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Europa League Odds Favor Arsenal & Man Utd Following Group Stage Draw

Gary Gowers

by Gary Gowers in Soccer News

Updated Aug 26, 2022 · 10:00 AM PDT

Europa League Trophy
May 26, 2021, Gdansk, Poland: SOCCER - UEFA Europa League, final, Villarreal CF vs Manchester United. Image shows the trophy. (Photo by GEPA/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire)
  • The draw for the group stages of the 2022-23 UEFA Europa League has just been made
  • Arsenal are the current bookies’ favorite to win the tournament, closely followed by Man Utd and Roma
  • We preview the draw, analyze each  group and offer some picks below

The draw for the group stages of the 2022-23 UEFA Europa League took place earlier in Istanbul. Some of Europe’s top teams now know who they will face in their quest to make it into the knockout phase of the continent’s second-biggest team competition.

Europa League Odds and Predictions

Prior to the draw being made, Arsenal were the bookies’ favorites to win this competition but only just ahead of EPL rivals Manchester United and Roma from Italy’s Serie A. Fourth and fifth in the listings were Real Betis and Lazio.

Despite the Gunners being drawn in what looks a competitive group, they are still listed as favorites, although Man Utd’s relatively straightforward-looking group has seen them close the gap in the odds.

We list the Europa League odds for each group, offer some analysis, and predict a winner and a qualifier for each of the eight groups.

UEL Group A Odds

Team Moneyline
Arsenal -335
PSV Eindhoven +400
Bodø/Glimt +1100
FC Zurich +1400

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Arsenal are odds-on to win Group A and favorites to win the whole competition but will be pushed hard by PSV to top this group.

The Dutch side were runners-up in last season’s Eredivisie and, incredibly, participated in all three Euro competitions last season, eventually losing to Leicester City in the quarters of the Europa Conference League. They have lots of European experience.

It looks a big ask for Bodø/Glimt and Zurich to qualify for the knockout phase, but both are capable of causing an upset along the way.

Picks: To win Group A – PSV (+400) / To also qualify – Arsenal

UEL Group B Odds

Team Moneyline
Fenerbahçe +175
Stade Rennes +175
Dynamo Kyiv +250
AEK Larnaca +1100

This one looks like a classic three-into-two battle, with only AEK Larnaca out of the running to win the group.

Fenerbahçe, runners-up in the Turkish Süper Lig, could only manage third place in the UEL group stages last season and fell at the first hurdle in the Europa Conference League but will have learned from that experience. They will be strong, especially at home.

Dynamo Kyiv’s lack of competitive action may count against them but they will be highly motivated, while Rennes’ fourth place in last season’s Ligue 1 was evidence of a talented team – one that also has plenty of European experience.

Picks: To win Group B – Stade Rennes (+175) / To also qualify – Fenerbahçe

UEL Group C Odds

Team Moneyline
AS Roma -167
Real Betis +170
Ludogorets +1100
HJK Helsinki +3000

AS Roma are odds-on to win this group with good reason – they have good players and are managed by Jose Mourinho – but they will be pushed hard by Real Betis.

The Spaniards enjoyed a good run in this competition last season – making it to the round-of-16, only to be knocked out by the eventual winners, Eintracht Frankfurt.

It’s hard to see either Ludogorets or HJK Helsinki making too much of an impression against two quality teams.

Picks: To win Group C – Real Betis (+170) / To also qualify – AS Roma

UEL Group D Odds

Team Moneyline
Union Berlin +175
SC Braga +175
Malmö FF +375
Union Saint-Gilloise +500

This group looks wide open and promises to be much more competitive than Group C, with all four teams in with a realistic shout of qualification.

The minnows of Union Saint-Gilloise cannot be dismissed as they finished top of a very competitive Belgian First Division A at the end of the regular season – missing out narrowly on the title at the expense of Club Brugge after the playoffs.

Union Berlin, Braga and Malmö, teams of similar quality, will ensure this is the most competitive group of the eight, with, for me, the Germans edging it in terms of momentum.

Picks: To win Group D – Union Berlin (+175) / To also qualify – Union Saint-Gilloise

UEL Group E Odds

Team Moneyline
Manchester United -225
Real Sociedad +225
Omonia Nicosia +1400
Sheriff Tiraspol +2000

The odds suggest this is a two-horse race and with good reason. While Omonia Nicosia and Sheriff Tiraspol have done well to qualify for the UEL group stages, both are realistically battling for a place in the Europa Conference League.

United have had a nightmare start to their domestic campaign, but victory over Liverpool on Monday night may finally have ignited the new Erik ten Hag era.

If that version of United turns up in the UEL then they will win the group but Sociedad is a good team and could still edge United out of the top spot.

Picks: To win Group E – Real Sociedad (+225) / To also qualify – Manchester United

UEL Group F Odds

Team Moneyline
Lazio -118
Feyenoord +300
FC Midtjylland +500
Sturm Graz +600

Lazio are odds-on to win the group but Feyenoord are experienced European campaigners, who were runners-up to Lazio’s local rivals, Roma, in the final of last season’s Europa Conference League. They will push the Italians hard.

FC Midtjylland – runners-up in the Danish Superliga last season – were also in all three European competitions last season (like PSV) but struggled to make much of an impact.

Sturm Graz finished second in last season’s Austrian Bundesliga but crashed out of the Europa League at the group stage and look likely to do the same again.

Picks: To win Group F – Feyenoord (+300) / To also qualify – Lazio.

UEL Group G Odds

Team Moneyline
Olympiacos +150
SC Freiburg +220
FC Nantes +325
Qarabağ +500

Group G looks like it could be close with just 350 moneyline points separating all four teams. Olympiacos, as favorites, have quality but notoriously struggle away from home, while Freiburg are relative unknowns at this level, playing in only their fifth European campaign.

Nantes qualified for the UEL as a result of winning the Coupe de France, and while a ninth-place finish in Ligue 1 was underwhelming, they clearly thrive in cup soccer. They will be dangerous opponents.

Qarabağ, the champions of Azerbaijan, may find the step up in quality a step too far.

Picks: To win Group G – FC Nantes  (+325) / To also qualify – SC Freiburg

UEL Group H Odds

Team Moneyline
Monaco +120
Trabzonspor AS +250
Crvena Zvezda +400
Ferencváros +500

This is another group with, in theory, four well-matched teams. Monaco starts as favorites but even Ferencváros have enough quality to claim top spot, especially if they can regularly pick up points away from home.

Trabzonspor AS are another team who will rely mainly on their home form to make the top two, while Crvena Zvezda is a notoriously tough opponent, even on their travels.

Again, much in this group depends on the opening two rounds of games.

Picks: To win Group H – Monaco  (+120) / To also qualify – Ferencváros

 

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