The UEFA Champions League has reached its first true turning point: the knockout phase. With the "league phase" safety net gone, the European giants face high-stakes, two-legged battles for survival. The margin for error has vanished as teams fight to secure a spot in the next round. For bettors, the road to Budapest is now at its most treacherous and unpredictable.
We have four games to target on Tuesday's Champions League schedule, and our staff has come up with picks for all of them. Continue reading for our Champions League best bets for Tuesday, February 24.
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. | ||
Club Brugge vs. Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid have lost just two of their 17 home matches in the Champions League since the start of the 2022/23 season, winning 13. During that run, they have scored an average of 2.29 goals per game, 1.23 more than they have conceded.
The acquisition of Ademola Lookman has made Atletico Madrid more lethal in attack, so we are unlikely to see a repeat of their last Champions League home game, when they succumbed to defeat against Bodo/Glimt despite having 16 more shots than the away side.
Club Brugge’s only away win in the league phase came against Kairat Almaty, who finished bottom. The Belgian side lost all three away matches where they were odds against on the 1x2 market, just as they are here, conceding nine goals in the process.
Pick: Atletico Madrid To Win
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Olympiacos vs. Bayer Leverkusen
The first leg wasn’t a goal-laden affair, but with Olympiacos having to overcome a two-goal deficit, this game should see far more goalmouth action.
Leverkusen’s Champions League matches have averaged 3.22 goals per game, but that climbs to 4.5 when we include only their four home matches, with this bet winning in two of those games.
Olympiacos have looked vulnerable defensively in both of their away matches against teams who were odds-on to win. Barcelona scored six, while Arsenal netted two. We should expect Leverkusen to create plenty of chances here, even though they don't need any goals to progress.
This bet won in five of the eight knockout play-off second-leg matches last season.
Pick: Over 3.5 Goals
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Bodo Glimt vs. Inter Milan
Inter have left themselves with a lot to do in order to make it to the last 16, with a two-goal deficit following the first leg. However, Cristian Chivu has plenty of quality at his disposal, and his team should be able to get the win on the night at a minimum.
Inter have lost just four of their 19 home matches across all competitions this season, with those defeats coming against Arsenal, Liverpool, Milan, and Udinese. During that run, the Nerazzurri have scored 2.58 goals per game on average, so they certainly have the firepower to topple Bodo/Glimt here.
Bodo/Glimt have just one win in their last 10 away matches in European competition, losing six. They have conceded an average of two goals per game during that period. The last time that the Norwegians were priced over 10.00 on the 1x2 market for a European away game was the 3-1 defeat to Tottenham. They are 11.00 to win this match.
Pick: Inter To Win
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Qarabağ FK vs. Newcastle United
This tie is effectively over as a contest, with Newcastle securing a 6-1 win in the first leg. The Magpies had 22 shots and finished the game with an xG (expected goals) of 5.69, whereas Qarabag had just two shots on target all game.
Newcastle have lost just three of their last 17 home matches across all competitions, winning 11. During that run, they have scored 34 goals. Meanwhile, Qarabag have lost their last three European away matches, conceding 11 goals and scoring just one. The last of those games was a 6-0 defeat against Liverpool.
Although Eddie Howe’s side can afford to be a little complacent, the gulf in class was evident last week. The second leg should also be one-sided, even if the head coach chooses to rotate his squad.
Pick: Newcastle To Win
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