Betting Tips
UCL Playoff Round: Betting Tips & Expert Analysis + Bonus EPL Game
by Chike Nwoye
12 Feb 2025
The football gods have blessed us with 8 Champions League fixtures this midweek and it’s time for us to bless your pockets with our bet predictions. Here’s how you can flip ₦2,000 into over ₦1.5m this midweek starting with the game of the week; Manchester City vs. Real Madrid.
Our Picks:
● Bet Builder: Real Madrid Win or Draw + Over 1.5 Goals @2.05
● Ousmane Dembele Anytime Scorer @2.00
● Sporting CP vs. Dortmund: Over 2.5 Total Goals @1.72
● Bet Builder: Mateo Retegu Anytime Scorer + Over 2.5 Goals @3.50
● Bayern Munich Under 2.5 Goals @1.73
● Feyenoord vs. MIlan: Over 2.5 Goals @1.68
● Vangelis Pavlidis Anytime Scorer @2.85
● Mo Salah Anytime Scorer @1.92
● Total Odds: 621.60
● Booking Code: VX2JUZ
● Acca Bonus: ₦310,802.00
Man City vs. Real Madrid
For the fourth straight season, these two giants will clash in Europe’s biggest competition. Normally, this is the matchup you'd expect in the late stages—or even the Champions League final itself—but thanks to some underwhelming group-stage performances, they find themselves battling it out in the playoffs. It’s annoying knowing one of them won’t make the Round of 16, but let’s be real—the loser will have only themselves to blame.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: Real Madrid take this one. Honestly, I can see that. Man City just haven’t been themselves this season, already losing more games than they did in the past two seasons combined… and it’s only February. Just this past weekend, they needed a second-half comeback to dodge an embarrassing FA Cup exit against League One’s Leyton Orient. Their defense? A mess—just nine clean sheets in 37 games and, if you can believe it, they’ve conceded more goals than Man United this season.
Madrid, on the other hand, have looked much stronger, but injuries remain a concern. Militao, Alaba, and Rüdiger are all sidelined, meaning we could see a makeshift center-back pairing of Tchouaméni and Valverde. Still, with an attack featuring Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham, I’d say the reigning champs have the upper hand against this version of Man City.
Betting Tips:
● Bet Builder: Real Madrid Win or Draw + Over 1.5 Goals @2.05
Brest vs. PSG
This will be the first time ever that these two teams face off against another French side in European competition, but they’re no strangers to each other. In fact, they went head-to-head in this very stadium just a few weeks ago for their second Ligue 1 clash of the season, with PSG once again taking all three points—just like they did in September.
That 5-2 win saw Ousmane Dembélé steal the show with a hat-trick, while Gonçalo Ramos added a late brace. PSG were in control for most of the match, aside from a few nervy moments in the second half, and never really looked in danger of slipping up.
That victory extended their dominance over Brest to a staggering 30-game unbeaten streak across all competitions. Yes, 30, with a big three and a big zero. And honestly, I don’t see that changing soon—especially with Dembélé in the form of his life.
The Frenchman has bagged 21 goals in 27 games this season, including five against Brest alone. My bet of the day? Him finding the back of the net yet again for the French champions. I mean, we can consider him scoring sure odds at this point.
Betting Tips:
● Ousmane Dembele Anytime Scorer @2.00
Juventus vs. PSV Eindhoven
Despite both clubs being former European champions and regulars in this competition, Juventus and PSV have only crossed paths once before in Europe. That first meeting wasn’t too long ago—it was on Matchday 1, where Juventus came out on top with a 3-1 win.
The Old Lady will hope for a repeat performance, but PSV would argue they’ve improved since that loss. After grinding out draws against Sporting CP (back when Amorim was still in charge) and PSG, they went on a solid run, picking up wins over Girona, Shakhtar Donetsk, Red Star, and Liverpool to secure a playoff spot.
Juventus have been rock-solid at the back, conceding just seven goals in the group stage—compared to PSV’s 12. But, their attack has been anything but explosive, with only nine goals scored, making them the least prolific of the 24 teams still in the competition. That said, considering 33% of those goals came against PSV, they’ll probably back themselves in this tie. And honestly? I’d say they’ve got a point.
Betting Tips:
● Double Chance: Juventus to Win or Draw @1.26
Sporting CP vs. Borussia Dortmund
Talk about unpredictable! Sporting CP haven’t won a single Champions League game since Ruben Amorim left three months ago, and they come into this match on the longest winless run of any team that made it out of the league phase. Meanwhile, Dortmund’s rollercoaster season has already seen them swap out Nuri Sahin for Niko Kovač in the dugout, and they’re coming off a home loss to Stuttgart over the weekend.
With that in mind, my advice to our online betting community is to stick with the goals market. Neither of these teams has shown much defensive stability in recent months, so we could be in for an open, high-scoring affair. There have been 3 or more goals scored in each of Borussia Dortmund's last 4 games while Both Teams have scored in 75% of Sporting’s UCL games this season.
Betting Tips:
Club Brugge vs. Atalanta
In what will be the first-ever meeting between these two sides, Atalanta will look to extend Italy’s dominance over Club Brugge. Brugge hasn’t beaten an Italian team in major European competition in their last 15 attempts (D6 L9), with their last victory coming all the way back in 2003—a 1-0 win over Milan at the San Siro.
Though they narrowly missed out on a Top 8 spot, Atalanta have been outstanding in this campaign, scoring 20 group-stage goals (the third-most) and suffering just one defeat. In Serie A, Mateo Retegui leads the scoring charts with 20 goals, while reigning African Player of the Year Ademola Lookman has chipped in with 10.
They’ve also got three of the league’s top nine assist providers, giving them the perfect mix of goals and creativity. I’d be shocked if they don’t get the job done here—the smart money should be on backing them and we have the best odds for that.
Betting Tips:
Double Chance: Atalanta to Win or Draw @1.29
Bet Builder: Mateo Retegu Anytime Scorer + Over 2.5 Goals @3.50
Celtic vs. Bayern Munich
This one feels straightforward—Bayern Munich should win this tie, no question. The numbers back it up too. Celtic have never beaten Bayern in four Champions League meetings (D1 L3), and Bayern are unbeaten in their last 13 games against Scottish opposition in major European competition (W9 D4).
But here’s the tricky part—Celtic Park has a habit of producing the occasional shock. Who can forget that legendary 2-1 win over Barcelona, where Celtic had just five shots (and 11% possession) compared to Barça’s 23 (and 89% possession)?
Earlier this season, they had a 3-1 over a much fancied RB Leipzig side. Plus, they’ve won 11 straight home games, so you know the atmosphere will be electric. So, here’s my bold call: Celtic avoid defeat in this first leg but ultimately get eliminated when they go to Germany next week for the return fixture.
Betting Tips:
● Double Chance: Celtic Win or Draw @3.05
● Bayern Munich Under 2.5 Goals @1.73
Feyenoord vs. AC Milan
Santiago Giménez didn’t have to wait long for a reunion with his former teammates, as the new Milan signing returns to familiar territory in the Netherlands.
After battling injuries in the first four matchdays, he finished strong with five goals in his last four games, playing a key role in Feyenoord’s playoff qualification. Since his €28.5m switch to Milan, he’s hit the ground running, bagging a goal and an assist in his first two appearances as Milan secured wins over AS Roma (Coppa Italia) and Empoli (Serie A).
Feyenoord have already shown they can go toe-to-toe with Europe’s elite—just ask Man City, who saw them score three late goals in a wild 3-3 draw, or Bayern, who fell 3-0 on Matchday 7. But they’ve also had their fair share of disasters, starting their campaign with a brutal 4-0 loss to Leverkusen and ending with a 6-1 hammering from Lille. One thing’s for sure, though—goals are inevitable. All eight of their group-stage games saw at least three goals, and Both Teams found the net in six of them. Expect another high-scoring affair.
Betting Tips:
Monaco vs. Benfica
In a rematch of their Matchday 5 showdown at Stade Louis II, Monaco will hope for a better outcome this time. A 58th-minute red card for Wilfried Singo left them with too much to do as they fell 3-2 to the Portuguese side.
Benfica have been one of the most entertaining teams in this season’s competition, mixing big wins—like a 4-0 demolition of Atleti and a 2-0 victory over Juventus—with absolute chaos, like their 5-4 loss to Barcelona in a nine-goal thriller where Vangelis Pavlidis bagged a first-half hat-trick.
Speaking of Pavlidis, after a fairly quiet 2024, he’s kicked off 2025 in red-hot form—scoring four and assisting one in two Champions League games while adding three goals and an assist in his last two Liga Portugal matches. Since he was on the scoresheet when these sides met on Matchday 5, I’m backing him for another big performance here.
Betting Tips:
● Vangelis Pavlidis Anytime Scorer @2.85
Everton vs. Liverpool
With both teams fresh off FA Cup exits, this already fiery Merseyside Derby just got even more intense. Everton’s home loss to Bournemouth was a tough pill to swallow, but given the Cherries' fine form this season, it’s at least understandable. Liverpool, though? A 1-0 defeat to bottom-of-the-Championship Plymouth Argyle has left English football in shock. The “Magic of the FA Cup,” huh?
Everton took the last meeting 2-0 back in April and will chase back-to-back league wins over their biggest rivals—something they haven’t pulled off since the mid-80s.
But Liverpool have owned this fixture, sitting just one win away from a historic 100 victories over Everton in all competitions, a feat they’ve only managed against Aston Villa (103). Hard to bet against that, right?
Mo Salah is someone who you can bet will influence the outcome of this match. The Egyptian leads both the Premier League scoring (21) and assists (13) charts, and he loves playing against Everton—six goals and one assist in his last eight derby appearances. Oh, and he was rested for that FA Cup disaster, so expect him to come out firing. I’m backing him to lead the Reds to victory.
Betting Tips:
● Mo Salah Anytime Scorer @1.92
BetKing, the best betting site in Nigeria, offers you the chance to win big by betting on UEFA tournaments like the Champions League, Europa League & Europa Conference League. Join us today to get value for money. Try out the best betting app in the market and book a bet today to start your journey towards winning millions.
The football gods have blessed us with 8 Champions League fixtures this midweek and it’s time for us to bless your pockets with our bet predictions. Here’s how you can flip ₦2,000 into over ₦1.5m this midweek starting with the game of the week; Manchester City vs. Real Madrid.
Our Picks:
● Bet Builder: Real Madrid Win or Draw + Over 1.5 Goals @2.05
● Ousmane Dembele Anytime Scorer @2.00
● Sporting CP vs. Dortmund: Over 2.5 Total Goals @1.72
● Bet Builder: Mateo Retegu Anytime Scorer + Over 2.5 Goals @3.50
● Bayern Munich Under 2.5 Goals @1.73
● Feyenoord vs. MIlan: Over 2.5 Goals @1.68
● Vangelis Pavlidis Anytime Scorer @2.85
● Mo Salah Anytime Scorer @1.92
● Total Odds: 621.60
● Booking Code: VX2JUZ
● Acca Bonus: ₦310,802.00
Man City vs. Real Madrid
For the fourth straight season, these two giants will clash in Europe’s biggest competition. Normally, this is the matchup you'd expect in the late stages—or even the Champions League final itself—but thanks to some underwhelming group-stage performances, they find themselves battling it out in the playoffs. It’s annoying knowing one of them won’t make the Round of 16, but let’s be real—the loser will have only themselves to blame.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: Real Madrid take this one. Honestly, I can see that. Man City just haven’t been themselves this season, already losing more games than they did in the past two seasons combined… and it’s only February. Just this past weekend, they needed a second-half comeback to dodge an embarrassing FA Cup exit against League One’s Leyton Orient. Their defense? A mess—just nine clean sheets in 37 games and, if you can believe it, they’ve conceded more goals than Man United this season.
Madrid, on the other hand, have looked much stronger, but injuries remain a concern. Militao, Alaba, and Rüdiger are all sidelined, meaning we could see a makeshift center-back pairing of Tchouaméni and Valverde. Still, with an attack featuring Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham, I’d say the reigning champs have the upper hand against this version of Man City.
Betting Tips:
● Bet Builder: Real Madrid Win or Draw + Over 1.5 Goals @2.05
Brest vs. PSG
This will be the first time ever that these two teams face off against another French side in European competition, but they’re no strangers to each other. In fact, they went head-to-head in this very stadium just a few weeks ago for their second Ligue 1 clash of the season, with PSG once again taking all three points—just like they did in September.
That 5-2 win saw Ousmane Dembélé steal the show with a hat-trick, while Gonçalo Ramos added a late brace. PSG were in control for most of the match, aside from a few nervy moments in the second half, and never really looked in danger of slipping up.
That victory extended their dominance over Brest to a staggering 30-game unbeaten streak across all competitions. Yes, 30, with a big three and a big zero. And honestly, I don’t see that changing soon—especially with Dembélé in the form of his life.
The Frenchman has bagged 21 goals in 27 games this season, including five against Brest alone. My bet of the day? Him finding the back of the net yet again for the French champions. I mean, we can consider him scoring sure odds at this point.
Betting Tips:
● Ousmane Dembele Anytime Scorer @2.00
Juventus vs. PSV Eindhoven
Despite both clubs being former European champions and regulars in this competition, Juventus and PSV have only crossed paths once before in Europe. That first meeting wasn’t too long ago—it was on Matchday 1, where Juventus came out on top with a 3-1 win.
The Old Lady will hope for a repeat performance, but PSV would argue they’ve improved since that loss. After grinding out draws against Sporting CP (back when Amorim was still in charge) and PSG, they went on a solid run, picking up wins over Girona, Shakhtar Donetsk, Red Star, and Liverpool to secure a playoff spot.
Juventus have been rock-solid at the back, conceding just seven goals in the group stage—compared to PSV’s 12. But, their attack has been anything but explosive, with only nine goals scored, making them the least prolific of the 24 teams still in the competition. That said, considering 33% of those goals came against PSV, they’ll probably back themselves in this tie. And honestly? I’d say they’ve got a point.
Betting Tips:
● Double Chance: Juventus to Win or Draw @1.26
Sporting CP vs. Borussia Dortmund
Talk about unpredictable! Sporting CP haven’t won a single Champions League game since Ruben Amorim left three months ago, and they come into this match on the longest winless run of any team that made it out of the league phase. Meanwhile, Dortmund’s rollercoaster season has already seen them swap out Nuri Sahin for Niko Kovač in the dugout, and they’re coming off a home loss to Stuttgart over the weekend.
With that in mind, my advice to our online betting community is to stick with the goals market. Neither of these teams has shown much defensive stability in recent months, so we could be in for an open, high-scoring affair. There have been 3 or more goals scored in each of Borussia Dortmund's last 4 games while Both Teams have scored in 75% of Sporting’s UCL games this season.
Betting Tips:
Club Brugge vs. Atalanta
In what will be the first-ever meeting between these two sides, Atalanta will look to extend Italy’s dominance over Club Brugge. Brugge hasn’t beaten an Italian team in major European competition in their last 15 attempts (D6 L9), with their last victory coming all the way back in 2003—a 1-0 win over Milan at the San Siro.
Though they narrowly missed out on a Top 8 spot, Atalanta have been outstanding in this campaign, scoring 20 group-stage goals (the third-most) and suffering just one defeat. In Serie A, Mateo Retegui leads the scoring charts with 20 goals, while reigning African Player of the Year Ademola Lookman has chipped in with 10.
They’ve also got three of the league’s top nine assist providers, giving them the perfect mix of goals and creativity. I’d be shocked if they don’t get the job done here—the smart money should be on backing them and we have the best odds for that.
Betting Tips:
Double Chance: Atalanta to Win or Draw @1.29
Bet Builder: Mateo Retegu Anytime Scorer + Over 2.5 Goals @3.50
Celtic vs. Bayern Munich
This one feels straightforward—Bayern Munich should win this tie, no question. The numbers back it up too. Celtic have never beaten Bayern in four Champions League meetings (D1 L3), and Bayern are unbeaten in their last 13 games against Scottish opposition in major European competition (W9 D4).
But here’s the tricky part—Celtic Park has a habit of producing the occasional shock. Who can forget that legendary 2-1 win over Barcelona, where Celtic had just five shots (and 11% possession) compared to Barça’s 23 (and 89% possession)?
Earlier this season, they had a 3-1 over a much fancied RB Leipzig side. Plus, they’ve won 11 straight home games, so you know the atmosphere will be electric. So, here’s my bold call: Celtic avoid defeat in this first leg but ultimately get eliminated when they go to Germany next week for the return fixture.
Betting Tips:
● Double Chance: Celtic Win or Draw @3.05
● Bayern Munich Under 2.5 Goals @1.73
Feyenoord vs. AC Milan
Santiago Giménez didn’t have to wait long for a reunion with his former teammates, as the new Milan signing returns to familiar territory in the Netherlands.
After battling injuries in the first four matchdays, he finished strong with five goals in his last four games, playing a key role in Feyenoord’s playoff qualification. Since his €28.5m switch to Milan, he’s hit the ground running, bagging a goal and an assist in his first two appearances as Milan secured wins over AS Roma (Coppa Italia) and Empoli (Serie A).
Feyenoord have already shown they can go toe-to-toe with Europe’s elite—just ask Man City, who saw them score three late goals in a wild 3-3 draw, or Bayern, who fell 3-0 on Matchday 7. But they’ve also had their fair share of disasters, starting their campaign with a brutal 4-0 loss to Leverkusen and ending with a 6-1 hammering from Lille. One thing’s for sure, though—goals are inevitable. All eight of their group-stage games saw at least three goals, and Both Teams found the net in six of them. Expect another high-scoring affair.
Betting Tips:
Monaco vs. Benfica
In a rematch of their Matchday 5 showdown at Stade Louis II, Monaco will hope for a better outcome this time. A 58th-minute red card for Wilfried Singo left them with too much to do as they fell 3-2 to the Portuguese side.
Benfica have been one of the most entertaining teams in this season’s competition, mixing big wins—like a 4-0 demolition of Atleti and a 2-0 victory over Juventus—with absolute chaos, like their 5-4 loss to Barcelona in a nine-goal thriller where Vangelis Pavlidis bagged a first-half hat-trick.
Speaking of Pavlidis, after a fairly quiet 2024, he’s kicked off 2025 in red-hot form—scoring four and assisting one in two Champions League games while adding three goals and an assist in his last two Liga Portugal matches. Since he was on the scoresheet when these sides met on Matchday 5, I’m backing him for another big performance here.
Betting Tips:
● Vangelis Pavlidis Anytime Scorer @2.85
Everton vs. Liverpool
With both teams fresh off FA Cup exits, this already fiery Merseyside Derby just got even more intense. Everton’s home loss to Bournemouth was a tough pill to swallow, but given the Cherries' fine form this season, it’s at least understandable. Liverpool, though? A 1-0 defeat to bottom-of-the-Championship Plymouth Argyle has left English football in shock. The “Magic of the FA Cup,” huh?
Everton took the last meeting 2-0 back in April and will chase back-to-back league wins over their biggest rivals—something they haven’t pulled off since the mid-80s.
But Liverpool have owned this fixture, sitting just one win away from a historic 100 victories over Everton in all competitions, a feat they’ve only managed against Aston Villa (103). Hard to bet against that, right?
Mo Salah is someone who you can bet will influence the outcome of this match. The Egyptian leads both the Premier League scoring (21) and assists (13) charts, and he loves playing against Everton—six goals and one assist in his last eight derby appearances. Oh, and he was rested for that FA Cup disaster, so expect him to come out firing. I’m backing him to lead the Reds to victory.
Betting Tips:
● Mo Salah Anytime Scorer @1.92
BetKing, the best betting site in Nigeria, offers you the chance to win big by betting on UEFA tournaments like the Champions League, Europa League & Europa Conference League. Join us today to get value for money. Try out the best betting app in the market and book a bet today to start your journey towards winning millions.