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Betting on The UEFA Champions League
Soccer is a favorite sport for fans and bettors alike, especially when it comes to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League. When top-division clubs from the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga (and more) battle it out to determine who's the best soccer team, bettors everywhere can get in on the action. We’ll give you all the necessary UEFA betting info and odds to give you an edge and make smart picks.
How Does the UEFA Champions League Work?
Unlike the NFL or other North American sports leagues where divisions and conferences are set, this Euro-centric league begins with two qualification streams. The first stream is for teams that haven’t received direct entry to the tournament, and the second is for those who have pre-qualified -- this could be due to them being past UEFA champions, or because they finished anywhere from second to fourth in their national championship.
The group stage follows qualification matchups, and it’s here that the real betting begins. From September to December, 32 teams are divided into eight groups. The winning teams and runners-up are allowed to proceed to the next level. Teams that have placed third enter the UEFA Europa League where they can compete for the UEFA Cup.
In February, the knockout phase begins, culminating in the Champions League Final in the last weeks of May. Sixteen teams (eight Sportsbooks and eight runners-up from the group stage) play against each other until there is one left standing. The winner is awarded the European Champion Clubs’ Cup. If a team wins three years in a row, the club is bestowed a commemorative badge to wear permanently on their uniforms.
As a nation, Spain has the most championships with 18, followed closely by England (13) and Italy (12). The top goal scorer is Cristiano Ronaldo with 127 shots into the back of the net -- he also has the second-most appearances in the Champions League with 166. Iker Casillas beats him by 11 appearances. Belgium, Greece and Sweden have appeared in the finals but have never won outright.
| Club | Titles | Seasons Won |
|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 14 | 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 |
| Milan | 7 | 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007 |
| Liverpool | 6 | 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019 |
| Bayern Munich | 6 | 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020 |
| Barcelona | 5 | 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015 |
| Ajax | 4 | 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995 |
| Inter Milan | 3 | 1964, 1965, 2010 |
| Manchester United | 3 | 1968, 1999, 2008 |
| Juventus | 2 | 1985, 1996 |
| Benifica | 2 | 1961, 1962 |
| Nottingham Forest | 2 | 1979, 1980 |
| Porto | 2 | 1987, 2004 |
| Chelsea | 2 | 2012, 2021 |
| Celtic | 1 | 1967 |
| Hamburger SV | 1 | 1983 |
| Steaua Buceresti | 1 | 1967 |
| Marseille | 1 | 1986 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 1 | 1997 |
| Feyenoord | 1 | 1970 |
| Aston Villa | 1 | 1982 |
| PSV Eindhoven | 1 | 1988 |
| Red Star Belgrade | 1 | 1991 |
| Manchester City | 1 | 2023 |
Learn to Bet on the UEFA Champions League
When you check out any sportsbook, you’ll typically see soccer odds for the following bets. Make sure to review our odds calculator before deciding on a bet to make sure you're getting the best value possible!
- Moneyline: For a moneyline bet, you simply have to pick a team to win straight up. In any scenario, one team will be the favorite and one will be the underdog -- you can tell which is which because the favorite has negative odds (ex. -110) and the underdog has a positive line (+110). Pick the team that winds up winning the match and you'll be a winner! You can also wager on a draw, if neither team is to your liking.
- Point Spread: Spreads in soccer are somewhat similar to those used in American football. Oddsmakers adjust the betting line to give the underdog an advantage of +0.5 goals. In turn, the favorite has the disadvantage of -0.5. The dog must either win outright or not lose by more than a goal to cover, and the fave must win by a goal or more.
- Totals: Nice and easy, especially in a lower-scoring environment than other spots, total bets have you predicting the OVER/UNDER for a match based on the sportsbook line. If it's set at 2.5, you'll make a wager on whether there will be more or less than three goals during the match.
- Props: All sports betting should be fun, so for those looking for extra entertainment with their wagers, try prop betting. These are bets based on player or team milestones that could affect the outcome of a game but don’t necessarily need to. These could include: which club will score first? Will there be a red card? How many corners will there be? And so on.
UEFA Champions League Futures: Who will Win it all?
Any bet made weeks or months in advance of a big event is a futures bet. In this case, you'd likely be betting on one club to win the entire competition. These odds are usually set long before the competition begins and are available for wagers right up until the final match. If you want to bet on futures, make sure you get the jump sooner than later -- as excellent teams perform accordingly, their odds will only drop.
Choose your winner early and ride through the entire Champions League with them.
Soccer Betting Guides & Resources:
If you're hungry for more soccer action, check out a few of our other guides across the site. We've got odds, matchup analysis and expert picks for every professional league that bettors care about -- check it out!
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