This year's Champions League final match will be held at Allianz Arena, the home of Bayern Munich. There's a long road ahead, but playing there in the decisive match is a major motivation for the Bavarian side to shake off the doubts and move on to the Round of 16.
Despite their sluggish start in this tournament, they can secure their place today when they host Celtic at 3 p.m. (ET), thanks to a 2-1 first-leg advantage.
Here is my Bayern Munich vs. Celtic pick and Champions League odds for today's match.
Bayern Munich vs. Celtic Prediction, Pick, Odds
| Celtic Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -140 | 3.5 -135o / 110u | +1300 |
| Bayern Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 +100 | 3.5 -135o / 110u | -650 |
- Bayern Munich vs. Celtic moneyline odds: Bayern Munich -650, Draw +800, Celtic +1300
- Bayern Munich vs. Celtic over/under: 3.5 goals (Over -135, Under +110)
- Bayern Munich vs. Celtic pick: Bayern ML, Over 3.5 goals and Harry Kane Anytime Goalscorer
I am backing Bayern to win, over 3.5 goals and Harry Kane to score in the Bayern Munich vs. Celtic match.
Bayern Munich Prediction
The Champions League is different from everything else. A quick look at Bayern's numbers in the Bundesliga might make you think they are back to their usual dominance after losing the title last year to Bayer Leverkusen. They lead the league with an eight-point advantage and have scored 65 goals in 22 games. Everything's great, right? Think again.
The criticism of new manager Vincent Kompany is warranted. The team's style of play may be debatable, but some performances against tough sides have really been poor. The best example was their supposed showdown last Saturday against second-place Leverkusen. That visit ended in a 0-0 draw, which kept Bayern's eight-point lead intact.
Unfortunately, the way they got the result is another story. A defensive-minded display, tons of luck with two Leverkusen attempts hitting the crossbar, and key saves from Manuel Neuer—yet Bayern failed to register a single shot on target.
Champions League competition is closer to that level of scrutiny. Bayern won all four matches at home in the initial stage but only one on the road, where they lost to Aston Villa, Barcelona and Feyenoord. If they are to reach the dream final at their home ground, they better step up.
To their credit, that's what they did in the playoff first leg in Glasgow, winning 2-1 with goals from Michael Olise and Harry Kane. Now, at Allianz Arena, a proven fortress, they should have no issues confirming their spot in the Round of 16.
Celtic Prediction
It's sad when you realize you lost your best chance. Celtic had that in Glasgow last week. The Scottish side needed at least a win for whatever margin to keep the hope alive because to think of an upset at Allianz Arena is a bit farfetched. They could not win any of their matches on the road in the initial stage, with two draws and two losses.
With no away-goal rule in place, Celtic needs to beat Bayern by a two-goal margin or win by one in regulation time and expect to complete the shocking qualification in extra time or penalties.
The good thing is this sport is full of such incredible stories, so there's always room for one more. Manager Brendan Rodgers partly rotated the lineup in last Saturday's 3-0 win against Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership, where his team is the runaway leader with a 15-point lead.
With fresh legs and a miracle in mind, Celtic goes to Munich for the ultimate challenge. If they are eliminated, they will have to settle for another inevitable Scottish League title as their season's main accomplishment.
Bayern Munich vs. Celtic Pick
Harry Kane is poised to repeat as the top Bundesliga scorer. In this Champions League, he already has seven goals, three less than leader Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund), so look for him to add to his tally and for Bayern to make it an entertaining match since they scored 14 times in their four home contests so far in this tournament.
If Celtic goes down early in the score, there will be nothing left to lose, and we could see a much more open-play game from then on.
Bayern Munich vs. Celtic Pick: Bayern ML, Over 3.5 goals and Harry Kane Anytime Goalscorer (+120, DraftKings)
