A Midseason Look at the Favorites for Champions League 2018 – 2019

Referred to as soccer here in the U.S., football is the national sport in Europe and so it is with great anticipation that the whole of Europe follows this season’s favorites. While Real Madrid will be seeking a fourth world title, they are going in as the European favorite at 10/1. However, throughout the season, as bettors follow along with their favorite teams and place their sports bets with PlaySugarHouse or the local bookmaker, it’s important to follow the updates before the world tournament begins. Here is what the season looks like so far.

A Word About Online Betting

As of May of this year, the Supreme Court overruled PASPA which was the ruling preventing single-game sports betting, and now the world of online sports betting has gone wild. Even so, the federal government did leave room for each state to make their own regulations on betting, so if you are going to wager on this year’s soccer (football) Champions League, for example, while in the United States, it’s important to learn the laws of the state from which you will be placing the bet.

A Backdrop for This Year’s Excitement

As mentioned above, Real Madrid won the past three consecutive years and are hoping for a fourth successive win which would be the first time ever in European football. Having said that, the excitement is already crescendoing because several teams have been paired off in what is referred to as a “Group of Death.” For those of us here at home, this means two closely matched rivals running neck and neck right up to the finish. An example would be the match between Liverpool (runners-up) and Paris Saint-Germain, French champions going into the tournament. Then there is excitement over Cristiano Ronaldo having returned to his former team, Manchester United, making the tension even greater.

A Quick Look at This Year’s UK Favorites

With all that being said, the current favorites are pretty much as expected. Those teams and their current odds are as follows:

• Manchester City – 9/2 in the first Champions League this season.
• Barcelona – 5/1 as Lionel Messi wears the captain’s armband for the very first time.
• Juventus – 6/1 due to Cristiano Ronaldo joining Portugal this summer coming off the past three European Cup wins.
• Real Madrid – 10/1 is by no means wishful thinking or a stretch of the imagination having come off the last three consecutive European Cup wins.

Are There Any Surprises?

With two thirds of the season yet to play, there are still some teams which may be in the running. Among those are Liverpool and Atletico Madrid who are outsiders that are looking extremely good as the season progresses. With Manchester United at 40/1, it is quite possible that the outsiders may yet surprise fans around the world.

We also mustn’t forget about underdogs like Tottenham (80/1) and Napoli (50/1), as it’s going to be an exciting year ahead after the upcoming break. Bettors are already narrowing down on their odds and although unlikely, there is a bit of room to move their money around as time goes on. With all that talent switching sides, much is still left to be seen. The best advice would be to follow your teams closely because they are just getting geared up. The best is yet to come.