The Champions League group-stage draw was held Thursday, with some familiar faces being labeled favorites by the oddsmakers following their placements in the 32-team field.
A squad that contends for the competition's title — but hasn't gotten its hands on the prize — is the solid betting favorite. Reigning Premier League champion Manchester City is at +275 odds to secure its first UCL crown.
The Cityzens were drawn in Group G with Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund and FC Copenhagen. The English powerhouse is a heavy favorite to win the group.
The team that ousted them from the previous year's competition — Real Madrid — is also the tournament's reigning champion. Madrid isn't seen as one of the major favorites by the oddsmakers. However, Los Blancos dropped from +1000 to their current at +850 odds to repeat as champions.
The Real Madrid group also features RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk and Celtic. Madrid will be extremely pleased with that draw, as it's one of the most favorable possible for the Spanish giants.
In between City and Madrid are three teams who are frequent contenders in both their domestic leagues and the Champions League.
Bring it on! 👊#UCL || #UCLdrawpic.twitter.com/z9IBs4zdUA
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 25, 2022
Paris Saint-Germain (+400), Bayern Munich (+500) and Liverpool (+550) are expected to be top UCL title contenders again.
The Reds are in Group A with Ajax, Napoli and Rangers. Much like City, the EPL juggerbaut is a favorite to come out of that group on top.
It appears that the "Group of Death" quartet — the most difficult foursome to get out of on paper — is Group C. Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Inter Millan will duel for a spot in the knockout stages. They are joined by FC Viktoria Plzen.
Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and PSG are in a difficult group with Juventus, Benfica and Maccabi Haifa joining it. The pressure will be on for the Parisians to make a title run after years of disappointments.
Some big movers on the odds board are Tottenham Hotspur, who was +2000 prior to the draw and has since dipped to +1400 as of writing. Spanish stalwart Atlético Madrid took a steep drop, going from +3500 to +2500 odds.
A full list of group odds and futures can be found below.
2022-23 Champions League Odds
*Odds via DraftKings
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | +275 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | +400 |
| Bayern Munich | +500 |
| Liverpool | +550 |
| Real Madrid | +850 |
| Chelsea | +1400 |
| Barcelona | +1400 |
| Tottenham | +1400 |
| Atlético Madrid | +2500 |
| Juventus | +2800 |
| AC Milan | +3500 |
| Inter Milan | +4000 |
| Borussia Dortmund | +6500 |
| Napoli | +6500 |
| Ajax | +6500 |
| RB Leipzig | +6500 |
| Sevilla | +8000 |
| Porto | +10000 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | +10000 |
| RB Salzburg | +10000 |
| Benfica | +13000 |
| Marseille | +13000 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | +13000 |
| Sporting Lisbon | +15000 |
| Rangers | +20000 |
| Celtic | +30000 |
| Club Brugge | +30000 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | +50000 |
| Viktoria Plzen | +100000 |
| Dinamo Zagreb | +100000 |
| Maccabi Haifa | +100000 |
| FC Copenhagen | +100000 |
