The UEFA Champions League is the world's most prestigious club football competition. Every year, 32 of Europe's most storied clubs meet in a group stage competition as the top two sides qualify for the knockout rounds. Europe's biggest clubs compete, including Italian clubs, English clubs, and more. The respective leagues throughout Europe's top-tier divisions determine their UCL qualification positions based on a team's success. A top-four league position gained from domestic league matches usually qualifies a team for the competition.

Once the group stage schedule is completed, the top two teams of each group qualify for the play-off round, also known as the knockout rounds, and the 3rd place position of each group positions a team into the Europa League competition.

In today's guide, we're looking at the Champions League odds and soccer betting lines. We'll assist bettors in understanding the odds, the most popular betting markets, trends and some basic betting tips when approaching these sportsbook markets to make your soccer picks.

As expected, the popularity of the Champions League competition doesn't just provide high viewership levels, as the top online sportsbooks receive a plethora of attention in their UCL betting odds markets. UEFA Champions League odds are some of the most popular markets in the sports betting industry, and as a result of these real stakes, any bidding bettor is a potential winner when able to understand them.

There are three variations of UCL odds available:

American odds display a baseline value of $100. For favorites – labeled with a (-) symbol – you'll need to bet the number displayed to return $100. So, if the odds are -110, every $110 stake placed would net you $100 profit or an $11 would return $10. Underdogs – labeled with a (+) symbol – show a bettor how much is won from $100. So, if the odds are +110, every $100 wagered would return $110 profit.

Decimal odds display one number, which translates to the amount a winning bet would collect from a $1 stake. If the odds are listed at 5.00, a winning wager will return $5 for every $1 staked. Anything between 1.00 and 1.99 decimal odds is a favorite bet, and 2.00 is an even money bet. Odds numbered 2.1 and above are underdog wagers.

Fractional odds show two numbers. The number on the left displays how much is won, and the number on the right shows you how much you'll need to stake. If the odds are 1/2, you would need to risk $2 to profit $1. Even odds are displayed as 1/1, and underdog odds such as 5/2 would give you $5 profit for every $2 staked.

(Your original stake is always returned alongside the profit gained for winning bets for all odds formats).

The American odds format is one of the simplest to read and most commonly used on the American continent. Feel free to use our free odds converter calculator.

Below you will find two examples of betting on the Champions League using the American odds format.

If Manchester City is the betting favorite with a moneyline price of -320, bettors would need to stake $320 to win $100.

If Paris Saint-Germain is betting underdogs with a moneyline price of +300, bettors would win $300 for every $100 staked.

How you read these odds will translate to every other betting market and number.

The sheer variety of betting options within the Champions League odds markets can be overwhelming for some. However, online soccer betting sites give customers a lot of choices. Whether it's betting on key players, a goal scorer, expected goals, goals per soccer match, outright winner or Champions League futures, you'll never run short of selection as Europe's finest compete on the biggest stage.

Although these online betting sites offer a wide range of UCL betting markets, a handful of options are the most valued by the betting public.

The most popular Champions League betting markets are:

Team outcomes, performance betting trends, and current market betting trends are great research tools for UCL handicappers to implement.

With betting trends that focus on a previous season's win rate, UCL league game consecutive win streak or expected goals, they allow us to look at statistics that have been repeated on multiple occasions, thus being labeled as a trend. If Lionel Messi has scored for Paris Saint-Germain in their previous 5 UCL appearances, this would be a goal-scoring trend.

When looking at market betting trends, we focus on the volume of wagers placed on a sportsbook. Each game will reveal which side the betting public favors, and it's referred to as the consensus pick. As the sportsbooks are usually the winners, many people like to fade the public opinion for this reason.

Ultimately, all betting trends are common traits used by Champions League handicappers. Instead of blindly approaching the odds, it's always worth studying these trends to at least give yourself an informed betting choice.

Which team has won the Champions League title the most number of times?

Real Madrid is the current Champions League winner – as of the 2021/22 UCL season – and it is also the most successful club in the competition's history, with 14 titles. 

What do odds 13/8 mean?

These are odds displayed in fractional format. The number on the left shows a bettor how much they will profit ($13), and the number on the right highlights how much stake is needed to win the amount on the left. So, for every $8 staked, $15 profit is earned. 

When do sportsbooks release their Champions League odds to bettors?

Once each top-tier European domestic season is completed, and the UCL qualifying teams are determined, sportsbooks will instantly offer future betting odds on the outright winners market. Group stage and head-to-head odds are released once the competition draw has occurred.

Is it safe to bet with an online sportsbook or mobile app?

Yes, local operators, such as FanDuel and DraftKings, are licensed and must adhere to U.S. betting laws that focus on customer security and safety. Alternatively, you can find safe and reputable sportsbook apps with some offshore operators that've been reviewed and rated on our site. 

Is betting on the Champions League profitable?

The Champions League competition can be a highly profitable sports betting market. However, as is with most sports wagers, you must research and understand the basics to gain handicapping knowledge and give yourself a greater chance of success.