UEFA Champions League Knockout Round: February 21st, 2024
Written by: Nate Hornung
Last Update: Wed Feb 21, 2024, 9:50 am ET
Read Time: 4 minutes
soccer
The UEFA Champions League is back as the Knockout Round continues with the first leg of some of the matchups today!
Today in the UCL we have:
- FC Porto vs Arsenal
- Napoli vs FC Barcelona
Let's break these games down and find our best bets!
Fc Porto vs Arsenal
Arsenal has been the team to beat in the EPL the past few games. They've won five straight games, beating opponents 21-2 on goal differential in that stretch. They currently sit just 2 points out of 1st place in the Premier League, and personally I think they have their sights set on that Title.
Arsenal is (-150) on the ML tonight against FC Porto and they are on the road. That line seems far too large in my opinion. Yes, the Gunners are much better talent wise, but I believe they might not take this first leg seriously against an inferior opponent.
Don't get me wrong, FC Porto is no slouch. They are unbeaten in their L9 games at home in all competitions, and have only lost at home twice since August, a 1-0 defeat against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League Group Stage, and a1-0 loss to Estoril in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
Point being, they play good soccer at home, and I think they come out very defensive tonight. Despite Arsenal scoring 21 goals in their L5 contests, I see them struggling to create chances against this Porto back line.
A low scoring game favors Porto, and I think they play slower and possess the ball, limiting the Gunners attack.
The Pick: Porto/Arsenal Under 2.5 (-112) Bovada
Napoli vs FC Barcelona
Napoli currently sits in 9th place in the Serie A standings. This is not where the defending Champions wanted to find themselves this late in the season. Chances of qualifying for next year's UEFA Champions League is incredibly slim, and they will need to fight to even make the Europa League.
Wouldn't that information be all the more motivating to go out and give the UCL your best effort? Knowing you won't have the chance next year? I sure think so, and I think Napoli will be fired up at home.
Barcelona is Barcelona, they have tons of rich history, but they aren't doing too hot right now. Barcelona can score at will, but defensively they have failed to shutdown their opponent. On the road since August, Barcelona has only shutout their opponent 3 times.
With Napoli's fire power and motivation to compete in this year's UEFA Champions League, I think both teams are more than capable of netting one tonight.
So let's have some fun and root for goals in this game.
The Pick: Napoli/Barca Over 2.5 (-130) Bovada
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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