The Champions League is back for another round of games.
The pregame narrative: On Tuesday, Arsenal hosts PSG in what’s debatedly the biggest fixture on Matchday 2. I’m betting on the Gunners to win and am taking the under when Juventus and RB Leipzig meet the following day.
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Champions League picks
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Best Bet: Arsenal to win (-136)
Arsenal advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League last year for the first time since 2009-10, and I expect Mikel Arteta’s squad to build off that success.
The Gunners’ UCL opener was an uneventful scoreless draw against Atalanta but this is a nice spot for them to rebound.
To be fair, they already rebounded with a 5-1 win over Bolton in the FA Cup and a 4-2 win over Leicester City in the Premier League, while also drawing Manchester City 2-2 in a game they probably should have won.
Arsenal is playing fantastic ball right now and is borderline untouchable at the Emirates.
The team is 22-5-3 at home across all competitions in the last two seasons. That includes a 4-1-0 record in the Champions League.
Martin Odegaard remains sidelined but Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all tracking to return from injury, which is huge. Also, Ousmane Dembele will be out for the Parisians and Kylian Mbappe is no longer with the team after joining Real Madrid.
PSG still has some star power but is nowhere near the heights it was a few years ago. This shouldn’t be an issue for Arsenal.
Key stat: Arsenal outscored opponents 15-2 at home in the Champions League last year.
Quick pick
RB Leipzig/Juventus under 2.5 goals (-107): Juventus has cleared this total on its own in two of its last three games, netting a 3-0 win over Genoa in Seria A and a 3-1 win over PSV on Matchday 1 of the Champions League.
But I don’t think goals will come that easily against RB Leipzig and am very bullish on Juve’s defence holding strong.
Thiago Motta has done wonders in his first year as manager, as Juve hasn’t allowed a single goal across six Serie A games but is 3-3-0 thanks to three scoreless draws.
The squad is scoring more lately but Leipzig is a great defensive side, too.
It has allowed just two goals through six Bundesliga games, which is the fewest in the league. Atletico Madrid did beat Leipzig, 2-1, on Matchday 1 but that was contested in Spain’s capital.
Marco Rose’s side should tighten up back home.
Picks made at 12:39 p.m. on 09/30/24.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.