After a thrilling eight-match League Phase, we're onto the knockout stage, where 24 teams will battle it out for the European crown. This playoff round features the teams ranked ninth through twenty-fourth, and they'll play a two-leg aggregate to advance to a traditional 16-team bracket to close out the tournament. Below I've listed my three favorite wagers for the upcoming first-leg matches on February 11th and 12th.
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Champions League Knockout Phase Playoff Leg 1 Preview & Best Bets (2025)
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Club Brugge (+250) vs. Atalanta (+110), DRAW (+245) | O/U 2.5 (-105/-120)
Let's pick it up on Wednesday when the four-match slate opens up with a standalone contest between Club Brugge and Atalanta. The visiting Italian side placed ninth in the League Phase with a record of 4-3-1 (15 points), while the hosts were the last team in at 24th (3-2-3, 11 points). Kickoff is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET from Jan Breydelstadion in Brugge, Belgium.
I'll go ahead and take a flier on the plus-money payout that comes with Atalanta on the road. La Dea looked sharp on both ends of the pitch during the League Phase, out-scoring their opposition 20-6. Their +14 goal differential was second behind only Barcelona (+15). Meanwhile, Club Brugge logged an underwhelming -4 GD (7 GF: 11 GA) during the eight-match phase, so it almost feels as if they're lucky to be here at this point.
Ultimately, I don't think that the Belgian side has the offensive firepower to keep pace with Atalanta. The Italians are averaging 3.3 goals per match in their last six matches across all competitions, while the Club is just 1-2-2 in its last five matches, scoring only 0.8 goals per match during the sample size. Atalanta is simply the superior team in this matchup. They should manage to get out to a lead, before putting the clamps on defensively to secure the road victory.
Bet: Atalanta Moneyline (+110)
Celtic (+650) vs. Bayern Munich (-260), DRAW (+425) | O/U 3.5 (+100/-125)
Wednesday's action continues with an intriguing clash between Celtic and Bayern Munich. The German side posted a 5-0-3 record (15 points) during the opening round, which was good enough for 12th place. The hosting Celts went 3-3-2 (12 points), earning the 21st spot in the standings. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. ET from Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland.
The betting market is pretty much spot-on in this game. I'm hesitant to lay 1.5 goals with Bayern, and I'm also not rushing to the window to bet the over 3.5 goals in this game. With that being said, I do believe that the German side should escape with a victory, and I expect to see some scoring. I'll craft a Same Game Parlay (SGP) in this spot, pairing Bayern Munich to win and the total to clear 2.5 goals.
Neither of these defenses shined during the League Phase, as they each allowed at least 12 goals across the eight matches. Furthermore, both offenses have been in excellent form. Bayern is 4-0-0 across its last four contests overall, averaging 3.0 goals per match. Celtic is 3-0-0 in its last three Scottish Premiership matches, and they've put up 14 goals during the three-game stretch. This will be much tougher competition than the domestic squads in Scotland, so I don't expect a 3+ goal outing from Celtic, but I do think they'll manage to find the back of the net in front of their home crowd. My prediction for this game is 2-1 or 3-1 in favor of Bayern. Let's take Bayern to win and for the total to go over 2.5 goals.
Bet: Bayern to Win & Over 2.5 Goals (-140)
Feyenoord (+225) vs. AC Milan (+115), DRAW (+265) | O/U 2.5 (-145/+115)
One of the other afternoon matches in Europe on Wednesday pits Netherlands' Feyenoord against Italy's AC Milan. The Dutch squad placed 19th with a record of 4-1-3 (13 points), while visiting AC Milan went 5-0-3 (15 points), earning the 13th spot in the table. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET from Stadion Feijenoord in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
With Feyenoord having a home-pitch advantage, I believe they'll be able to hang around in this match, at least capturing a draw. They were pretty inconsistent during the League Phase, but they won their two recent home matches, which included a 3-0 shocker against Bayern Munich. The Club on the Meuse also drew 3-3 with Manchester City on the road, so they're not afraid to compete with the juggernauts of Europe.
Meanwhile, AC Milan is a bit shaky away from San Siro. They'll likely be pleased with taking a draw back home for the second leg of this aggregate. The Italian side finished with a +3 GD (14 GF: 11 GA), while the Dutch team logged a mark of -3 (18 GF: 21 GA). So, while the League Phase was pretty volatile for each team, they both ended up right around even in terms of goal differential. This should be a tightly contested clash, and I think it's worth sprinkling on the draw at +265.
Bet: Draw (+265)
