UEFA Champions League Qualifying Odds & Picks – Third Round Leg 2

• The third round of Champions League qualifying moves onto its second legs on Tuesday, August, 10th
• Big-name sides are at risk of falling out of the competition, including Rangers and Olympiakos
• Read below for the latest Champions League qualifying odds, betting previews and picks

As league seasons get underway around Europe, several clubs have already been in competitive continental action. It’s the second leg of the third round of Champions League qualifying. The second legs of these ties take place on Tuesday, August 10th.

The threat of dropping out of Europe’s premier competition is very real for some massive clubs and expectant fan bases. Rangers are under pressure as they welcome Malmo to Glasgow. Olympiakos have plenty of work to do against Ludogorets, while Slavia Prague needs to overturn a two-goal deficit if they are to get past Hungarian giants Ferencvaros.

Elsewhere, PSV are in the driver’s seat with a three-goal lead over Midtjylland. Red Star and Sheriff Tiraspol are in for an enthralling second leg, and Genk is looking to bounce back after a home defeat to Shakhtar.

Champions League Qualifying Odds

Odds as of Aug 9 at DraftKings

Rangers vs Malmo Prediction

Steven Davis’ late goal gave Rangers a fighting chance in the second leg. Still, 2-1 down as the tie heads to Glasgow, Steven Gerrard’s side can be confident ahead of this matchup. Rangers have been given the green light to have a full capacity crowd (the first in Scotland since March 2020), and a wild Ibrox faithful will welcome Malmo on Tuesday. Home advantage is a major factor for this one, and DraftKings cannot pick between the two.

📸 A 95th-minute strike from @StevenDavis8 in Malmo sets us up for an exciting second-leg at Ibrox next Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/OrHWB6XAem

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) August 3, 2021

Rangers are narrowly favored at -120 to progress, while Malmo sit at -115. The first leg was a relatively even clash in Sweden. Malmo struck twice soon after half-time, leaving Gerrard’s side rattled. Davis has put the tie in the balance with his 95th-minute goal, but The Gers continued their wobble with a surprise defeat to Dundee United at the weekend. That loss ended a run of 41 unbeaten matches in the Scottish Premiership.

Malmo had a blip domestically at the weekend too, drawing with Halmstad. They can take such confidence from the first leg, though, that a slip-up in the league is unlikely to impact them too much. This has the potential to be the most entertaining of Tuesday’s matches, and while the crowd is going to inspire Rangers, it also ramps up the pressure if they cannot get an early goal.

https://twitter.com/malmoffen/status/1422657229786918915

The visitors are a good bet to avoid defeat and push Rangers into the Europa League.

Pick: Malmo or draw (+150)

Monaco vs Sparta Prague Prediction

This is a massive ask for Sparta Prague. While their domestic form remains stellar, they are traveling to Monaco needing to come back from a 2-0 deficit. Niko Kovac’s side put in a solid performance on the road in the first leg, and have one foot in the next round as they aim to build on their third-place finish in France’s top flight last season.

Sparta managed to come back in the last round. Trailing Rapid Vienna by a goal, they welcomed them to the Czech Republic and notched a 2-0 win to progress. This is a different level of challenge for Pavel Vrba’s side, though, and that’s reflected in their +700 odds to win the match in the principality.

𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙣 😤@KeVolland for 0-2 in Prague 🥳 #SpartaASM #UCL pic.twitter.com/fw7470k5SF

— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) August 3, 2021

Having only won two European matches outside of Prague since 2016/17, it will take an all-time performance for the visitors to get over the line here. Sparta will push for goals, which should give Monaco the opportunity to score a couple.

Pick: Monaco to win and to score over 1.5 goals (-135)

Benfica vs Spartak Moscow Prediction

Claiming a 2-0 win in the first leg, Benfica welcome Spartak Moscow to the Estadio da Luz on Tuesday hoping for an easy path to the next phase. The odds point to a straightforward evening for the Portuguese club, too, with the Jorge Jesus’ team favored at -225 to win the match. This isn’t exactly the ideal scenario for Spartak, who haven’t won an away Champions League match in their last eight attempts.

🇵🇹 Up next, we head to Portugal to play Benfica in the second leg of our @ChampionsLeague qualifier. pic.twitter.com/DyF1p85rV3

— FC Spartak Moscow (@fcsm_eng) August 8, 2021

The Russian club have struggled early on domestically. It’s two defeats in three league matches, including a surprise loss to Nizhny Novgorod at the weekend. While Benfica can welcome back some big names after giving them a rest at the weekend, including Pizzi and Julian Weigl, Spartak had a major injury hit in their league defeat. Former Chelsea winger Victor Moses went off in the first half, and it seems unlikely he’ll feature in Lisbon.

Having enjoyed almost 60% possession in the first leg, Benfica found their attacking spark in the second half after a relatively flat first 45. They are unlikely to blow Spartak away here, however. The visitors will fly out of the blocks, which could result in an open match. Both teams to score looks a solid bet.

Pick: Both teams to score (-115)