Europa League Betting – Best Picks, Odds, Predictions
With several noteworthy teams around at the end of this tournament in most years, Europa League betting is very popular as the tournament progresses.
In this guide to how to bet on Europa League, you’ll find out everything there’s to know about wagering on this staple of the European club soccer calendar. By the end of this guide, you’ll learn how Europa League odds work as well as how we make the Europa League picks before each match day.
We’ll also share Europa League betting strategies you can use to make your own picks when wagering on this tournament.
All of this should make you the best bettor you can be when betting the Europa League, even if you can’t point out where each team is from on a globe.
Best Sportsbooks to Bet on Europa League
There are several sportsbooks that allow for Europa League betting, as this is one of the more popular club soccer competitions in the world at this point in time. As a result, you have plenty of sportsbook options to choose from when doing your Europa League betting.
These sportsbooks are among those that offer wagering on this tournament, which you may want to consider using when placing your best from the first match day all the way to the final:
Europa League Previous Season Recap
The 2020-21 campaign was a star-studded one, which made it very interesting from a Europa League betting perspective. Big-name clubs like Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, AC Milan, and Manchester United all featured in the 32-team knockout stage with varying levels of success. But it was Villarreal and Manchester United that made it to the final, which was certainly a memorable one.
To get to that final, Villarreal knocked out Champions League regulars in Red Bull Salzburg and Dynamo Kiev, along with Arsenal in the semifinals. United, meanwhile, eliminated the likes of AC Milan and AS Roma who’re both regular contenders in Italy’s Serie A. Given United’s name recognition, the Europa League betting odds had the English side as the favorites heading into the final.
The match went to penalties after a 1-1 stalemate through 120 minutes of action. It took 11 rounds of penalties to settle the Europa League Final, with Villarreal holding their nerve in an 11-10 penalty shootout victory. In the 11th round, the goalkeepers from both teams were called upon to take penalties against one another, with United keeper David De Gea being denied on the decisive penalty kick.
That victory from Villarreal continued the trend of Spanish dominance in the Europa League. The 2021 Europa League Final was the sixth won by a Spanish side in the last eight editions of the competition.
This year, the rest of Europe will look to unseat the Spanish side at the top of the Europa League in 2022.
Summer 2021 Transfer Window Recap
Something that can be very significant to the outcome of the Europa League and Europa League betting is the transfer window each season. Teams are able to sign new players and send away old players during the two transfer windows each year, with the summer window being especially impactful to the chances of teams looking to break through in the Europa League and elsewhere. But the story for the major teams remaining in the Europa League were their departures this summer, rather than their arrivals.
The biggest departures came from two teams that started this season in the Champions League, but were dropped into the Europa League by finishing third in their Champions League groups. Barcelona is one of those teams, and their transfer window was marred by the departure of Lionel Messi. Messi, arguably the greatest player in the history of the sport, was not affordable for Barcelona any longer which forced them to sell him to their Parisian rivals at Paris Saint-Germain.
The loss of Messi is incredibly significant, as Barcelona may not have the quality to even win the Europa League without him to unlock defenses the way he does.
Barcelona is in a difficult spot in La Liga, which won’t help them in a rigorous international competition like the Europa League. They aren’t likely to be the Europa League betting favorites even with their name recognition.
Another huge departure from a team in the knockout stage came from Borussia Dortmund. The German side dealt Jadon Sancho to Manchester United, taking one of Dortmund’s most productive players out of a team that made the knockout rounds of last year’s Champions League. Without Sancho this season, Dortmund had no such luck in the Champions League group stage.
Winter 2022 Transfer Window Recap
The Europa League is an interesting league in the transfer window, as there are typically two classes of teams still left in the tournament in the knockout stages. There are teams that are punching above their weight that are just happy to be there, and teams that are overqualified, who were dropped down from the Champions League group stage looking to avoid the Europa League next season. That can create an environment where some teams are sellers, while others are aggressive buyers in January.
FC Barcelona falls into the category of being a buyer in the Europa League this winter. The team made multiple pickups that could help them, acquiring Ferran Torres from Manchester City as well as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Both players will be important on a Barcelona team that has lacked the quality of previous versions of the team, whether that is in the Europa League or in La Liga competition.
Sevilla made a couple of notable acquisitions in the transfer window this winter as well. They brought in Anthony Martial from Manchester United, as well as Jesús Corona from Porto. Both players could have an impact on Sevilla’s chances in the Europa League, as Sevilla has made it clear that they are looking to improve their roster as they try to advance through the final rounds of this tournament.
As a whole, Spanish teams have been the best in this competition in the recent past. The transfer moves made in the winter may only reinforce that divide, as teams from Spain did a lot to make themselves better for the knockout stages of the Europa League, while the rest of the competition failed to keep up.
Who are Favorites to Win Europa League this Season?
The Europa League betting favorites heading into the knockout rounds are Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla. Sevilla is a deserved co-favorite here, as they’re second in La Liga this season behind Real Madrid. They also have the advantage of being a Spanish side in the Europa League, which has gone very well for teams hailing from that country over the last decade or so.
As far as Dortmund goes, they’re second in the Bundesliga behind German giants Bayern Munich. The question for Dortmund is how much they’ll care about the Europa League, as they are likely to earn a Champions League place through domestic league play regardless. Their overall quality might be enough to get them through without their full attention being on the tournament, but that’s far from a given.
Other teams on the short list of Europa League betting favorites are Barcelona, Atalanta and West Ham United. Barcelona will always be considered a favorite in a tournament like this thanks to their brand name, even when they’re playing poorly. But Atalanta is one of the most explosive teams in European football in recent years, while West Ham is mounting a potential Champions League worthy season this year in the Premier League.
Who is in Danger of Relegation?
There’s no relegation in the Europa League, which is worth keeping in mind for anyone doing some Europa League betting this season or in any campaign. Instead, the Europa League tournament field is set each year based on how teams finish in their respective domestic league seasons. But there are a few interesting wrinkles in the structure of this tournament that resemble relegation.
When the group stage of the Europa league is complete, the teams that finished just outside of the qualification spots for the knockout stages are sent down to the UEFA Europa Conference League. That tournament is a tier below the Europa League, which is one tier below the Champions League. Also, the teams that finished third in each Champions League group are sent down to the Europa League to compete in the knockout rounds of this event.
While this doesn’t quite replace the promotion/relegation structure that’s common in domestic soccer leagues, it can have an impact on Europa League betting markets. With superior teams from the Champions League being dropped into the Europa League before the knockout rounds, this setup can have a huge impact on those who are betting on teams to win the Europa League in the outright betting markets.
Outright Predictions For Europa League 2021/22
The best selection to take to win the tournament from a Europa League betting perspective might just be West Ham United out of the Premier League. The Irons have been tenacious both in the Europa League and Premier League so far this season, winning four of their six Europa League group stage matches. Now, they’ll look to progress through the knockout rounds to give themselves a second shot at making next year’s Champions League.
Another decent play from a Europa League betting perspective is Sevilla.
Of all the Spanish sides left in the tournament, Sevilla carries the most value as they enter the knockout rounds at somewhere in the neighborhood of 6/1 odds. Their payout is slightly less than that of Barcelona if they were to win this tournament, but it’s worth making that sacrifice given how much better Sevilla has been than Barca all season long.
Players to Keep an Eye on in Europa League this Season
The top player to watch in the upcoming Europa League knockout rounds is Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund. Haaland is the main reason that Dortmund are the Europa League betting favorites as the tournament kicks into high gear. He was an impact player in the Champions League this season despite the struggles for Dortmund in the win column in that tournament, and should be even more impactful if he plays in the Europa League.
Another player worth keeping an eye on is Karl Toko Ekambi of Lyon. Lyon is more of a longshot in the Europa League betting markets than the likes of Dortmund and Sevilla, but Ekambi has been lighting it up during this tournament so far. He’s tied for the top goal scoring output in the 2021-2022 Europa League to this point, netting six goals in the group stage to put his team in a position to continue through the knockout rounds.
Finally, the strike force of FC Barcelona is going to be scrutinized coming into the knockout rounds of the Europa League. The likes of Memphis Depay combined with midfield players like Philippe Coutinho certainly have the potential to run through the rest of this tournament. But they’ll need to actually score goals against some decent competition if they want to get Barca back into the Champions League.
How do we Provide our Expert Picks for Europa League?
Our expert Europa League betting picks come from handicappers who understand both the Europa League and soccer betting in general. Their Europa League picks are the product of studying each team in the tournament, evaluating their current form domestically as well as in the tournament itself. Our experts are also proficient in understanding the different scheduling quirks that can provide value in different times of the tournament.
For example, our soccer handicapping experts have an understanding of when teams may have a heightened sense of urgency in the first or second leg of a knockout stage tie. A combination of the home and away splits in those legs, as well as the aggregate score going into the second leg, could have a big impact on which team comes out sharper from the start of a match. This brand of situational handicapping can greatly help you with your Europa League betting success rate.
Best Sportsbooks that Cover Europa League Games
There are several Europa League betting sites out there, but not all betting sites are created equal. Some sportsbooks are preferred over others when it comes to betting on the Europa League, as they may have more of the features that bettors care the most about. These Europa League betting sites in particular are appreciated by bettors for a number of reasons as they offer the ability to wager on this tournament in style.
Betway
Betway is a sportsbook that offers plenty of Europa League action, thanks in large part to the credibility that they’ve cultivated in countries that are much more soccer-friendly than the United States. Betway is a sponsor for West Ham United and several other soccer clubs around the world, and their quality and quantity of available betting markets show that they prioritize this sport. That’s great news for anyone who wants to wager on this tournament at a soccer-focused bookmaker.
BetMGM
Another top Europa League betting site is BetMGM, as they offer several features that appeal to parlay bettors. They make it easy to create parlays through their parlay generator and easy parlay features, which allow you to place a parlay bet within seconds. With regular parlay insurance offers up for grabs, you may be able to freeroll a parlay on the Europa League.
Sportsbook Promo Codes and Best Bonuses for Europa League
There are multiple Europa League betting promos available in the form of welcome bonuses at reputable sportsbooks in the United States. One such bonus comes from BetMGM, which offers a 100% deposit match on your first deposit. Here, you can deposit up to $250 at BetRivers, and get a dollar-for-dollar match up to that amount to guarantee that you’ve got more than you started with in your account before placing a bet.
Another bonus that can be used for Europa League betting is the risk-free bet promo available at FanDuel Sportsbook. FanDuel allows you to place your first bet on the Europa League or any sporting event for up to $1,000. If that bet wins, you keep your profits and continue playing, or you can be reimbursed up to $1,000 in free bets if that first bet does not win.
There are, of course, new sportsbook promotions offered on a regular basis at the top betting sites in America. You should always keep an eye out for new sportsbook promos, as these can be reason enough to sign up at new sportsbooks and expand your sports betting portfolio.
All You Need to Know About Europa League Betting
Before doing any Europa League betting, you’re going to want to read the below guide on everything you need to know about betting on this tournament. Technically you can do some Europa League betting without this information. But, just like setting up a new item in your house without reading the owner’s manual, you run the risk of missing out on some important information that could cost you in the long run.
Europa League Odds And Betting Lines
The Europa League betting odds for each match are easy to read once you get used to doing so. You’ll see odds for some teams and betting markets start with a plus sign and some with a minus sign.
Those symbols are something you’ll need to keep an eye out for, as they’ll determine how much you need to bet in order to make the amount you want to on each bet.
Odds that begin with a plus sign signify the amount you would win if you put $100 on your Europa League betting pick. And odds that begin with a minus sign signify the amount you would need to bet to win $100 on that market. For example, odds of +125 mean that a $100 bet would yield $125 in profit, while odds of -500 mean that a $500 bet would be needed to win $100 in profit.
Compare Odds For Europa League
One of the most important things you can do before doing your Europa League betting is to compare the odds on any bet you’re thinking about placing across multiple sportsbooks.
Different betting sites have slightly different odds for most matches, which might not seem like a lot in the case of one bet, but can make a massive difference over a larger sample size of Europa League betting picks.
For example, if Barcelona and Dortmund are playing in a Europa League match, Barcelona might be a -105 favorite at one sportsbook and a -125 favorite at another. At -105 odds, a $105 bet would be needed to win $100, while a $125 bet would be needed to win $100 at the other book. Both bets would pay $100, but you would need to risk an extra $20 to bet on Barca at -125 odds, making the book with -105 odds the better place to place that bet.
How Do We Generate Our Europa League Odds?
We look very closely at Europa League betting odds from multiple sportsbooks at all times. Our odds are generated by comparing the betting odds across all available sportsbooks and deciding which odds are the most favorable of the bunch. This comparison will help you make as much as you can on as many of our recommended bets as possible each tournament.
We also calculate our own Europa League betting odds when possible, comparing those odds to the actual betting odds. This allows us to convey to you where there’s actual value in the betting markets, which can help you beat the closing line and be as profitable as can be when betting on the Europa League.
Moneyline Europa League Odds
The moneyline market in Europa League betting is a market where you’re trying to predict the outcome of the match.
The number of goals scored in the match doesn’t matter, nor does the margin of victory in the match. The only thing that matters is whether or not you’re able to predict which side will win each match or whether said match will end in a draw.
With the moneyline market, Europa League betting participants have three choices for each match. They can back either team to win the match, or they can bet on the match to end in a draw. The moneyline only applies to regulation time, so matches that are won in extra time or penalties will still be ruled a draw for the purposes of the moneyline wager.
Europa League Over/Under Odds
Another common Europa League betting market is the over/under, where the goal is for you to predict how much scoring will take place in each match.
Here, Europa League betting sites post a total number of goals, and you’re able to decide whether you think there’ll be over or under that number of goals for each match. These totals are typically set somewhere between two and four goals for each match.
How high or low totals are set depends on the styles of each team playing in a match. More defensive teams that play a less aggressive style will see lower totals in their matches. And teams that play a more attacking style may see totals that’re higher heading into their matches.
How Does Europa League Work
Before doing any Europa League betting, it’s a good idea to have an understanding of how the Europa League itself works. The Europa League starts out as a 32-team group stage, with eight groups consisting of four teams each. The top two teams from each group advance to the next round, with the eight third-place teams from the Champions League groups joining them in the knockout rounds.
In the group stage, each team plays a home and away game against the other teams in their groups for a six-game schedule for each team in each group. Each knockout round consists of two legs in each matchup, with the higher aggregate score in those two legs moving onto the next round. Eventually, the final two teams remaining will play for the Europa League title, with the winner earning a spot in next season’s Champions League. Teams And Venues
There are several teams still alive in the Europa League, as these teams have made it through the group stage to feature in the knockout rounds. Here’s a look at the remaining teams in this year’s tournament, along with their home stadium, where they’ll look to make an impact to propel themselves toward the final.
| Team | Venues |
|---|---|
| Lyon | Groupama Stadium |
| Rangers | Ibrox Stadium |
| Monaco | Stade Louis II |
| Real Sociedad | Anoeta Stadium |
| Spartak Moscow | Otkritie Arena |
| Napoli | Stadio Diego Armando Maradona |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | Deutsche Bank Park |
| Olympiacos | Karaiskakis Stadium |
| Galatasaray | Nef Stadium |
| Lazio | Stadio Olimpico |
| Red Star Belgrade | Rajko Mitić Stadium |
| Braga | Estádio Municipal de Braga |
| Bayer Leverkusen | BayArena |
| Real Betis | Estadio Benito Villamarín |
| West Ham United | London Stadium |
| Dinamo Zagreb | Stadion Maksimir |
| Sevilla | Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán |
| Atalanta | Gewiss Stadium |
| Red Bull Leipzig | Red Bull Arena |
| Barcelona | Camp Nou |
| Zenit St. Petersburg | Krestovsky Stadium |
| Borussia Dortmund | Westfalenstadion |
| Sheriff Tiraspol | Sheriff Stadium |
| Porto | Estádio do Dragão |
Europa League Trophy
The Europa League trophy is just over two feet tall, and just over a foot wide, and it’s heavier than the Champions League trophy despite the Champions League being a higher profile tournament. This trophy was designed by the Bertoni workshop in Milan, Italy, and is a trophy that does not have any handles, unlike the Premier League and Champions League trophies.
COVID-19 Status
COVID-19 has the potential to have an impact on Europa League betting, in the event that matches are postponed or paused in some way. As of now, there aren’t plans to do that, as Europe continues to combat the coronavirus. But if plans do change, the Europa League could see its matches postponed until a time when it’s deemed safe for them to be played again.
Interesting Facts About Europa League
- Introduced in 1971
- The Europa League name was introduced in 2009
- Teams from 11 countries have won the Europa League all-time
The Europa League was introduced in 1971, when it started out as the UEFA Cup. The Europa League name was introduced ahead of the 2009 campaign, with the tournament existing under this name for over a decade now. So far, teams from 11 countries have won the Europa League all-time, with Spanish countries leading the continent with 13 Europa League championships.
Europa League Conclusion
While the Europa League isn’t the biggest soccer tournament in Europe, there’s still a nice incentive for each team to play their best. With a Champions League spot on the line, teams who may not otherwise get there could earn their ticket to the biggest competition in the sport through this event. And if you follow our Europa League betting advice, you could come away with some wins of your own.
If you follow our Europa League betting advice, you could come away with some wins of your own.