Club Brugge vs Benfica Odds & Picks – Champions League Round of 16 Leg 1
By Sam Cox in Soccer News
Published:
- Club Brugge host Benfica in the Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday
- The Belgian club are out at +340 on the moneyline for the first leg in the Club Brugge vs Benfica odds
- Read below for the latest Club Brugge vs Benfica picks
Club Brugge was the surprise package of the Champions League group stage. Their reward for their first-round heroics is a matchup with Portuguese giants Benfica on Wednesday. Pre-match Champions League odds tab the visitors as heavy favorites for the first leg encounter in the Club Brugge vs Benfica picks, which is perhaps unsurprising with the home team making their first-ever appearance in the Champions League knockout rounds.
Since making history in the first phase of the competition, Brugge have encountered a rough patch of form with one win in seven matches. Scott Parker has replaced Carl Hoefkens in the dugout.
Benfica enters this match having won four consecutive league matches to nil. They lost Enzo Fernandez on the final day of the January transfer window but splashed the cash on Andreas Schjelderup and Casper Tengstedt. Goncalo Guedes also arrived on loan.
Club Brugge vs Benfica Odds
| Matchup | Moneyline |
|---|---|
| Club Brugge | +340 |
| Benfica | -125 |
| Draw | +270 |
Odds as of February 14th at FanDuel. Use this FanDuel promo code to bet on all Champions League matches.
Champions League quarter-finalists in 2021-22, Benfica are as short as -125 to win on Wednesday in the Champions League odds. That’s good for an implied probability of 55.6%, while Brugge are out at +340, resulting in an implied probability of 22.7%.
Over/Under and Spread
The over/under for total goals in this match is set at 2.5. There is a very slight edge towards the over with a price of -112, compared with -108 for the under. Benfica are +1 favorites on the spread, though that number carries at the lengthy price at +230. Ultimately, books are expecting a competitive match, but unsurprisingly see Brugge as underdogs in the Brugge vs Benfica odds. Benfica are -450 to progress over the two legs.
Club Brugge vs Benfica Preview
Reputation and form only point to one winner in this matchup. Brugge stormed off to three wins from their first three group matches in a section with Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Porto, but they came right back to reality with two points from their last three matches and no goals scored. They are well off the pace domestically and have won one of their last 12 matches in all competitions.
🔜🎶 The chaaampions! #UCL pic.twitter.com/MU63lgQ9MU
— SL Benfica (@slbenfica_en) February 13, 2023
Benfica lost to Braga in the Taça de Portugal at the weekend after a penalty shootout. Braga are the only team to beat As Águias this season, with a spectacular record in the league and a stellar showing in the group stage, including a pair of draws with PSG and two wins over Juventus.
Roger Schmidt’s team is five points clear in the Liga Portugal. They also had a far superior expected goal difference to Brugge in the group stage, despite being matched up with Juventus and PSG.
Despite that, it would be a mistake to write off the hosts here in the Club Brugge vs Benfica picks. Brugge beat Leverkusen and Atletico to nil at Jan Breydel Stadium. Their attack has proven it can create chances even against more talented opposition, with Noa Lang, Andreas Skov Olsen, Ferran Jutgla and Kamal Sowah all impressing.
Club Brugge vs Benfica Champions League Statistics
| 11 | Points in Group | 14 |
| 7 | Goals Scored in Group | 16 |
| 4 | Goals Conceded in Group | 7 |
| -0.63 | Expected Goal Difference per 90 | +0.56 |
| 13.7 | Progressive Carries per 90 | 17.8 |
| 32.3 | Progressive Passes per 90 | 39.8 |
| 21 yellows, 1 red | Cards | 13 yellows, 0 red |
Club Brugge vs Benfica Lineups & Injuries
Club Brugge Projected Lineup: Mignolet; Mata, Henry, Mechele, Meijer; Vanaken, Onyedika, Rits; Buchanan, Yaremchuk, Lang.
Club Brugge Injuries: Skov Olsen, Jutgla.
Benfica Projected Lineup: Vlachodimos; Bah, Silva, Otamendi, Grimaldo; Chiquinho, Florentino; Mario, Neres, Aursnes; Guedes.
Benfica Injuries: None.
Club Brugge vs Benfica Prediction
For all their struggles, Brugge have only failed to score once since Christmas. Benfica’s defense has been solid in 2023, keeping clean sheets in four of their last five on the road, but the hosts will be well aware that they need to get on the scoresheet under the lights on Wednesday if they are to stand a chance of progressing.
Scorers of 16 in the group stage and 51 in 20 league matches, the Benfica attack should enjoy some success of its own, too. The visitors have only failed to score twice so far this season.
This should be an entertaining match with plenty of attacking talent on show. Both teams to score and over 2.5 total goals is our Club Brugge vs Benfica pick.
Champions League Picks: BTTS and over 2.5 goals (+115)
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Sports Writer
Sam Cox is a freelance writer and sports junkie, who has spent the past several years immersed in the online gaming industry. He has worked with 888sport, Oddschecker, and Colossus Bets to name a few. Based in the UK, Sam also runs Franchise Sports with his brother.
