This article is part of our Soccer Picks series.
Matchday 5 of the Champions League could see some clubs rotating their squads ahead of busy holiday schedules, specifically Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester City. Those three clubs have already qualified for the knockout round. Still, taking first place in each of the aforementioned team's groups is still on the table, so perhaps they'll wait another matchday before they start fully shuffling squads.
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UCL Best Bets for Tuesday, Nov. 27
RB Leipzig +1.5 goals against Manchester City -115
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Manchester City are the big favorites on the slate at -295, which is a little surprising considering RB Leipzig's only loss came in a competitive clash with City on Matchday 2. Still, the Citizens are playing at home where they've secured 3-1 and 3-0 victories this season versus Red Star Belgrade and Young Boys, respectively. Across all competitions, Lois Openda has scored 11 times, including twice in Champions League action. Leipzig likely need him to score a goal (+300 anytime scorer odds) if they are going to keep this game within one goal.
If you'd prefer to back Manchester City, you can get them at -1.5 goals at -115 but this feels like a matchup that could see Pep Guardiola change things up considering his squad plays four times over 13 days, including a clash with Tottenham on Sunday. A draw here would almost certainly see CIty finish atop Group G, though mathematically RB Leipzig could still make a run at the top spot.
Shakhtar Donetsk Moneyline +105
Better than even money return for Shakhtar to defeat Antwerp seems like pretty solid value, especially considering they won the reverse fixture on the road 3-2. That said, it's important to remember that the Ukraine club's "home" fixtures are being played in Hamburg, Germany.
Antwerp have conceded a Champions League-high 14 times this season while Shakhtar has allowed half that many in their four contests. If you are looking for some goalscorer props to add to this, you could consider Danylo Sikan at +160, he's accounted for three of the club's four UCL goals. If you really want to grab some value, snagging Shakhtar -1.5 comes in at +265, but I'd prefer to stick to the moneyline options as a one-goal win seems more reasonable.
UCL Best Bets for Wednesday, Nov. 28
Leroy Sane Anytime Goalscorer +120
Bayern Munich are led by Harry Kane, that much is obvious, but his goalscoring odds are so steep at -275 that it's really not worth targeting him here. If you really want to get in on Team Kane, you'll have to look at him to score two or more which returns a solid +165.
Instead, Sane's value at +120 to score is a good value given he is second on the team in Bundesliga goals at eight. There is of course the chance that neither Kane nor Sane plays Wednesday against Copenhagen, so you'll want to check RotoWire's UCL Lineups page to ensure you have the right players. Other plays include Serge Gnabry (+160) or Thomas Muller (+180).
It's not an open-and-shut case that Bayern is going rack up a ton of goals, they only put up two versus Copenhagen in the reverse fixture, but they are heavy favorites for a reason and should push the attack and dominate possession.
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Benfica vs. Inter Milan Under 2.5 Goals -110
These two teams played to a 1-0 Inter Milan win in the reverse fixture and have combined for just six total goals in the group stage. For their part, Benfica has scored just once through the opening four matches while Inter has scored more than one goal just once in group stage.
Alexis Sanchez hasn't exactly been a scoring threat this season, at least not compared to the 16 he put up with Marseille in 2022-23, but his potential absence just further limits Inter's attacking options.
If you need another play in this matchup, Moneyline Draw is +245 or Both Teams to Score No at +120 would be solid options.
UCL Betting Picks Matchday 5
- RB Leipzig +1.5 goals against Manchester City -115
- Shakhtar Donetsk Moneyline +105
- Leroy Sane Anytime Goalscorer +120
- Benfica vs. Inter Milan Under 2.5 Goals -110
Visit RotoWire all season for exclusive sports betting picks and our weekly Kits & Wagers betting show. Remember that betting apps vary in terms of odds, so we have an easy-to-use odds page that allows you to shop for the best lines at DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and PointsBet. You can also use the WynnBET promo code for $100 in free bets.
