The odds on Porto look solid enough to me if you're looking to take a shot. They’ve got that veteran presence in international play; they knocked out SSC Napoli on their way to the quarterfinals, while Sevilla barely scraped past bottom-tier Real Betis after a nail-biting penalty shootout. Looking at the domestic scene, Porto is trailing SL Benfica by a massive 15 points, so they’ll likely dump all their energy into this tournament—especially since they lifted the trophy just three years ago, even if the squad was significantly stronger back then. They tend to struggle against teams that should be easy wins, but they have this habit of grinding out results through pure experience. Sevilla just dropped a game to Celta Vigo after a winning streak, which might not mean much, but in my book, Porto is the clear favorite here.
Athletic Bilbao vs Atletico Madrid 1X (1.65 SS) (1:2)
It’s honestly wild how well Atletico Madrid is holding up on two fronts right now. They’re sitting pretty at the top of the Primera table, but today they have to step into the furnace playing away at Bilbao. The home side hasn't been sleeping either; they've been on a tear in the second half of the season, going unbeaten through their last six matches. They even managed to take down Barcelona at home and held their own in a draw against Real Madrid. Given how much these two clubs despise each other, I don't doubt for a second that the Basque squad will throw everything they've got at ruining Diego Simeone's plans. My money is on them pulling it off.
The odds on a Schalke 04 win look pretty solid here. They’re the favorites for a reason—sitting in 3rd place, right in that Champions League qualification zone. Since they took that hit against Bayern Munich, they've been on a tear with three wins and one draw (that tough away match against Borussia Dortmund). Meanwhile, Hertha BSC is absolutely spiraling with three straight losses.
Man Utd vs Manchester City Both teams to score + Over 2.5 goals (2.00) (0:3)
It’s the local derby, and let's be real—City is looking like a machine right now, probably cruising toward another title. On the other side, United is finally showing a few signs of life, at least on the scoreboard. I just hope they don't pull a Liverpool and completely fall apart when they can't find the back of the net. Motivation should be there, if only because nobody wants to get embarrassed by a blowout.
Real Betis vs. Sevilla: Both Teams to Score + Over 2.5 Goals (2.00) (0:2)
Sure, Betis is sitting pretty with a decent lead heading into this matchup against their bitter rivals, but don't think for a second that they've punched their ticket to the next round. Based on how they've been playing in the league, Sevilla is finally finding its rhythm. They choked in the first leg, so they’re going to come out swinging early to get on the board. That's going to leave gaps for the home side to exploit on the counter. Expect an all-out brawl—lots of goals, plenty of action, and probably a few unnecessary yellow cards to keep things spicy.
Fine, I’ll jump on the bandwagon with everyone else predicting this dead donkey is going to come back to life. 😁 After looking totally lost during the league match against Liverpool, maybe he'll actually catch a lucky break today. 🙂 Honestly, I think Man United needs an early goal. If the Greeks keep that clean sheet, these guys are going to start panicking—and let's be real, the vibe in that locker room is absolute trash right now. This might be Moyes' last shot at staying relevant...
AC Milan vs. Sampdoria: Both teams to score (1.80 odds) (0-2)
Look, AC Milan might be showing a few signs of life lately, but let’s be real—they’re still stuck dead center in the standings. Their record is a perfect, boring split of wins, draws, and losses. I think they can find the back of the net, but their defense? It's a total question mark. You just can't trust them to hold a lead. On the flip side, Sampdoria has been finding the score sheet in their last three home games, so I'm betting they keep that streak alive here.
Man City vs LiverpoolCity to score in both halves2.5 @ SS (2-1 (2-1))
The home side is absolutely lethal at their own stadium, averaging over four goals a game in the league. I’ve got a feeling this one is going to be wide open, and at these odds, it's definitely worth a shot. Let's face it—neither of these defenses can be trusted to hold anything together.
Tottenham vs Liverpool: Both teams to score + Over 3.5 goals (0-5) (2.05 odds)
We’ve got the 7th and 5th placed sides going head-to-head here. Looking at recent results, Liverpool is clearly hitting their stride, and I don't see them sitting back to play defense. In fact, both squads have been absolutely tearing through the "over 3.5" mark over the last three matchdays. Tottenham just picked up two away wins, which feels like a sign they're finally finding their rhythm, while on the Liverpool side, Luis Suarez is looking incredibly dangerous right now.
VfL Wolfsburg vs VfB Stuttgart: Both teams to score & Over 2.5 goals (3-1) (2.05 odds in the US)
The home side is looking pretty sharp right now—they’ve found the back of the net in every single one of their last six matches. Meanwhile, the visitors are playing total chaos ball; they can't stop scoring, but they certainly can't stop conceding either...
The odds on a home win look pretty tempting here, and honestly, I get why people are looking at Everton—they’re sitting three spots higher in the standings and have only dropped one game. But let’s be real: they haven't actually been tested on the road against anyone decent besides Man City. United is finally finding their footing again. They just knocked off Arsenal at home, and if they play with that same grit, I think they can pull this one off and leapfrog their opponents in the rankings.
I’m playing this based on a gut feeling, honestly. Lille is tough to crack lately—they just haven't been conceding much at all. On the flip side, Marseille is riding high with three straight wins under their belt. I’m expecting a total grind where both sides are evenly matched.
AC Milan looked like they were finally finding their footing after that last match against Celtic, and honestly, they might actually start showing some life in the domestic league too. They’re sitting in a decent enough spot at 13th with a 3-5-5 record, while Catania is currently stuck at the very bottom of the barrel.
Chelsea - Southampton 1 1.65 (3-1)
I’m putting a unit on this one based on these odds. Chelsea has been all over the place lately—one minute they're great, the next they're a mess. After that lackluster performance against Basel, I think they’ll step it up. Southampton has been the league's little underdog story so far, but let's be real: this game is pretty much going to be decided by whether Chelsea decides to show up or not.
Rijeka vs. Guimaraes Both teams score 1.80 SS (0-0)
If Rijeka pulls off a win here, it keeps their theoretical hopes alive and helps wash away the bitter taste of that 0-4 blowout from the first leg. But let’s be real—their defense is a sieve. Since they'll be playing at home, they're going to push forward, which just leaves them wide open for the Portuguese side to snatch a goal on the counter.
After 11 games, Man City is sitting in ninth place. That’s a joke. It doesn't match their roster or what they claim to be about, especially since they look lost whenever they play away from home. They absolutely need this win just to stop the bleeding and catch up to the leaders. Now, Tottenham had a decent start to the season, but lately, they haven't exactly been knocking anyone's socks off either. I'm calling it: a comfortable home win for City.
MLS LA Galaxy vs. LAFC both teams to score (1-1) (1.70 odds)
The Galaxy have been looking pretty dominant in their home stretch lately—9 wins and 2 draws through this stretch. On the flip side, LAFC is sitting comfortably in fourth and they’ve been clinical, consistently putting up over two goals a game. Honestly, looking at these two, I wouldn't be surprised if we see plenty of action on the scoreboard...
Tuesday Sweden vs. Portugal: Both teams to score (1.80 at FanDuel) (2-3)
Portugal’s sitting pretty after that first leg, which means Sweden is backed into a corner. They have to win this one to stay alive. Considering they absolutely tore through the German defense with seven goals over two games, you’d be crazy not to expect them to find the back of the net here. On the flip side, Portugal is lethal on the counterattack, so don't be surprised when they sneak one in too.
stormyharbor13 said:Thursday, Nov 14, 2013 U-21 Euro Qualifiers 8:30 PM
USA vs Spain 3.5+ @ 1.90
The first matchup ended 3-2 in favor of Spain. Spain is sitting pretty at the top of the group, winning everything. They have a goal differential of 14:4 over four games; they score plenty and their matches usually blow past the three-goal mark. The USA has an 8:10 differential through five games, which also averages out to nearly four goals per match. Since the odds for Over 3 is only 1.35, I think there's actual value in taking the 1.90 spread here and praying for just one extra goal. The Americans are going to have to play aggressive if they want to snag one of those top four runner-up spots to stay in the playoffs.
Personally, I think you get more bang for your buck playing Over 2.5 and Over 3 combined at 2.10 (via DraftKings) because it's unlikely someone walks away with a 4-0 blowout. If either side wins 2-1, you're golden.
So, looking at how these teams have been performing—and knowing the USA can't afford to play it safe if they want to stay alive—I'm expecting an open, high-scoring game. My pick for USA vs Spain is Both Teams to Score + Over 3 (1:6)
Mexico vs. New Zealand under 3 goals (2.20 US) (5:1)
The Mexicans aren't exactly known for clinical finishing, and I'm betting New Zealand just parks the bus and plays for a survivalist result in the second leg...
Lille vs Monaco both teams to score (1.85 at SS) (2:0)
We’ve got a massive showdown here between the second and third-place teams in the league. Lille hasn't even conceded a goal in six matches, not since that home loss against Nice back in mid-September. On the flip side, Monaco has found the net in their last six straight, and honestly, considering they're title contenders, I don't see them staying quiet today—especially with Lille playing so well. There's only a two-point gap between them, so nobody's playing for a draw here; a win for Lille puts them ahead, while a Monaco victory pulls them right up to PSG at the top.
Since we're looking at two heavyweights both riding high on momentum, I’m going to trust my gut a bit more and go for a 1-1 exact score(2:0)