The first leg matches in the Champions League round of 16 begin on February 15th and heading into the knockout stage 2009 champion Barcelona has the best odds to win it all followed by rival Real Madrid and Chelsea.
Here is a quick preview of each of the first leg Champions League odds and matchups. (Home team is listed first).
AC Milan -117
Tottenham +315
Draw +230
AC Milan is on resurgence as a premier club and they are in first place in Italy Serie A. Tottenham has played well this season in the Premier League. Even though Tottenham was linked to several high-profile players before the transfer deadline they did not bring in any big stars.
The AC Milan defense has to keep striker Gareth Bale in check. Tottenham already beat Inter Milan in the Champions League group stages this season. Take AC Milan, as they are a on a mission this season and will go far in the Champions League.
Valencia-133
Schalke04 +340
Draw +250
Valencia must be happy with this draw facing a Schalke04 club that has had a disastrous season and in the beginning of February is not even in the top 10 teams in the Bundesliga.
AS Roma -105
Shakhtar Donetsk +260
Draw +240
AS Roma is heavily favored in this match, but they cannot take Shakhtar Donetsk for granted, as they have played well in the Ukrainian League this season and they are no strangers to big international matches since they are former UEFA Cup champions.
Ex Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva is key in this match, as he has to provide the away club with some offense. AS Roma really cannot afford even a draw, as Shakhtar Donetsk is a very tough to beat at home.
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Arsenal +275
Barcelona -111
Draw +245
Man, what a first round match up! Arsenal's Samir Nasri will have to cause problems in the stellar Barcelona midfield for the Gunners to win this match. The Arsenal defense also has to figure out how to contain 2-time FIFA player of the year Lionel Messi. Arsenal will need some offensive attacking in this match, especially from Cesc Fabregas, but that will not be easy against an ultra-stingy Barca defense.
FC Copenhagen +475
Chelsea -181
Draw +280
Really? FC Copenhagen in the round of 16? The Danish side is big underdogs at home, but on top of the fact that Chelsea has struggled after a red-hot start the home squad did beat FK Rubin Kazan and played Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in the Champions League group stage on their pitch.
Still, Chelsea has way too much firepower up front and they are simply a much better team, so even a draw would be a HUGE shock.
Lyon +315
Real Madrid -125
Draw +250
This match up is a déjà vu since Lyon eliminated Real Madrid last season in the Champions League. This time around Cristiano Ronaldo and a healthy Kaka will be tough to contain AND Real now has head coach Jose Mourinho, who guided Inter Milan to the Champions League title last season. Real Madrid will not be shocked again.
Marseille +250
Manchester United +105
Draw +225
Marseilles has been up and down in the French League this season and they host a Manchester United team that is playing great and leads the England Premier League. Can Marseille contain all the scoring threats of Man U? Not likely.
Inter Milan+115
Bayern Munich +225
Draw +225
This is an interesting first round match since these elite clubs met each other in last season's final. Defending champion Inter Milan started off the season badly, but have played much better when they changed head coaches. The injury bug has hit them hard and their big guns are starting to get healthy.
Samuel Eto'o, Wesley Sneijder, Diego Milito, and Júlio César must be healthy for them to win this encounter with Bayern much less defend their title. Bayern MF Mark van Bomme must control the midfield for the away team to win this match.
Champion League Future Odds:
Here are the Champions League Futures at Sportsbook as of February 2nd.
Barcelona +225
Real Madrid +350
Chelsea +500
Manchester United +800
Arsenal +1400
Tottenham +1600
Bayern Munich +1600
Inter Milan +2500
AC Milan +2500
Roma +5000
Shakhtar Donetsk +6600
Valencia +6600
Lyon +10000
Schalke 04 +10000
Marseille +15000
FC Copenhagen +15000
