Borussia Dortmund vs Slavia Prague Champions League Matchday 6 Odds, Picks & Betting Preview
- It’s Matchday 6 in the UEFA Champions League next week
- Second place in Group F is up for grabs between Inter and BVB
- BVB are odds-on to beat Slavia Prague at -400
Second place in Group F is still in the melting pot as BVB and Inter Milan scrap it out for the second, lucrative spot in the Champions League knockout phase. Barcelona have already wrapped up top spot but when Borussia Dortmund play Slavia Prague next Tuesday, December 10 at 3:00 pm EST, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
A simple win for the Germans may be enough but they will have one eye on events at the San Siro, where Inter entertain Barca in a simultaneous kick-off. Is this one a straightforward case of a thumping home win, or are there some better bets out there for this one? We’ll have a look.
Borussia Dortmund vs Slavia Prague UCL Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borussia Dortmund | -1.5, -2.0 (-103) | -400 | O 3.0 (-107) |
| Slavia Prague | +1.5, +2.0 (-113) | +900 | U 3.0 (-109) |
| Draw | N/A | +480 | N/A |
Odds taken on Dec. 5
At -400, BVB as certs to win this, but one look at Slavia’s away record in the group shows this to be a dangerous assumption. Two draws, away in Barcelona and Madrid, mean they have been unbeaten on the road and so to assume Dortmund win this comfortably ignores some potentially juicy odds.
For the Czechs, there is no route through to the knockout round of either the Champions League or Europa League but they will be wanting to end this season’s UCL with a good result and will certainly be looking to maintain that impressive unbeaten away record.
Up and Down Campaign for BVB
For Dortmund it has been a tricky campaign, as expected, in what is a very difficult group containing three European ‘giants’. Three into two doesn’t go so it has developed into a battle royal for the top two places. Barca, after a difficult opening to the campaign – they drew two of their first three games – eventually clicked into gear and confirmed themslves as group winners with a home win over BVB on Matchday 5.
The reverse fixture in Dortmund was the group’s opener, way back in mid-September, and at the time a goalless draw felt like one of those results that benefited both teams. BVB followed it up with an impressive 2-0 away win in Prague but hit the buffers next time out when they were beaten 2-0 by Inter in the San Siro.
They kept their campaign alive however with a thrilling win in the reverse fixture – coming back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 – but the defeat in Barcelona on Matchday 5 has left their fate still in the balance.
Slavia the Away Day Specialists
As alluded to earlier, it’s Prague’s home form rather than their away days that have cost them a chance to progress in either of the competitions. An opening day trip to the San Siro was handled admirably and having played well and gone ahead, it took a 92nd Inter equalizer to earn the Italians a point. The poor home form was to cost them on Matchday 2 when next week’s opponents beat them 2-0 in the Eden Arena.
Another home tie – this time against Barcelona – ended in a 2-1 defeat on Matchday 3 and from this point on it became an uphill struggle for the Czechs. Typically, they were happier against Barca on away soil and their best performance of the group on Matchday 4 ended in a goalless draw in the Camp Nou. Their fate was ultimately sealed on Matchday 5 when Inter comfortably beat them 3-1 in Prague.
Tense Night Awaits in Dortmund
So, while this one has home win written all over it due to BVB’s position in the group and their need for a win, Slavia’s fine away form means they head to Dortmund with confidence and nothing to lose.
It will be a tense evening in the Westfalenstadion and the mood and atmosphere will be as influenced as much by events in Milan as it will events on the Dortmund pitch. An early goal for Inter or Slavia and in an instant it becomes an uphill struggle for BVB. While they have to better Inter’s result and have, on paper, the easier of the two ties, this is one that will hinge on the small margins and will be a test of BVB’s nerve as much as their technical excellence.
The value, given all of the above, is with the draw which may or may not be enough for them to qualify. Either way, it will be some night in Dortmund.
Pick: BVB and Slavia to draw (+480) and BVB to qualify for next phase (+135)
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.
