After four games in the league phase, the UEFA Champions League is back in action this Tuesday. Favorites to take the title begin to appear but nothing's settled yet.
With nine games on the schedule this week, our staff has come up clutch with four picks. Continue reading for our UEFA Champions League best bets for Tuesday, November 25.
Champions League Best Bets
The club logos in the table below represent each match that our soccer betting staff is targeting from today's games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Match | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 12:45 p.m. | |
  | 3 p.m. | |
  | 3 p.m. | |
  | 3 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our soccer Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
S.L. Benfica vs. Ajax
The bottom two teams in the UCL league phase, but Benfica has had a tougher set of fixtures to start. The Portuguese side has faced Chelsea, Newcastle, and Leverkusen since Jose Mourinho took charge. They were unfortunate not to win their last match, losing 1-0 despite taking 14 more shots than Leverkusen and finishing the game with a higher xG (expected goals).
A similar level of performance should be enough to beat an Ajax side that is struggling. The Dutch side has conceded the most goals in the league phase, averaging 3.5 per game. Ajax is also the lowest-scoring team in this competition, with just one goal across its four matches.
Poor attacking output, coupled with poor defensive performances, has meant that Ajax has lost all its Champions League matches.
Pick: Benfica To Win (-111)
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Villarreal vs. Borussia Dortmund
For Dortmund, this match presents an excellent opportunity to break into the top eight. They have been outstanding defensively in the Bundesliga, but failed to do the same in Europe. Domestically, they concede on average 0.7 goals per game and have kept six clean sheets. In stark contrast, only seven teams have conceded more goals per game than Dortmund’s 2.8 per game in Europe.
Villarreal has done exceptionally well domestically but has failed to show even a hint of this form in Europe. The Spanish team has a single point after four games but has strong underlying metrics and is one of the best defensive teams in La Liga, tied with Real Madrid with 0.8 goals conceded per game. However, a 1-0 loss to Pafos away, priced as a heavy favourite, showed a level of disinterest in European games.
An awakening is expected from Marcelino’s team in Europe. However, if the visitors opt for a more offensive approach, Dortmund has the quality to outscore them.
Pick: Dortmund To Win (-139)
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Newcastle United vs. Marseille
Newcastle comes into this game full of confidence, having beaten Manchester City 2-1 at the weekend. Eddie Howe’s side take on another capable attacking outfit in the form of Marseille, so we should see plenty of goalmouth action once again.
Marseille also secured a morale-boosting win at the weekend as it beat Nice 5-1. That game saw a total of nine big chances, and the scoreline would have been less emphatic had Nice been more clinical in front of goal. Roberto De Zerbi’s side conceded 15 shots and looked shaky at the back, so backing Newcastle to get on the scoresheet as part of this bet appeals.
There has been an average of 3.41 goals per game in the league phase of the Champions League so far. This pick has won in Newcastle’s last three away matches, with those matches averaging 3.67 goals. Howe’s team has looked vulnerable in recent games on the road, and that should continue here.
Pick: Both Teams To Score – Yes & Over 2.5 Goals (+105)
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Juventus vs. Bodo Glimt
Juventus’s difficult start to the Champions League campaign was a major factor in Igor Tudor’s departure. The Old Lady is still waiting for its first win in the competition, and it faces a stern test away in Norway.
Bodo/Glimt was narrowly beaten 1-0 by Monaco in its last Champions League game. The Norwegian side finished the game with 0.38 more xG (expected goals) than the opponents, so it was a game of fine margins. Kjetil Knutsen’s team is seldom beaten at home. Over the past three seasons, Bodo has played 21 European games at the Aspmyra Stadion, losing just four.
Juve has drawn three and lost one of its Champions League games. That puts it just outside the top 24, which would secure qualification for the round of 16 playoffs. The trip to face Bodo/Glimt promises to be another hard-fought contest, so we are backing the draw.
Pick: Draw (+275)
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