Matchday 3 for the UEFA Champions League is only halfway through the schedule, but the odds to win the tournament have substantially altered.
Paris Saint-Germain fell from its spot as +350 odds favorite to win it all prior to Tuesday’s match to +450 and third-best on the leaderboard, according to DraftKings.
This was after the Parisians’ liabilities were exposed despite a 3-2 win against RB Leipzig.
PSG looked lost on defense and in the midfield. The Parisians needed all-world performances from Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi to salvage a win.
To be clear, Neymar missed the game with an abductor injury. However, the game made clear the team's deficiencies at every other position besides attack.
The Parisians allowed more dangerous attacking opportunities than they were able to put together themselves and lost the expected-goals battle by a 1.9-1.6 margin, according to Caley Graphics.
PSG will always have a chance in every contest because of their three-headed monster up top. Still, winning this tournament will be dependent on the stability of their back line, especially against much tougher competition.
Will the likes of Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe be able to withstand withering counterattacks from the likes of Manchester City, Bayern Munich or Chelsea? Especially with the degree to which PSG pushes its troops forward?
Speaking of City, their 5-1 drubbing of Club Brugge all but assured their spot as group winners. It also helped propel them from +400, co-second-best favorites. to the outright +350 favorite.
Bayern Munich's odds stayed at +400. They play Wednesday at Benfica.
2022 Champions League Futures Odds
| Team | Oct. 20 Odds | Oct. 19 Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | +350 | +400 |
| Bayern Munich | +400 | +400 |
| PSG | +450 | +350 |
| Liverpool | +650 | +800 |
| Chelsea | +800 | +800 |
| Manchester United | +1400 | +1100 |
| Real Madrid | +2000 | +2200 |
| Ajax | +2200 | +4000 |
| Juventus | +2500 | +2500 |
| Atlético Madrid | +2800 | +2500 |
| Borussia Dortmund | +4000 | +3000 |
| Barcelona | +4000 | +4000 |
| Inter Milan | +5000 | +5000 |
Liverpool and Ajax are the big winners after Tuesday’s games. Each had commanding victories in massive matches.
Liverpool beat Atlético Madrid on the road despite losing the xG battle by a wide 1.7-0.5 margin.
Mohamed Salah continued his record season with two goals. It's insane to think that he's become an even better player than he was before. A more complete one at that as well.
The game was punctuated by an electric first-half that saw Liverpool go up 2-0, only for Atleti to come roaring back to tie it before the halftime whistle.
An unfortunate red card by Antoine Griezmann changed the tie and put the Spanish club on the defensive. The 2019 Champions League winners capitalized with a penalty late in the game.
For Ajax, it was their 4-0 domination of a good Borussia Dortmund team that launched their odds from +4000 to just +2200.
The Dutch club went from tied for 11th to win the entire tournament to holding sole custody of ninth-place.
By the way, this is a Dortmund team that’s holding their ground in a competitive race for the Bundesliga with perennial winners Bayern Munich. Dortmund are just a point down from the Bavarians in their domestic league after eight league matches.
And, by the way, Dortmund have arguably the best striker in the Champions League in Erling Haaland.
It was a glorious win for Ajax, one that justifiably buoyed their momentum to win it all.
Atlético Madrid and Dortmund each fell in the futures market in corresponding moves. Madrid fell from +2500 and eighth-best favorites to +2800 and 10th overall.
The German club fell from +3000 (10th-best favorites) to +4000 and tied for 11th-best in the latest odds.
