UEFA Europa League Picks and Predictions: May 7, 2026
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Wed May 06, 2026, 5:03 pm ET
Read Time: 4 minutes
soccer
Our UEFA Champions League final is set, as Arsenal takes on Paris Saint-Germain on May 30 in Budapest. However, now we turn our attention to the second most prestigious competition in European soccer, as the UEFA Europa League Semifinals take place on Thursday. Teams need to play the second leg of this contest, and both home teams will be looking to dig themselves out of an aggregate deficit. Will they be able to do so on their home turf? Let's find out by looking at our soccer analyst's favorite UEL picks for Thursday's semifinal action.
Check out the best odds on the market at our top online sportsbooks, and be sure to check out tons of picks in different soccer leagues across the world.
UEFA Europa League Picks and Predictions – May 7
SC Freiburg vs. Braga UEL Picks
Vincenzo Grifo has been a stud for SC Freiburg this season. Can they find a way to advance at home?
Braga Leads 2-1 on Aggregate
Best Bet: SC Freiburg ML/Under 3.5 (+147) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
The German side is down after losing in Portugal in the first leg of this semifinal. In that match, it was all Braga. They controlled over 58% of possession, outshot their visitors 13-10 overall and 6-2 on frame while winning the corner kick battle 3-1 as well. Ultimately, it was a very defensive game, which leads me to think things might be even tighter in Germany.
Braga goes on the road with a one goal lead, and their defense was already stellar in the first leg. They do not need to score. Braga simply needs to hold onto their lead, and they'll advance to the UEL Final. I see them being extremely defensive focused in this contest, which could lead to the hosts controlling over 60% of possession. Even if Freiburg has the ball plenty, they still need to create chances and convert, neither of which happened in the first leg. Overall, I see a one goal game in favor of Freiburg, which will force overtime, but also cash this same game parlay.
If you have a feeling Freiburg might find the back of the net more than a couple of times, you can bump this up to 4.5 and still get plus money.
Prediction: SC Freiburg Wins 1-0 (+575)
Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest UEL Picks
Emiliano Buendía has evolved as a key piece for this Aston Villa offense
Nottingham Forest Leads 1-0 on Aggregate
Best Bet: Aston Villa Team Total Over 1.5 (-124) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
Much like Freiburg, Aston Villa needs a win just to force extra time. They laid a goose egg against Nottingham Forest in the first leg of this semifinal, but they've netted four total goals in their two other matches against Nottingham Forest this season, including three at Villa Park in January. I am opting to pay a little less juice for Villa to score twice in this match, rather than taking them on the moneyline. But either way, two goals should get the job done.
Thankfully, we don't need the defense to show out. Aston Villa are pretty comfortably in a UCL Qualifying position on the EPL table for next year. That means they can let loose and fully focus on reaching this Europa League final. Some could argue that Nottingham Forest has more motivation, as their only shot at playing in the UCL next year is by winning the UEL this season. But I simply don't think this team has the fire power to take down Villa yet again.
Prediction: Aston Villa Wins 3-0 (+1200)
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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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