UCL Odds: Foxes Take On A Strong Sevilla Side
Sevilla (-225) vs. Leicester City (+820), Draw (+380)
Sevilla and Leicester City face off in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 next Wednesday, February 22nd.
Leicester City are the defending Premier League champs, but that all seems like a distant memory now. The Foxes are currently 17th in the league, just one point above the relegation zone. Their manager, Claudio Ranieri, who took Leicester to dizzying heights in 2016, now fears for his job.
The Foxes are currently on a five-game losing streak in the Premier League, and have only managed to win a total of five out of 25 games. On top of fighting relegation, they’re also contending the FA Cup and the Champions League. With a good season comes more obligations, and it seems that Leicester have been stretched too thin.
The current squad barely resembles the league-winning team of a couple months ago, despite the lineup being relatively unchanged. The only real post-season loss was the transfer of star midfielder N’Golo Kanté to Chelsea. But that alone can’t explain what’s happened. Whatever it is, Leicester are nowhere near the level required for the Champions League.
Sevilla have won the Europa Cup for three years straight, and they’ve finally made the leap to the Champions League. The Spanish club is having a spectacular season. They’re currently third in the league, just three points from the top. And their recent win against Real Madrid ended a record-breaking 40-game unbeaten streak.
Leicester had an impressive showing during the group stages, finishing first. Sevilla had a tougher time, finishing in second below Juventus.
Leicester have been performing better in the Champions League than in domestic competitions, but it still doesn’t compare to how they were playing last year. Sevilla are having an amazing season and have pulled off big wins against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid this year.
Both teams are not accustomed to playing in the Champions League but at least Sevilla has experience playing in international competitions. Leicester have reverted back to being a relegation-threatened club, and their chances are slim against their opposition.
Pick: Sevilla (-225)
Don Aguero is a man of many talents, writing about nearly anything you can put odds to. Don has been writing for SportsBettingDime since 2015, covering sports, entertainment and politics. You name it, he's covered it! He is also a steadfast West Ham fan, and has learned to embrace that suffering.
