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Champions League Knockout Playoff Leg 2 Picks & Predictions (2025)

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We're entering a critical mid-week schedule of soccer, as eight teams will punch their ticket to the next level of the Champions League knockout stage. Below I'll dive into my three favorite wagers for the upcoming Tuesday and Wednesday action across Europe. Here are my top three Champions League bets for the week. 

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Champions League Knockout Phase Playoff Leg 2 Preview & Best Bets (2025)

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Paris Saint-Germain (-525) vs. Stade Brest (+1200), DRAW (+650) | O/U 3.5 (-115/-110) 

Let's pick it up on Wednesday afternoon, where we have a rare in-country knockout stage match between Paris Saint-Germain and Stade Brest. The Ligue 1 foes played in Guingamp last Tuesday, and it was PSG who dominated the match in a 3-0. The French juggernauts return home to close out the aggregate on Wednesday, and this match kicks off at 3:00 p.m. ET from Parc des Princes in Paris, France. 

I was initially thinking about playing the Under for Brest's team total, which sits at 0.5 goals (-135/-110). However, I think it's a bit safer to ride with PSG to cover as 2.0-goal favorites. There's a chance that PSG isn't as sharp defensively since they're holding a 3-0 edge in the aggregate. Maybe they let one slip through, but I still expect them to take care of business at home, winning this game in the 4-1, 3-1, or 3-0 range. 

These teams have met twice on the domestic front, and PSG has dominated them on both occasions. They won 3-1 at home back on September 14, while adding a 5-2 road win on February 1. This will be their third meeting in 18 days, and I don't see why we won't get another blowout win from the Parisians. On the flip side, Brest has struggled when stepping up against top-tier competition during UCL play, as they also suffered multi-goal league phase defeats to both Real Madrid (3-0) and Barcelona (3-0). 

Bet: Paris Saint-Germain -2.0 (-130)

Real Madrid (-110) vs. Manchester City (+240), DRAW (+330) | O/U 3.5 (-125/+100) 

One of the marquee matchups this round pits the reigning champs, Real Madrid, against an always-dangerous Manchester City club. Madrid returns home with a 3-2 lead thanks to a 90'+2' game-winning goal from Jude Bellingham. This match is also set for Wednesday and kicks off at 3:00 p.m. ET from Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain. 

For as sound as each of these clubs can be on the defensive side, there's simply too much talent on the offensive side to look at the Under in this match. Since 2022, these European heavyweights have met seven times, and they've combined for 4+ goals in five of those matches. Across the seven matches, they're averaging 4.3 combined goals per match. 

Additionally, I don't think this is a contest where Madrid can sit back in a defensive shell and try to escape and advance in a 0-0 or 1-1 draw. They're hosting a City side that is averaging 3.3 goals per game across their last 12 competitions in all leagues. Pep Guardiola has this offense firing on all cylinders, and too much caution and passive play from Carlo Ancelotti could see his team get upset at home. Look for these two elite attacks to come out ready to score on Wednesday - give me the Over! 

Bet: Over 3.5 Goals (-125)

PSV Eindhoven (+130) vs. Juventus (+190), DRAW (+260) | O/U 2.5 (-145/+115) 

Juventus was able to take care of business in Torino last Tuesday, as they received strikes from Weston McKennie (34') and Samuel Mbangula (82') in a 2-1 win over PSV Eindhoven. The aggregate shifts back to the Netherlands on Wednesday, and this UCL clash gets underway at 3:00 p.m. ET from Philips Stadion in Eindhoven. 

This is one of the matches that I'm most looking forward to this week, as I believe Eindhoven has a realistic chance to erase this deficit and advance. They've gone unbeaten at home in their last 12 European contests (7-5-0). However, in terms of betting this one, I think it's best to take the Over. Eindhoven averaged 2.0 goals per match during the league phase, and they're also scoring an insane 3.1 goals per match in the Dutch Eredivisie! This team knows how to score, and being that they need goals to advance, it works out in our favor as Over bettors. 

As for Juve, they've scored 2+ goals in three of their last four matches in all competitions. Three of those four matches have also seen at least three combined goals. The Italian side played very stingy in the league phase (9 GF, 7 GA), but I don't think they'll be able to dictate the pace in this hostile road environment. I'm going to lay the -145 juice and play the Over. 

Bet: Over 2.5 Goals (-145)

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