Here’s our complete guide on how to bet on the Champions League, from UEFA Champions League betting markets to our top tips.
The UEFA Champions League, often abbreviated to UCL, is Europe’s most elite club soccer competition.
UEFA Champions League betting has become extremely popular throughout the United States. I mean, if you like your soccer then you’re obviously going to be interested in watching and wagering on Europe’s best.
So, let’s take you through the stages of the competition, how to bet on the Champions League, and our top tips for betting on the UCL.
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How Does the Champions League Work?
First up, it’s the UEFA Champions League Qualifiers. These matches take place between June and August, resulting in 32 teams progressing to the group stages.
The UCL Group Stages is where the action really hots up, with newly-qualified clubs joining automatically-qualified heavyweights like Real Madrid, Manchester City and PSG. Even Napoli these days. The group stages consist of eight groups of four teams. Each team plays six games, with the winners and runners-up in each group progressing.
Finally, we have the Champions League Knockouts. The knockout stages consist of:
- Last 16
- Quarter Finals
- Semi Finals
The UEFA Champions League season peaks with the Final. The 2023 UEFA Champions League Final will take place at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
Now, let’s get stuck into how to bet on the Champions League in the US.
How to Bet the Moneyline
This is probably the most common UEFA Champions League betting market – moneyline betting.
A money line bet involves choosing one of three outcomes in a specific game. The three outcomes are:
- Home team to win
- Draw
- Away team to win
An important note to remember is that moneyline bets are always settled on the result at the end of regular time (90 minutes and injury time). This is the length of every group stage match. However, knockout matches could drag on to extra time and penalties. In this case, it is only the result after 90 minutes that matters!
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Moneyline Betting: An Example
Ok, so let’s take the 2022 Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Liverpool as an example.
Liverpool vs Real Madrid
| Liverpool | Draw | Real Madrid |
| +105 | +265 | +245 |
| $10 pays $20.50 | $10 pays $36.50 | $10 pays $34.50 |
Above shows the odds for home moneyline, draw, and away moneyline, and their payouts. But you’re here to find out how to bet on the Champions League moneyline. So, all you would do is visit your online sportsbook app or website and click on whichever moneyline appeals to you most. And then wager!
It is worth noting that the ‘Draw’ bet is almost always going to be the highest payout, as it occurs less often. The fact that the draw (+265) pays very similar to the Real Madrid moneyline (+245) suggest just how close this matchup was.
To Win to Nil Betting:
To win to nil betting is when you bet on a team to win by shoutout against their opponent. Using the same example as above, let’s say you think Liverpool will keep a clean sheet and ‘win to nil’. In other words, you are betting on Liverpool to win either 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 4-0, 5-0… you get the idea.
Again, this Champions League betting market is available at all legal online sportsbooks in the United States. For our comprehensive review of to win to nil betting, click here.
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Champions League Handicap (Spread) Betting
This type of UEFA Champions League betting is basically the same as NFL point spreads or NHL puck line betting. Again, the best way to explain this is with our example:
Liverpool vs Real Madrid
| Handicap | Will My Bet Win? |
| Liverpool -1 | If Liverpool win by more than 1 goal (2-0, 4-2 etc.) |
| Liverpool -2 | If Liverpool win by more than 2 goals (3-0, 4-1 etc.) |
| Liverpool +1 | If Liverpool win or draw |
| Liverpool +2 | If Liverpool avoid losing by two goals or more (2-1, 1-2 etc.) |
If we’re wanting to delve deeper into how to bet on the Champions League handicap system, there are Asian Handicap markets too.
How to Bet Asian Handicap:
Asian Handicap betting introduces fractions of 0.25 and 0.75 to the spread. By choosing one of these, your wager is split between the two closest half numbers with the same odds.
Let’s say you bet $10 on Liverpool +0.25 goals. This means that you’re actually betting $5 on Liverpool +0 (moneyline) and $5 on Liverpool +0.5 (to win or draw). If Liverpool win, you win both parts of your bet. Or, if it’s a draw, you would win the +0.5 bet. Finally, if Real Madrid win, you lose both parts of the wager.
How to Bet Double Chance:
Double chance betting does what it says on the tin – it gives you a ‘double chance’ to win by combining two of the money line outcomes.
In our example, Real Madrid as the +265 underdog may be -150 as a ‘double chance’ to either draw or win the match. Therefore, double chance Champions League betting is a safer option than simply wagering on the moneyline. You are effectively hedging your bets.
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How to Bet Draw No Bet:
‘Draw No Bet’ is simply moneyline betting, but with the draw option removed. If you bet Liverpool moneyline and it is a draw, you will be refunded your bet. It offers a cushion and lowers the risk of your Champions League moneyline bet.
How to Bet on Over/Under Total Goals:
If you’re wanting to know how to bet on the Champions League in a way that means your bet will be kept alive throughout the game, the Overs is the way to go. Or, if you are expecting the most boring game with a lack of goals, the Unders is for you.
Let’s go back to our example:
| Bet | Will My Bet Win? |
| Over 1.5 Goals | If there are 2 or more goals in 90 minutes |
| Over 2.5 Goals | If there are 3 or more goals in 90 minutes |
| Over 3.5 Goals | If there are 4 or more goals in 90 minutes |
| Under 1.5 Goals | If there is 1 goal or less in 90 minutes |
| Under 2.5 Goals | If 2 or less goals are scored in 90 minutes |
| Under 3.5 Goals | If 3 or less goals are scored in 90 minutes |
That should make sense for anyone out there who is unfamiliar with this UEFA Champions League betting market. And it’s available at every single online sportsbook in the US.
The most popular wagering type in this market is the Over/Under 2.5 goals market. This is because the majority of games result in 2-3 goals being scored in regular time.
How to Bet Champions League Parlays:
The great thing about all of the UEFA Champions League betting markets mentioned above is that you can parlay ANY of them.
Parlay betting is great because it allows you to elevate your winning potential. As a result, it is more risky. But some risks are worth taking!
If you didn’t know, parlay betting is when you combine two or more bets to create a single bet. It is hugely popular, and you can even parlay outcomes from the same game at some sportsbooks.
How to Bet on the Champions League Futures:
It’s not just betting markets within single games that can be wagered on. You can also bet on UEFA Champions League Futures!
Here are just some of the options available to you as a sports bettor throughout the season:
- Winner of Any Group
- Runner-Up of Any Group
- Top Goalscorer
- Most Clean Sheets
- Team to Win the Champions League
Current Champions League 2022/2023 Betting Odds
Outright Winner Betting Odds (at FanDuel Sportsbook):
| Team | Odds to Win Group | Odds to Win Champions League |
| Man City | -850 | +175 |
| Bayern Munich | -1100 | +600 |
| PSG | -240 | +650 |
| Liverpool | +200 | +850 |
| Real Madrid | -1400 | +1000 |
| Chelsea | -700 | +1400 |
| Barcelona | +2200 | +1400 |
| Napoli | -220 | +2400 |
| Tottenham | +105 | +2900 |
| Benfica | +200 | +5000 |
| Borussia Dortmund | +750 | +5000 |
| RB Leipzig | +1000 | +6500 |
| Inter Milan | +1700 | +6500 |
| Atletico Madrid | +450 | +7000 |
| AC Milan | +2200 | +9500 |
| Ajax | +3800 | +12000 |
| Porto | +1400 | +14000 |
| Club Brugge | -200 | +14000 |
| Sporting Lisbon | +150 | +16000 |
| Red Bull Salzburg | +1000 | +19000 |
| Marseille | +1200 | +19000 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | +650 | +21000 |
| Juventus | +21000 | |
| Rangers | +42000 | |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | +10000 | +42000 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | +1000 | +42000 |
| Viktoria Plzen | +42000 | |
| Sevilla | +42000 | |
| Dinamo Zagreb | +3800 | +42000 |
| Maccabi Haifa | +42000 |
How to Bet on the Champions League: Our Top Tips
Here are our top UEFA Champions League betting tips for you to consider when wagering on Europe’s elite football clubs.
1. Home advantage can be huge in Europe
Just imagine Manchester City from England are traveling to Ukraine to face Dynamo Kiev. This offers up a whole range of considerations:
- Jet lag for players
- Distance required to travel for away fixture
- Varying weather conditions
Sometimes, the betting markets do not fairly reflect these variables. For example, Manchester City should win comfortably in Ukraine. But it doesn’t mean they will. All it takes is a couple of bad days for those in the Manchester City squad, and the result could be a surprising one.
For example, you may take these variables into consideration and bet on Dynamo Kiev double chance for some great odds.
2. Always shop around
What’s the beauty of so many online sportsbooks offering odds on the Champions League? That you can shop around for the best odds on your bet.
It is very rare that odds will vary significantly from sportsbook to sportsbook. However, you may add value to your bet slightly by betting at Caesars rather than PointsBet, for example.
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3. Consider suspensions and injuries
Suspensions and injuries can have an incredible impact on the performances and successes of soccer teams.
If the underdog faces a team missing their star striker or number 1 goalkeeper, then the smart bet would be to bet on the underdog in some capacity. Whether that be on the double chance, the moneyline, or anything else, that’s up to you!
4. Focus your research
Now, let’s be realistic here. Even if you are an experienced soccer bettor, you’re never going to be able to tell someone everything about every match. Or every betting market, for that matter.
Therefore, it makes sense to focus your research. Find a betting market that you are confident with, or find a range of teams that you are familiar with. Learn their flaws and their strengths, and tailor your bets to suit.
Where Can You Bet on the UCL?
You can bet on the Champions League at every online sportsbook in the US. Here are some soccer betting welcome bonuses to get you started. If you are not yet signed up to any listed below, then give them a try by clicking ‘Claim’.
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