The Europa League may not hold the prestige of the Champions League, but there’s just as much excitement and value to go around. With 24 matches every week, there are opportunities abound for bettors to make some money.
Today, I’ll take a look at all 24 games, trying to find where the best value lies. With no time to waste, let’s get straight on into it!
Bordeaux are ninth in the Ligue 1 with 11 points in their first 8 games, and they lost their first Europa League game to a much weaker Slavia Praha side. The French side have really struggled to get anything going, particularly against weaker teams, and the loss of Malcom seems to really have hurt them.
In the meanwhile, Copenhagen are still Denmark’s elite team, and they were particularly impressive in a draw against Zenit on the first matchday, a result which few expected. The Danish club doesn’t have the best team, but they are truly unified, and they have the ability to play well when it matters.
While Bordeaux are still the favorites for this matchup, I think Copenhagen have a good shot at taking home the victory. They played well in their first match, and Bordeaux will likely come into the game underestimating their opponents. With the odds given at more than 4 to 1, this is a great bet to maximize your value.
Prediction: Bordeaux 1-2 Copenhagen
Malmo have not had the domestic campaign they were looking for. After 24 games, they’re only fourth in the league – a disappointing result for a club which has been known to dominate in Sweden – sporting the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and many other Swedish legends.
Besiktas are just one point from the top of the league, and the Turkish club performed incredibly well in their first Europa League encounter, making the most of their chances to defeat Sarpsborg 3-1. The Super Lig is one of Europe’s most underrated leagues, and this Besiktas squad contains plenty of talent to go around.
In my opinion, Besiktas are the heavy favorites for this matchup. Malmo are not the club they once were, and even in Sweden, Besiktas should have what it takes to claim victory. With the odds set to more than double your bet, I think this is a great pick with very little risk.
Prediction: Malmo 1-3 Besiktas
While Bate Borisov is certainly one of the lesser known teams in this year’s Europa League, they are still Belarus’ best club, and they were just one win away from making the Champions League. Nevertheless, they thoroughly outplayed Vidi in their first match, and they have an interesting side which could surprise many.
PAOK is certainly a bigger name in the world of football. They’re currently first in the Greek superleague, and they’ve begun to cement themselves as one of Greek’s premier clubs. They deserve praise for holding Chelsea to just one goal, and their defensive prowess could prove crucial in this matchup.
Overall, I think PAOK will take this one. While it should be a closely contested affair, the Greek team has more experience in the upper echelons of European soccer, and it might prove to be the difference maker here.
Prediction: Borisov 1-2 PAOK
Frankfurt have not gotten off to a great start in the Bundesliga. While they haven’t been very successful in recent years in Germany, they were able to qualify for the Europa League, making the most of their opportunities to snatch an away win at Marseille.
Lazio haven’t had the best of starts either. However, the three losses they’ve earned in the Serie A have all come to some top teams – Napoli, Juventus, and Roma. The Biancocelesti remain deadly, and their attack is incredibly difficult to stop – Immobile leading the charge with his goalscoring prowess.
Despite Lazio’s success in the Serie A, they continue to remain undervalued by bettors and fans alike. I don’t think that Frankfurt has what it takes to stop Lazio’s offense, and while Lazio come into this matchup as the underdogs, I think this should be a relatively comfortable win for the Italian team.
Prediction: Frankfurt 1-2 Lazio
If you’re interested in betting on the other matchups, I’ve listed my picks below. These games also offer interesting opportunities, and Sevilla and Rapid Wein could provide some great value.
Prediction: Anderlecht 1-1 Dinamo Zagreb
Prediction: Rosenborg 0-3 RB Leipzig
Prediction: FC Krasnodar 1-2 Sevilla
Prediction: Rangers 2-2 Rapid Wein
Prediction: Spartak Moscow 1-2 Villareal
Prediction: Astana 3-1 Rennes
Prediction: Milan 2-1 Olympiakos
Prediction: Leverkeusen 2-0 Larnaca
Prediction: Vorskla Poltava 0-2 Sporting Lisbon
Prediction: FC Zurich 1-0 Ludogorets
Prediction: Fenerbahce 2-1 Spartak Trnava
Prediction: Qarabag 0-5 Arsenal
Prediction: Real Betis 3-1 Dudelange
Prediction: Red Bull 3-1 Celtic
Prediction: Zenit 2-1 Slavia Praha
Prediction: Apollon 0-2 Marseille
Prediction: Chelsea 4-1 MOL Vidi
Prediction: Sarpsborg 08 0-2 Genk
Prediction: Standard de Liege 3-0 Belediyespor
Suso has been stellar for Milan the last couple of weeks, proving instrumental in the Rossoneri’s victory over Sassuolo. The Spaniard has undergone a meteoric rise since arriving from Liverpool, quickly becoming one of the Serie A’s top wingers.
This week, Milan take on Olympiakos, and they’ll have the home crowd of the San Siro on their side. While the Rossoneri weren’t very impressive in their first Europa League match, they’ll be fielding their full starting lineup this time around, and their attack is still incredibly lethal.
Suso has scored two goals for Milan so far in the league, and according to WhoScored, he’s been the Serie A’s second best player thus far (Ronaldo is first), a testament to the Spaniard’s skill. Suso certainly has what it takes to score against a relatively lackluster defense, and his magical left foot gives this bet a lot of upside.
Chelsea are third in the Premier League, and they took home a victory in their first Europa League match against PAOK. Despite a relatively calm victory in which only one goal was scored, the Blues dominated the game from start to finish, peppering the Greeks with a total of 22 shots.
This week, Chelsea face an even weaker opponent – Vidi, one of the Hungarian league’s premier club. There’s no doubting that this is going to be a lopsided match; the only question is how gracious Chelsea will be in victory.
The Blues have plenty of offensive weapons, and while they will likely not field their starting XI, their team is more than talented enough to batter Vidi. Chelsea will win this match, and if everything goes according to plan, they should do so in dominant fashion; Sarri and his side won’t take any prisoners.
Sevilla have quietly made a name for themselves in world football. After winning three consecutive Europa League trophies from 2014-2016, the Spanish club has established itself as one of the premier teams in La Liga.
They certainly lived up to their name, battering Standard Liege 5-1 in their first group stage match. Los Hispaneles take on FC Krasnodar this week, arguably the group’s second best team, and they’ll have to travel to Russia to fight for the lead in Group J.
This should be a very entertaining matchup, and if Sevilla plays anything like they did in their first game, they have a great chance of winning this matchup. Regardless of the victor, this matchup is poised to see a lot of goals; both teams have great attacks and relatively mediocre defenses, and they’ve proven that they can score time and time again. A five-goal thriller is certainly not out of the question, and this could very well be the best bet of the week.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
