Odds to Win 2019-20 Europa League: Man United Leads Board
It has been a disappointing season in Premier League action for Manchester United, which prepares to return from break lagging below the line on the league table. However, the club’s prospects for success in this season’s UEFA Europa League are considerably brighter, as they get ready to head into the Round of 32 perched as +550 betting favorites to win the title.
Red Devils Turn Focus to Europe
Since closing out the first half of the EPL campaign on New Year’s Day with a disappointing 2-0 loss to Arsenal FC, the Red Devils have continued to struggle. The club settled for a scoreless draw with Wolverhampton in FA Cup action before falling to Manchester City by a 3-1 score in League Cup play, and has now posted just three wins in eight matches across all competitions.
But it has been a different story in Europa League action, with Manchester United keeping clean sheets in five of six matches on its way to a first-place finish in Group L. The club’s impressive run through the group stage set the stage for a favorable Round of 32 draw, resulting in a matchup with Club Brugges that kicks off on the home turf of the Belgian side at Jan Breydel Stadium on February 20.
The Red Devils have dominated Brugges in two previous meetings, outgunning the 15-time Belgian First Division champions by a 7-1 margin in a pair of Champions League matchups in 2015. But while Manchester United looks poised to advance to the Round of 16 for the third time in as many Europa League appearances, they face stiff competition on the Europa League odds entering the knockout stage, most notably from five-time champion Sevilla FC, which closely trails as +650 second favorites.
Five-Time Champions on the Rise
Pegged as a +900 wager at the outset of the Europa League season, Sevilla impressed during the group stage, marching to a 5-0-1 win-draw-loss record while outscoring opponents by a 14-3 margin. They dropped a 1-0 decision in a meaningless matchup with APOEL to close out the group stage, and followed up with a 2-1 loss to Villarreal in La Liga play, but have otherwise impressed across all competitions, piling up a 15-5-5 record in 25 outings.
While the club also enjoyed a favorable Round of 32 draw that will pit them against Romanian side CFR Cluj to kick off the knockout stage, it is their consistent success in the Europa League that makes Sevilla such an attractive wager. Sevilla has claimed the UEL crown in each of their past three appearances, and have gone on to claim the title in each of their past five appearances in the knockout stage.
Arsenal is Slipping on the Odds
Further down the Europa League odds, Inter Milan sits third at +750 on the betting futures. Following a somewhat disappointing 3-2-1 run through the group stage, and a difficult Round of 32 matchup with Greece’s Olympiakos, the Gunners now join Ajax at +800, well back of their position as opening +500 favorites on the tournament lines.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Manchester United | +550 |
| Sevilla | +650 |
| Inter Milan | +750 |
| Ajax | +800 |
| Arsenal | +800 |
| Wolverhampton | +1100 |
| FC Salzburg | +1200 |
| AS Roma | +1600 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | +2500 |
| Benfica | +3300 |
| Celtic | +4000 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | +4000 |
| Porto | +4000 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | +4000 |
| FC Shakhtar Donetsk | +5000 |
| Getafe | +5000 |
| Sporting CP | +5000 |
| Basel | +6600 |
| Espanyol | +6600 |
| AZ Alkmaar | +8000 |
| Club Brugge | +10000 |
| FC Copenhagen | +10000 |
| Gent | +10000 |
| Istanbul Basaksehir | +10000 |
| Olympiakos | +10000 |
| Rangers | +10000 |
| Sporting Braga | +10000 |
| LASK Linz | +12500 |
| Malmo FF | +15000 |
| Ludogorets | +20000 |
| CFR Cluj | +25000 |
| APOEL Nicosia | +50000 |
Odds as of January 9 at Bovada
Understanding Europa Odds
When you check out any top-tier betting site, you’ll see soccer lines displayed like so:
Man United +550
AS Roma +700
VFL Wolfsburg +1100
AS Sainte Etienne +2200
The team with the lowest odds is the favorite, whereas the rest are underdogs. Here, it’s Man U at +550. Let’s say you believe it’s AS Roma’s time to shine and throw down $100 on them. A winning futures bet would give you a payout of $800 – your original money is returned, coupled with your $700 loot.
To see what you’d win based on the odds offered by the betting site and amount you wager, see our Odds Calculator.
What is a futures bet on International Soccer?
Any bet that you make in advance of a major sporting event is a futures wager. In this case, you’re betting on the Europa League winner. It can be argued that all sports bets are made prior to an event; however, this type of wager can be made weeks or months before gameplay even begins.
If you see odds you like, you should jump on them. When oddsmakers set the betting action, they will change as group play progresses. The lines may not move as quickly as they do for other leagues like the NFL (which is played weekly), but the odds will shift as we near the finals and you want to get as much out of your bets should you win.
