Europa League 2026-27: Outright Betting Predictions & Tips

We are back for another season of predictions! League football has restarted, and the European Leagues are following behind quickly. Next up, we've got the Europa League!

Last season, I landed the winner of the competition in Aston Villa, whilst also landing 9/1 and 14/1 bets in the league phase. Overall, we got 38% of our outright predictions right, so we cannot complain at all!

Looking at the Europa League this season, value is a little tougher to find. However, I think we have a decent opportunity at getting a few winning picks! Let's dive in!

Who Will Win the Europa League?

Betting for the Europa League this season is certainly a bit trickier than it’s been in recent years and that’s both a good and a bad thing for us as punters.

When you look at the past two winners, you’ve got Aston Villa and Tottenham - both of whom were expected to reach the final at the very least - and this year, you don’t really have that.

Of course, you’ve still got giants in the competition in AC Milan and Juventus. However, neither are the teams that they were years ago. So, it’s not like they’ve got a clear run at the competition.

The odds would suggest otherwise, as they’re the favourites to lift the trophy, though. For the Rossoneri, it’s a chance to win the tournament for the first time. Yet, it would be a fourth time for Juventus, if they managed it.

So, let’s take a look at my picks.

Despite what I’ve said about them not being the team they were before, I think AC Milan have the capability to go very far in the competition this season.

As stated, this year’s rendition of the competition lacks that elite quality. Yet, the San Siro-based outfit have more than a few elite players. Look at Luka Modric, Goncalo Ramos and Mike Maignan just to name a few.

With Ruben Amorim, they’re getting a coach who has constantly impressed in European competition and after losing the final against Tottenham Hotspur in 2024/25, he will want to take a step further at the first opportunity.

Spending more than any other club in Italy this summer, if they’re in a strong position heading into the January transfer window, it’s likely that they would continue to invest in the squad.

I’d still take the insurance of backing them E/W - as this would provide a profit at 8/1 - I certainly think they’ll be in the conversation.

Then, I think Benfica could also represent a nice E/W bet at 20/1 to win the competition with BoyleSport.

Like Milan, they’ve never won the competition before. So, this would certainly be a big moment for them if they were to win it and I think their route could be easier than some.

They’ve started the season near perfectly, winning four and drawing their other game but they’ve been on fire. 18 goals scored and three goals conceded; they look like a proper contender for the Liga Portugal this season under Marco Silva.

The Portuguese coach was a huge appointment for the club in the summer, given how heavily respected he is in England. Fulham - as we now see - regularly pushed higher than they were meant to and Silva’s management is the reason for that.

So, it’d be no surprise if his Benfica side did similar this season in the Europa League.

Who Will Finish in the Europa League Top Eight?

Last year, I landed 14/1 and 9/1 tips for the League Stage phase, but I think we’ll do well to match those winners, unfortunately. Nevertheless, I still think there are some pockets of value.

Before we get into it, you’ve needed an average of 15 points to qualify for the Top Eight in the previous two renditions of the competition. So, this is what I’m aiming for.

For my first pick, I’m continuing to ride the Benfica hype train and I think they’re an alright price at 10/11 for a Top Eight spot. I’ve already discussed how heavily I rate them, so I won’t spend too long on Silva’s side.

However, they’ve drawn perhaps the best fixtures in the league phase. In their league games, they play Lech Poznań, N.E.C., OFI Crete, Omonia Nicosia and Viktoria Plzeň. Each of those teams are 150/1 or more to win the competition.

Games against Milan and AZ Alkmaar could be tough. However, they also have a winnable game against Celtic in there… They should easily hit 15 points.

Celta Vigo should also easily grab that points tally, I feel. They’ve started their La Liga campaign underwhelmingly, failing to win any of their five games so far. Which is somewhat of a red flag.

However, they’ve been given a nice run in Europe, which could boost morale.

Games against Juventus, Bournemouth and Marseille stick out like a sore thumb. However, Omonia Nicosia, Celtic, Union SG, H.Beer-Sheva and Lillestrøm redeem them slightly.

15 points is certainly achievable and that explains why they’re also below Evens with the best football bookmakers.

Finally, I’m going for Rennes, who’ve opened their Ligue 1 campaign strongly, drawing with PSG then winning against Le Mans and Angers.

Like the other two, this pick is heavily motivated by their fixtures, but that’s what you’ve got to look at.

Sturm Graz, OFI Crete, Olympiacos (at home), N.E.C., Dinamo Zagreb, Omonia and Sparta Praha is a lovely set of fixtures to be given. Heading to Italy for Juventus looks tougher, but it’s not impossible to get something there, too.

In all honesty, I can’t believe they’re the biggest price of the three at 6/4 with Bet365. Nevertheless, I’m not complaining!

Who Will Win in the Europa League Play-Off Phase?

If pushed to pick a League Stage winner - which is where we won the 14/1 bet on Lyon last season - I’d maybe look towards either Benfica or Rennes.

However, there is a lot of unknown in the competition this year, so there could be a few shocks. For that reason, I’d not be staking much. However, Benfica are 12/1 to achieve the feat, whilst Rennes are 14/1, both with Unibet. If forced to pick one, I'd maybe lean slightly further towards Rennes, again though, it's more of a fun bet to track than a this will happen! Back it!