Champions League QF betting tips & top value bets – 7/4/2022

It’s the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals and teams may be starting to feel the pressure. With some all-star players slated to take the field, it will be an intriguing day of games. These are our betting picks for Thursday’s Champions League fixtures.

Chelsea vs Real Madrid

This will be the game of the day. For some reason, Real Madrid are being disrespected and they are big underdogs. That shouldn’t be the case. Other than having to play away, Real have advantages all over the pitch and are just playing better football right now. Karim Benzema, Real’s star striker, is a legitimate stud and you will be hard pressed to find a better goalscorer at this moment. Real have a history of going far in the Champions League and have a record 13 tournament wins. They also won three in a row from 2015-2018 and while their team has changed since then, that pedigree matters. Madrid will not act like underdogs and will expect to win this game. Against a team going through adversity, we expect them to do just that.

Chelsea are no slouches. They miraculously won the Champions League last year, but this time it feels different. They are going through drama with their Russian owner, Roman Abramovich, and that has fed into their play. Over the weekend, Chelsea were smashed 4-1 by an inferior Brentford squad in the English Premier League, so they will be limping into this game. Of course, Chelsea will be boosted by their home fans, but they simply are not as good as Real Madrid. This should be a testy affair and both teams will be content to not take risks. However, Real just have more guys who can produce something special, and that will be the difference in this matchup. Take Real at +260 with Marantelli Bet and hope they can win a close one.

Villarreal vs Bayern Munich

After backing the underdog in the last matchup, the favorite is the pick in this game. Villarreal have surprised in this tournament but are running into a buzzsaw. Up and down the squad list, there may not be a better team than Bayern Munich. They are absolutely loaded at each position and will have an athleticism advantage against most teams. It will be on full display in this fixture and Bayern should overwhelm Villarreal. Obviously, they are playing away and that makes things tough, but Bayern will be looking to build a lead in the first leg. The German giants expect to win the title and should take care of business against a scrappy Villarreal squad.

This all is nothing against Villarreal – they are a class squad – but Bayern are just a step above. The six-time European Cup winners have better players at each and every position and shouldn’t be too troubled by the Spanish side. It is hard to see a way Villarreal can compete in this game; they just won’t be able to keep up. Expect Bayern to win by three and Villarreal’s impressive run to come to an end. They are a fun squad but Bayern is a different animal. Take Bayern at this heavy line and watch them cook against a team that is just happy to be here at this point.

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