhaps, a slightly rogue shout, but I like the look of Atalanta. They have some very difficult fixtures - facing Arsenal, Real Madrid and Barcelona. Aside from that trio, though, they have some very favourable fixtures, facing four sides outside of the top five European leagues, and also Stuttgart.

Finally, we have Juventus. Another Italian team, yes, but they have a very good chance. Under Thiago Motta, they have started the new season fantastically, going unbeaten and looking a much better outfit. Whilst they face Manchester City on Matchday 7, they have been blessed with some somewhat easier opponents.

It is not a shock that Europe's top competition showcases some of the best goalscorers in world football, and predicting a top goalscorer relies on several variables. Last season, the award was shared, with Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe both scoring eight times.

Thankfully, the odds are nicer when it comes to this award, so we can look at the obvious selections a little more.

Starting with Erling Haaland, with Manchester City expected to progress quite far, he should be a strong candidate to walk away with the award. He has been on fire in the Premier League, and he leads the Premier League Golden Boot race. It would, therefore, not be a surprise if this form continued into Europe.

Following him, we have Kylian Mbappe. After winning the award last season, it comes as no shock that he is one of the favourites, but he is no longer the focal point like he was at PSG. So, perhaps, his goalscoring numbers could be lowered slightly.

Harry Kane provides an interesting option, but his odds are slightly too low for me to get excited about.

My final two picks are both recommended to be Each-Way selections. Starting with Robert Lewandowski, he is fantastically priced, and Hansi Flick is seemingly getting the best out of Barcelona at the moment. With four goals in five La Liga appearances, he could end the season with two Golden Boots if the scoring continues.

Following him, I like the look of Lautaro Martinez an awful lot. He is priced at 50/1 with some bookmakers, and with many of them offering four places on their Each-Way placements, I think this has a fantastic chance.

Although he has struggled in the Champions League in recent years, at 50/1 it is too big of a price for me to ignore. However, it is definitely a small-stake bet in my eyes.