Olympiacos vs. Arsenal Thursday Europa League Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions

Olympiacos vs. Arsenal Thursday Europa League Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions article feature image
Credit:

Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images. Pictured: Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, center, celebrates a goal with his teammates.

  • Olympiacos and Arsenal meet in the Round of 16 of Europa League on Thursday for the first of a two-game set.
  • The two teams have played one another close in their head-to-head history, but Jeremy Pond explains why there's value on the Greek power.
  • Check out his breakdown of the odds and the matchup below.

Olympiacos vs. Arsenal Odds

Olympiacos Odds+320
Arsenal Odds-112
Draw+250
Over/Under2.5 (-107 / -117) 
Day | TimeThursday | 3 p.m. ET
How To WatchParamount+
Odds as of Wednesday afternoon via DraftKings.

Things should get interesting Thursday when Greek power Olympiacos hosts Arsenal in the Round of 16 of Europa League action at Karaiskakis Stadium.

This two-game set will be a rematch of last season's Round-of-32 tie in this competition that saw "The Legend" (yes, that's Olympiacos' nickname) end the Gunners' tournament and championship dream.

These sides had tough draws in the Round of 32, both advancing via one-goal aggregate score lines. Olympiacos moved on via a 5-4 aggregate advantage against Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven, while its Premier League foe secured a 4-3 aggregate win over Portuguese side Benfica.

If you're looking for any kind of historical edge one of these clubs might have over the other, you're going to be disappointed. In 10 matches across all competitions, Arsenal and Olympiacos have five wins each.

Olympiacos

Manager Pedro Martins and his club are in the middle of another fantastic season in southeastern Europe. The Legend is cruising along in domestic competition, sitting comfortably atop Super League Greece with an 16-point advantage over Aris and AEK Athens.

Olympiacos could not be in any better form entering this fixture as well. The Greek stalwart is unbeaten in 16 of its last 18 matches, which includes 13 victories. It's lone league setback came in a 2-1 defeat against Panathinaikos in a Valentine's Day upset.

When it comes to Europa play, Olympiacos got a leg up on its Eredivisie foe with 4-2 win in their opening leg before suffering a 2-1 loss in the playback in the Netherlands in the Round of 32 of the competition.

Veteran Moroccan international Youssef El-Arabi leads Olympiacos with 18 goals this season. Greek standout Kostas Fortounis (seven goals/10 assists) and fellow countryman Giorgos Masouras (seven goals/four assists) headline the supporting cast.

Arsenal

The Gunners, winners of seven of their last eight Europa matches, are keen on getting a big win away from home in the opener. Arsenal cruised through the group stage, conceding just five goals in six victories against no losses, before disposing of its Portuguese foe in the opening section of the knockout phase.

Powered by stars Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (nine goals apiece), the Gunners have feasted on the Europa competition thus far. They've scored at least three goals in six of their last seven tournament fixtures, so the Olympiacos defense will have to put in a stellar shift.

When it comes to advanced metrics in England's top flight, Arsenal has accumulated some respectable numbers this season. The Gunners sit 37.5 xG and 32.0 xGA, generating a +5.5 xGDiff and +0.20 xGDiff/90 minutes.

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Betting Analysis & Picks

Olympiacos has a brutal overall record against English opposition in major European showcases, picking up just two wins in its last 11 matches. However, both of those victories came against — you guessed it — Arsenal.

If you combine the fact the Greek side has been fantastic at Karaiskakis Stadium with Arsenal struggling mightily on the road (one win in their last five away from Emirates Stadium), you have to like the home underdog's chances.

For those reasons, I am taking a swing on Olympiacos via a Draw No Bet wager at ripe +205 odds on DraftKings as my top pick. The Legend knows it needs a result before the return leg at the Emirates, so expect it to come out on the front foot in this affair.

I also fancy both teams scoring at a fair price. Arsenal scored a stunning 20 goals in the group stage of the competition, plus they've found the back of the net at least once in seven of their last 10 games.

As for Olympiacos, the club has notched at least one goal in 17 consecutive matches across all competitions. The last time the Greek outfit was shut out happened in a 2-0 defeat against Porto more than three months ago in Champions League play.

Picks: Olympiacos — Draw No Bet (+205) | Both Teams To Score — Yes (-130)

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