Champions League Betting 2024

Champions League Odds: Who Are The Favourites to Win?

Manchester City won their first Champions League trophy last year, and they are odds-on favourites with bookies to win the title again in 2024. Sportsbooks give them odds of 15/8 to win the top prize. The Citizens reached the semi-finals in 2021/22 and the final in 2020/21 and might win back-to-back UCL titles this year.

Other favourites for the title include six-time UCL winners Bayern Munich (4/1) and perennial Champions League front-runners Real Madrid (11/2). Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal (11/2) will be a strong contender according to online bookmakers too, and so will Paris Saint-Germain (12/1) and Barcelona FC (16/1).

As you can see, bookies think that several top European football sides will be in the mix for the 2024 UEFA Champions League title, but it is up to you to pick which one you think has the best chances and odds to do that.

Who Will Be UCL Top Scorer?

Manchester City’s goal machine Erling Haaland scored five goals in the UCL group stage and has even odds (1/1) to be the 2024 Champions League Top Goalscorer. Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane (9/4) is not far behind, and neither is Kylian Mbappe (6/1). With five goals in the group stage, Alvaro Morata (10/1) is probably the best dark horse in this market, while Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham (14/1) and Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez are good outside bets too.

Champions League Betting Offers

Betting on any sport is enhanced when you utilize the best betting offers for your style. While some of the Champions League betting sites may claim that a large matched deposit offer is the best bonus a bettor can get, it may not be right for how you want to bet. Instead, a smaller free bet offer may be more your style.

Free Bets

Many UCL bookmakers entice new users with lucrative betting offers, such as free bets, making it an accessible entry point for Champions League enthusiasts. Free bets will give you a certain amount of bet credits to use on a match or sport as stipulated by the Champions League betting sites. These free bets provide an excellent opportunity for new users to explore Champions League betting without risking their own funds. Upon joining, users typically receive a predetermined amount of bet credits, allowing them to wager on specific matches or sports events within the Champions League. However, users should be aware of any terms and conditions attached to these free bets, such as minimum odds requirements or wagering conditions, to make the most of this introductory offer on UCL bookmakers.

Matched Deposits

A matched deposit is the number one betting offer for many bettors. This promotion will see a bookie match a customer's deposit up to a certain amount. For example, the Champions League betting sites could offer a 100% matched deposit of up to £100. This would see the UCL bookmakers offer their customers £100 in bet credits if they deposited £100. Similarly, a player with a smaller bankroll can deposit £20 and they will be credited with £20 by their bookie.

The matched deposit bonus is often seen as the best type of offer because some of the best bookmakers offer massive value in them. However, different bookies will provide alternating requirements. For example, you may see the value rise to £300, but the percentage you can get back is 50%. Therefore, a 50% bonus up to £300 means you have to stake £600 to unlock the maximum bonus amount of £300. Many of the Champions League betting sites will lean towards providing a matched deposit as it is such a good bonus.

Cashback

If any of the UCL bookmakers offer cashback, then it will usually consist of the bettor receiving a percentage of their losing wager back. For example, if the online bookmaker offers 20% cashback on a losing wager and you stake £20, you will receive £4 back as free bets from the Champions League bookmakers. This type of betting offer is less popular among experienced bettors as it requires them to lose to get the promotion amount, something they will not plan on doing. For newer bettors, this offer can be like a small parachute that helps to minimize losses on poorly-informed bets. Therefore, cashback may be offered as a new customer offer by Champions League betting sites.

Best Champions League Odds

Providing competitive odds is what helps to create the foundation which the best Champions League betting sites are built on. Any of the top Champions League bookmakers will give their customers the ability to bet with odds that are either competitive or industry-leading.

This simply means that if you bet with UCL bookmakers that provide competitive odds, then you know you will get the best possible return for your wager. Make sure that whichever of the Champions League bookies that you sign up with offers competitive odds.

Odds boosts

Most bookies will claim that they offer the best Champions League odds, but this is not always accurate. As mentioned, the best Champions League betting sites will provide bettors with competitive odds, while they should also create odds boosts for them too.

The top UCL bookmakers will also usually offer competitive odds for most sports and odds boosts for several Champions League markets.

Odds boosts can help to significantly improve Champions League games that offer unattractive odds. Online bookies will offer higher odds on a certain market or event, with these improved odds meaning this bet becomes more viable. Usually, odds boosts will only be on selected games, while some bookies will only create them for the knockout stages in big matches where the odds suggest a mismatch.

Keep an eye out for boosts from reputable Champions League betting sites as this can help to make an unattractive prospect in a game far more viable.

In Play Betting

In-play betting, markets have become one of the most popular ways to bet on Champions League football. Most Champions League bookmakers will provide you with the ability to bet on in-play or live betting markets.

In-play betting with UCL bookmakers simply means that you can wager on an event as it is happening. It means that there is no need to make a bet and sit back and wait for the game to start. Instead, you can place bets on the game with your Champions League bookmakers as you watch both teams playing.

This allows you to play off a hunch that you have, while you can also utilize your ability to read the game as it unfolds. For example, if you think that Red Bull Leipzig is playing well on the counter and is about to hit Real Madrid with a lightning-fast attack in the Round of 16, you can wager on them to be the next scorers. Similarly, if you notice that Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger is playing aggressively, is already on a yellow, and a red card is imminent, then the best Champions League live betting sites will allow you to bet on it.

With the major switch in betting from brick-and-mortar shops to online gambling, in-play betting markets have never been more popular. Some bookies will often offer better odds for major tournaments like the Champions League than others, so if you want to get involved with in-play betting, make sure you find the right bookie for you.

Champions League Betting Markets

There are so many different ways to bet on the Champions League. Whether you are looking to make wagers on the outright winner, the time of the first goal in a certain game, or the number of throw-ins, you will find betting odds for it.

Outright Bets

Outright bets will provide you with odds for the tournament on several different bet types such as outright winner, top scorer, and more.

For example, if a sportsbook offers you the ability to bet on the outright winner betting market, then you will be given all of the teams that are playing in the tournament with their odds of lifting the trophy. You will have to pick the side you think will win in the final, and if you are correct, then your bet will win.

If you are betting on one of the favourites to win the tournament before a ball has been kicked, while the odds will not be long, they will be better than if you placed a bet on the same team just before the semi-final stage.

Most betting sites will offer a range of Champions League odds well in advance of the tournament, but timing is vital when betting on the odds of the outright winner market.

Traditional Pregame Betting Markets

A pregame bet is a traditional way to wager on a match. This will see bettors placing bets on odds with an online bookmaker before a match is. These odds will fluctuate due to betting interest in a certain outcome or changes in the situation of the game and teams. Below, we have brought together some of the most popular pre-game bets you can play when wagering with most betting sites on the UCL.

Match Winner

This is the most popular type of market in football betting as it is the easiest to use. Here, you will have the opportunity to bet on the result of the game, meaning you will back a home win, an away win, or a draw for this Champions League betting market.

First/Anytime/Last Goal Scorer

These are three different markets that all fall under one goal-scoring banner. In the first goal scorer market, you will back the player that you think will score the first goal of the game. If you back Kylian Mbappe to score first in PSG's game against Real Sociedad and he is the first player to score, then your bet wins. If he scores in the second minute of the game, but Kolo Muani scored 30 seconds earlier, then your bet will lose as Mbappe did not score first.

The same concept applies to the last goalscorer market. This market will ask you to predict which player will score the final goal of the match. For example, if you think Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal will score in the 80th minute and no other goals will be scored afterward, Oyarzabal is the final scorer of the game.

The anytime scorer market offers shorter odds, but if you can simply name one player to score at any point in the game, then your bet will win. In the examples above, Mbappe, Muani and Oyarzabal would all be winning bets in the anytime scorer market.

Lastly, the three-goal scorer markets or hat-trick scorers are always available at the best bookies, with most offering free bets that can be used with these Champions League betting markets. As the name implies, a player would have to score three or more goals in the same match for you to have a winning bet.

Both Team To Score (BTTS)

Another popular market, the BTTS market asks you to bet whether both of the teams will score in a match. You will either choose 'yes' or 'no' in this market. It is fairly intuitive, meaning if you select 'yes', your bet will win if both sides hit the back of the net, and it will lose if one or both teams fail to score.

Correct Score

This is a very popular market that many Champions League betting sites offer their customers. Bettors will wager on the final score of the game. The odds in this market are generally fairly long as it is difficult to nail a precise correct score bet. After all, a game between two low-scoring sides might allude to the match ending 0-0, but a few mistakes and some moments of brilliance may see the game ending 3-3. The odds of this would be fairly long, meaning if you nailed this bet, you would be in for a handsome payout.

Match Winner And BTTS

This market has become hugely popular recently as it amalgamates the match winner and BTTS markets. Here, you will have the opportunity of backing one of the two sides and whether both sides will score in the match. This market will offer better odds than either market on its own as you must correctly predict the outcome of both the winner and scoring markets.

Handicaps

The handicap market allows bettors to place a positive or negative handicap on a team. For a major favourite, you can give them a -2 handicap, for example. This means the team is technically the game two goals down. They, therefore, need to outscore their opponents by three or more goals to see their bet win. If your team were to win 4-0, then your bet will win as they have overturned the handicap, with the score technically finishing 2-0. This works oppositely for an underdog, where a punter can put a positive handicap on a side to give them a head-start in a game they are not fancied in.

UEFA Champions League: Important Tournament Dates

Every football fan and bookmaker has several key dates in their diary, and the big Champions League fixtures are usually among these dates. Below, we have created a handy way to keep up to date with the different stages of the Champions League.

Group Stage

Each of the Premier League teams that have made it into the Champions League group stage will be eagerly awaiting the chance to hit the ground running in Europe. The first matchday will see the teams take to the pitch in September, with the group stage coming to an end in early December.

Matchday 1: 19/20 September 2023
Matchday 2: 3/4 October 2023
Matchday 3: 24/25 October 2023
Matchday 4: 7/8 November 2023
Matchday 5: 28/29 November 2023
Matchday 6: 12/13 December 2023

Knockout Stages

While the group stage of the UCL sees some truly superb football played, it is the knockout stages where teams show what they are made of. Only 16 teams make it out of the group stage, with eight two-legged ties taking place in the Round of 16. These sides are then whittled down for the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals, before a showpiece final that is played over one leg.

Round of 16

There are usually some real mismatches in the Round of 16 that can put pressure on the so-called 'big boys'. While not every underdog can knock out their hard-hitting opponent over two legs and see the odds and bookies proved wrong, the shocking and sublime have adorned the Champions League's Round of 16 in recent years.

Round of 16: 13/14/20/21 February and 5/6/12/13 March 2024

Quarter-Finals

The Quarter-Finals of the Champions League is where the heat is turned up. The two-legged ties continue, with these matches in far closer proximity to each other.

Quarter-finals: 9/10 and 16/17 April 2024

Semi-Finals

In the final set of two-legged matches before the Final, the Semi-Finals see four teams facing off as they look to secure their place in the biggest event in club football.

Semi-finals: 30 April/1 May and 7/8 May 2024

UCL Final

The UEFA Champions League Final is the pinnacle of club football, and it is where every player wants to be, but so few ever reach. The Final, which is held in a different stadium each year, is played in a venue that meets UEFA's strict criteria.

The event itself is usually preceded by major festivities before the match. The game is played over 90 minutes with extra time and a penalty shootout held in reserve if the two sides are unable to separate themselves.

At the end of the Final, only one team is left standing, with the Champions League trophy held aloft in celebration.

UEFA Champions League Final - 1 June 2024

UCL History: Real Madrid Has The Most Titles

When anyone talks about the Champions League, the mind seems to immediately wander to Real Madrid. The most successful team in the history of the competition, Los Blancos have a total of 14 European Cups/UEFA Champions League crowns, double that of closest rivals AC Milan. Their most recent triumph came courtesy of a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the 2022 Champions League Final. AC Milan is second, having won the competition 7 times, while Bayern Munich and Liverpool have 6 European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles.

When it comes to UCL performances by nation, Spain is the most successful country in the history of the competition. With 19 titles in total and 11 runners-up medals, they are clear of England in second. English clubs have won the competition 15 times and have lost 11 finals.

Of the players participating in this year’s tournament, Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski has 92 goals in 116 appearances, while Bayern’s Thomas Muller has scored 53 goals in 147 outings. As for the player with the most appearances and goals in the history of the competition, that honor belongs to Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star may be playing in Saudi Arabia, but he still holds the record for most appearances (183) and goals (140) in the Champions League.

Conclusion

The UEFA Champions League is arguably the most popular football competition out there. The dream of every football team in Europe is to win the coveted trophy at the end of the season, and that results in action-packed matches and unforgettable duels. With Manchester City trying to retain their title and Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG, and Arsenal doing their best to win the UCL trophy instead, the 2023/24 UCL season is one of the most entertaining in recent memory.

Betpack helps you make Champions League matches twice as fun. We tell you everything you need to know about the prominent competition and provide you with interesting facts and figures. Moreover, by placing a Champions League bet at some of the top UCL online bookmakers we analyze and review, you increase the excitement of watching UCL matches and, if you do your research and get lucky, you can pocket some winnings too.