CL Best Bets – Tuesday
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
UEFA Champions League Round of 16 - Second Legs
Tuesday, Mar. 12
Games scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET
Manchester City vs. Schalke 04
Manchester City are the favourites to win every tournament they are still in. The League Cup is sewn up. They lead the Premier League and seemingly only Manchester United stand in their way in the FA Cup. But the Champions League has always eluded City since they became rich. Their record is poor, but the 9/4 shots can make it an easy path to the quarter-final by finishing the job against Schalke 04.
City survived a scare to win 3-2 in Gelsenkirchen with late goals from Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling. They are incredibly short to win here at 1/7, but Schalke’s standing in the Bundesliga - they are 14th - combined with City’s normal prices against lower Premier League teams and the Premier League’s recent dominance of the Bundesliga in European head-to-heads means even this price looks about fair.
But the best bet may be to get on Raheem Sterling to score first. The City winger is 9/2 and is almost bound to start having been taken off quite early after netting a hat-trick against Watford on Saturday. Sterling is enjoying the best season of his career so far and has scored 18 goals and looks the pick of the favourites to score first.Tip: Raheem Sterling to score first at 9/2
Prediction: Manchester City 3-0 Schalke 04
Juventus vs. Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid proved their credentials as possibly the most awkward opponents in knockout football in Europe as they beat Juventus 2-0 in the first leg at home. Juventus are still unbeaten in the league as they march relentlessly towards yet another Scudetto, but their European form has been patchy.
However remarkable comebacks by Ajax and Manchester United will give Massimiliano Allegri confidence that his side can overturn the odds. They are 10/3 to qualify with Atletico 1/5.
Juventus have scored in every home game this season, and Atletico know that they probably only need one goal to go through. Juventus are going to have to take risks to which they are unaccustomed.
But at 8/11 and given the fact that several losing scorelines would see Atletico qualify, a bet on Juventus to win the game in 90 minutes looks the best option. They qualified in adversity against Tottenham Hotspur at this stage last year, and although Atletico are shrewder opposition, do not bet against Juve at least getting close here.
Tip: Juventus to win at 8/11
Prediction: Juventus 2-1 Atletico Madrid
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