Champions League Betting Picks for Wednesday 3/6/24: Will Real Madrid Dominate at Home?

Two more return legs take place on Wednesday in the Champions League.

When looking at the Champions League soccer odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, which bets make the most sense for this match day?

Champions League Betting: 3/6/24

FC Copenhagen at Manchester City (3 p.m. ET)

Over 3.5 goals (-102)

We have to get creative to figure out what we should bet on a big mismatch like this one, so I am targeting a lofty total.

The first leg between these teams finished 3-1 to Manchester City. Some were probably surprised that it was even that close. The defending champions of this competition, Man City created 3.3 expected goals (xG), per FBRef's xG model.

As good as Manchester City are, they haven't been able to keep many clean sheets lately. They have conceded a goal in nine of their past 15 matches. That would give us another avenue to potentially hit the over in this match, and FC Copenhagen did obviously score in the first leg.

It would likely require Man City to keep their foot on the gas to get over the total, but they have done that in the past. In 2019, they beat Schalke, 7-0, in the home leg after winning the first leg. Last season, City did the same thing, beating RB Leipzig by a 7-0 score after drawing the first leg away from home. There is a track record of Pep Guardiola proving that he isn't too concerned with resting players in this kind of situation.

City are definitely capable of covering this number by themselves, so I don't mind laying the short odds on over 3.5 goals.

RB Leipzig at Real Madrid (3 p.m. ET)

Real Madrid -1.5 (+150)

Real Madrid won the first leg, 1-0, away from home in a tightly-contested affair. This one might be more in their favor.

The first meeting in Germany saw each team produce 1.4 xG despite Leipzig getting a whopping nine shots on target. Madrid's keeper, Andriy Lunin, was the best player on the pitch that day.

They'll have their actual best player back in the lineup for this meeting. Jude Bellingham missed the first leg due to injury but will be returning to the lineup. Brahim Diaz filled in nicely for him but will now add flexibility from the bench.

Part of the reason we liked Madrid in the first leg was because of the horrible form RB Leipzig have been in since the start of 2024. They've won just three of nine games this calendar year, all against relegation candidates in the Bundesliga.

Madrid are unbeaten at home this season, with the only blemish on their record being a draw against crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid. It feels unlikely that Leipzig will be able to keep up with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

We're getting great odds on Madrid to win by two or more in a game they should control.

Player Props

Jude Bellingham to Score (+140): Everyone knew Bellingham was talented before he transferred from Dortmund to Real Madrid this past summer. What perhaps wasn't known was his goal scoring.

Bellingham leads La Liga with 16 goals despite an injury that caused him to miss some time in February. He also doesn't play as a striker, but that hasn't hurt him.

If Madrid can dominate this game, Bellingham should be able to find the space that he normally does to score goals. We are getting somewhat of an odds boost because of his position, because a forward on a big favorite who leads his league in goals would most likely be closer to even money to score.

Phil Foden to Assist (+210): If we expect Man City to score a lot of goals, Phil Foden should be involved in some of them.

Foden has seven Premier League assists this season. Some of that came when he was taking set pieces with Kevin De Bruyne injured, but Foden still can create from his wide position.

These are great odds to get on a player who has been in superb form of late, especially in a mismatch like this clash should be.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.