Braga vs Rangers Odds & Prediction – Europa League Quarterfinals Leg 1
- It’s Braga vs Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday, April 7 at 3:00 pm ET
- Both teams have exceeded expectations in this season’s Europa League
- We preview the game, look at the Braga vs Rangers odds, and offer some picks below
It is Braga vs Rangers at the Estadio Municipal de Braga in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarterfinal on Thursday, April 7 at 3:00 pm ET.
Both teams have overachieved and exceeded their seedings to get this far, with Braga making it to the last eight by seeing off Monaco, while Rangers pulled off one of Europe’s biggest shocks of the season in beating Borussia Dortmund in the previous round.
We preview Braga vs Rangers and offer below the best picks for this huge UEL clash.
Braga vs Rangers Odds
| Matchup | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braga vs Rangers | BRA -0.25 (+102) | RAN +0.25 (-122) | BRA +135 | DRAW +235 | RAN +205 | Ov 2.5 (+106) | Un 1.5 (-132) |
Odds as of April 5 at Barstool Sportsbook
The bookies find this tough to call but Barstool has Braga, with home advantage, as narrow favorites at +135 in the Europa League odds, with an implied win probability of 41%. But it remains marginal, with Rangers at +205 for the win with an implied probability of 31%.
If you’re betting on this sport for the first time then why not take a look at our soccer betting’s pros and cons, as there are plenty of directions you can go when betting on this game and others like it.
Domestic Disappointment but Flying in Europe
While it has been a disappointing domestic season for Braga – they currently sit 24 points behind league-leaders Porto – they have shone in Europe and surpassed their own Europa League dreams. Realistically, the best finish they can hope for in the Primeira Liga is fourth, which brings with it a place in next season’s UEFA Conference League.
There's no place i'd rather be… 🥰
It even has the colours, @EuropaLeague 🙌#UEL pic.twitter.com/GgAMY3wsKK
— SC Braga (@SCBragaOficial) April 6, 2022
They have, however, still pulled off some great results this season domestically, none better than their thrilling 3-2 win over Benfica at the weekend, with goals from Iuri Medeiros, Andre Horta, and Vitor Oliveira
Morale-Boosing Win Over Benfica
Although the win over Benfica is unlikely to see them break into the top three, it was nevertheless the perfect way to prepare for their biggest game of the season so far. With just one defeat in their last nine – a run that included the two-legged win over Monaco – they will fancy their chances of taking a lead back to Glasgow for the second leg.
Quando tu e o teu irmão constroem um GOLAÇO 🥰😁
Como descreves a exibição do André Horta na batalha de hoje? ⬇️#VenhamElesQuemVier pic.twitter.com/gis9E5ayzj
— SC Braga (@SCBragaOficial) April 1, 2022
Braga’s home form in Europe has been good so far and in their five games at the Estadio Municipal, they have scored 12 goals while conceding just four.
Braga vs Rangers Head-to-Head Stats
| 5-2-3 | UEL record in 2021-22 | 4-3-3 |
| 17 / 12 | Goals for / against | 16 / 11 |
| 81.7 | Passing accuracy (%) | 81.4 |
| 52.6 | Possession (%) | 47.8 |
| 178 | Goal attempts | 111 |
| D-W-L-D-W-W | Form guide (all competitions) | W-W-W-L-W-L |
Old Firm Heartache for Gers
Rangers’ defense of their Scottish Premiership title has not gone to plan and their 2-1 home defeat at the weekend by their bitterest rivals, Celtic has given the Bhoys a significant six-point lead with just six games left to play. Despite winning 22 of their 32 games, it looks as if Rangers will have to settle for second place.
🇵🇹 Next Stop, Braga.#UEL pic.twitter.com/wJbpIYCIpo
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) April 6, 2022
While they will get the chance to avenge the defeat by Celtic in the Scottish Cup semifinal on April 17, manager Giovanni von Bronkhorst will now ensure the focus at Ibrox shifts to this game, which offers a great opportunity for his men to make it to the last four.
BVB Shocked by Rangers
Von Bronkhorst will ask his men to rediscover the form that saw them shock European soccer when they beat the mighty BVB over two legs in the round-of-16 playoffs, but they will also need the same level of resolve they showed in their round-of-16 tie with Red Star Belgrade. The Gers had to survive a bombardment in the second leg in Belgrade to finally triumph 4-2.
FULL-TIME: Rangers 1-2 Celtic pic.twitter.com/rWngGxq8VE
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) April 3, 2022
Despite losing that game in Serbia they still got the job done but it does mean they come into this one having lost two of their last three in all competitions while winning just five of their last ten.
Braga vs Rangers Picks
Braga’s good home form and Rangers’ tendency to save their best performances for Ibrox lean me towards this being a narrow, probably low-scoring, home win. With Braga in plus money, that’s where the value lies.
Picks: Braga to win (+330) / Braga to win 1-0 (+650)
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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.
