UEL Group Stage Matchday 3 Odds & Best Bets
- Matchday 3 of the 2019 UEFA Europa League arrives on Thursday
- Celtic currently in control of Group E
- Top two in Group L, Man Utd & Partizan, go head-to-head
It’s Matchday 3 of the new Europa League season on Thursday and, unlike many of the Champions League ties, some of these are really tough to call. The upside of that, of course, is that there are some enticing odds on offer. We’re having a look around three of the evening’s top ties to try and find some value for the bettors.
Europa League Group E – Celtic vs Lazio Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total | Odds to Win Group E |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic | pk (-111) | +152 | O 2.5 (-116) | +250 |
| Lazio | pk (-109) | +154 | U 2.5 (-104) | -140 |
| Draw | N/A | +205 | N/A | N/A |
*All odds taken on October 21, 2019
Celtic currently top Group E with a win and a draw in their opening two games. Victory over Lazio would put them in firm control of the group at its halfway stage, helped by the Italians’ losing 2-0 in their opening game in Cluj-Napoca.
After missing out on qualification for the Champions League group stages, Celtic have bounced back well in the Europa League and started their campaign off nicely with a composed 1-1 away to Rennes. Better still, they were able to follow it up with a solid 2-0 in Glasgow over CFR Cluj.
Lazio, meanwhile, are not in great form on the road, having picked just a single point from their last three Serie A road trips, but they did pick up three crucial points in their second UEL game when they beat Rennes 2-1 at the Olympic Stadium. They will want to improve their away record in this competition where they have lost seven of their last nine away games.
At the weekend they came back from 3-0 against Atalanta, to draw 3-3, and will need to show that same willingness to battle in Glasgow.
The odds have Celtic as only marginal favorites and given Lazio’s technical superiority that’s probably fair. Despite their poor away form, I can see the Italians grabbing a point here.
My pick: Celtic and Lazio to draw (+205)
Europa League Group J – Roma vs Borussia Monchengladbach Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total | Odds to Win Group J |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roma | pk -0.5 (-110) | +116 | O 3.0 (-103) | -275 |
| Borussia Monchengladbach | pk +0.5 (-110) | +189 | U 3.0 (-117) | +600 |
| Draw | N/A | +220 | N/A | N/A |
Roma currently lead Group J jointly with Wolfsberger AC – both teams having won one and drawn one. The top two shared a draw in their second game of the group after Roma had made light work of Istanbul Basaksehir on opening day.
The Italians have lost just once at home since the start of this season and are unbeaten in their last four games, the most recent being a 0-0 draw with Sampdoria at the weekend.
Monchengladbach, by contrast, travel to Rome off the back of a 1-0 defeat by Borussia Dortmund and are yet to register their first win in this season’s UEL. The Germans are, however, top of the Bundesliga with five wins from their eight games so far.
This is a tough one to call. While Monchengladbach have made a fine start to their domestic season, they have struggled in the UEL, Roma have excelled in the UEL but are already nine points adrift of Serie A leaders, Juventus. With the Italians pitched at +116 for the home win, they are at least in plus territory but +189 for the Monchengladbach win looks better value.
The draw at +220 is tempting but I have a gut feeling that the German’s good league form – the weekend defeat aside – may finally extend to their European campaign.
My pick: Monchengladbach to win (+189)
Europa League Group L – Partizan Belgrade vs Manchester United Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total | Odds to Win Group L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partizan Belgrade | pk +0.5 (-117) | +176 | O 2.0, 2.5 (-117) | +700 |
| Manchester United | pk -0.5 (-103) | +127 | U 2.0, 2.5 (-103) | -600 |
| Draw | N/A | +215 | N/A | N/A |
Manchester United’s season has been far removed from how Reds’ fans imagined it, but they’ll be hoping that Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool is a turning point.
This is a meeting of the group’s top two – both having won one and drawn one – and so on that basis, a draw here wouldn’t be a bad result for either team. Even before we take a closer look, the +215 for the tie looks tempting.
Partizan began the group stage with a home draw against AZ Alkmaar but crucially followed it up with a 2-1 win away to Astana. With a literally partisan home crowd behind them, they will be hopeful of getting a win, with this United team not having the aura of teams from the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Since the arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United have suffered on the road and have lost on their last two Premier League away days – at West Ham and Newcastle. In fact, they have not won away in any competition since winning at PSG in the Champions League back in March.
They did, however, pick up a useful away draw at AZ Alkmaar in their second UEL match, after winning their opener against Astana, and so will be hopeful of at least repeating the feat in Belgrade.
My pick: Partizan and United to draw (+215)
Once just a sports fanatic, fan-turned-writer Gary Gowers has been featured on European television and radio networks to discuss several professional football clubs. His work can be found in an assortment of publications like The Metro, MyFootballWriter.com, and BBC Radio Norfolk.
