Champions League Free Bets
Champions League group betting preview
GROUP A
No sooner had the Champions League draw been made in Monaco and the bookies were quick to price up the eight groups of four teams that will battle it out for a place in the last sixteen. Group A involves Tottenham Hotspur and Harry Redknapp’s team are a best price 4/1 with Sky Bet to finish in pole position and go through to the knockout stage of the competition.
As you might expect, Inter are a best price 5/6 (Stan James) to win this section and that could be great value when you consider that Sky Bet go as short as 2/5 about Rafael Benitez’s team. Werder Bremen were qualifiers and they are 9/2 (bet365) to finish top of Group A while FC Twente are the rank outsiders at 20/1 with bet365.
GROUP B
This group looks as though it could be a competitive section between three teams, with Hapoel Tel Aviv (25/1 Sky Bet) expected to struggle at Champions League level. It’s Olympique Lyonnais who are slight favourites with most firms, although Coral are happy to lay 13/8 that the French side top the section and there’s a school of thought which suggests that German football is stronger than its French counterpart at the moment.
That could see Schalke win the group at odds of 2/1 (Blue Square), while Coral go 11/4 that it’s Benfica who are the winners of Group B. This looks like a cracking bet, with the Portuguese champions always performing to a high standard in Europe and they have one of the most dangerous strikers in Oscar Cardozo.
GROUP C
No surprise to see Manchester United at odds-on (4/11 Stan James) for this group and that should be a popular accumulator filler against three modest teams. It’s hard to see Valencia (9/2 bet365) looking like much of a European force after losing Villa and Silva in the summer, while Bursaspor (11/1 Coral) could easily finish second – they did win the Turkish league after all. As for Glasgow Rangers, they are in some big financial trouble and Coral offer 33/1 that they win Group C.
GROUP D
Barcelona were cut in the outright betting after the draw was made for the Champions League and the biggest price you can get about them winning the section is 1/6 (Stan James). One note of caution is that they will face a Rubin Kazan team who won at the Nou Camp last season and the Russian side are 10/1 (bet365) to top the section.
Perhaps Rubin and Panathinaikos will be battling it out for second spot in Group D and Coral go 14/1 that the Greeks pull off a major upset by winning this group, while Copenhagen are rank outsiders at 40/1 (bet365).
GROUP E
This group should be all about the Germans and Italians battling it out for top spot and ensuring they avoid any of the other group winners at the last sixteen stage. Stan James are either brave or foolish to offer Bayern Munich at odds of 8/11 to win Group E, although it should be remembered that last season’s runner-up needed to win away to Juventus in the final group game to go through twelve months ago.
Roma are 15/8 (Coral) to win Group E and Claudio Ranieri’s team weren’t far behind Inter Milan in Serie A last season. It appears as though it will be this pair tussling it out at the top, although Swiss team Basel are no mugs and are available at 16/1 (Sky Bet). CFR Cluj are 20/1 chances with Sky Bet and will surely not qualify.
GROUP F
Chelsea will be delighted to have been drawn against such modest opposition and Stan James are prepared to offer no bigger than 1/3 that Carlo Ancelotti’s team cruise into the last sixteen as winners of Group F. It should be fairly routine stuff for one of the Champions League favourites, although French champions Marseille won the league in style last term and they are 9/2 (Sky Bet) to usurp the west London side and set themselves nicely for the knockout stages.
Spartak Moscow are arguably the strongest team in Russia, with Sky Bet going 7/1 that they top the group and MSK Zilina are a massive 50/1 (Sky Bet) to win the section.
GROUP G
It’s being tagged as the Group of Death, although Real Madrid are as short as 4/9 with bet365 to top Group G and it might well be the case that Jose Mourinho gets the best out of his talented squad. The Special One has bought two excellent German midfielders in Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil, players that should help them win the section and Victor Chandler’s 8/11 looks ripe for the taking.
AC Milan were the team to come out of Pot 1 in this group, although they don’t look a patch on the team of ten years ago and Coral go 11/4 that the Rossoneri win the section. It’s set to be a competitive heat, with Ajax available at 12/1 (Coral) after scrambling through two qualifying rounds to reach the group stage. Martin Jol’s team should be hard to beat in Amsterdam at home, while Auxerre are 18/1 (bet365) to surprise everyone by winning the group.
GROUP H
Victor Chandler once again take a big position on Arsenal winning this group and, while 1/2 might be a bit short for some people, the fact that William Hill are as short as 1/8 about Arsene Wenger’s team indicates that there could be a spot of value backing the Gunners at the former price. The north London side should be head and shoulders above the other teams, although perhaps Shakhtar Donetsk (7/1 William Hill) could provide a stern test for them.
Then again, Braga are probably being underrated by the bookies after beating Sevilla over two legs and the Portuguese team are 14/1 with William Hill to keep upsetting the odds. Partizan Belgrade are the rank outsiders and Coral go 33/1 that they pull off a shock.
