Heavy favorites flood the Champions League slate ahead of Tuesday's games, which means we need to get creative in finding value on the betting landscape.
It goes without saying we're all searching for the biggest return on our wagering investments, so we think one way to achieve that goal is by hooking up a few of your selections in a potentially profitable parlay.
Soccer analysts Brett Pund and Jeremy Pond (that's right… Pund and Pond) have you covered with picks they've put together in their own two-leg parlay. They've targeted matches featuring Real Madrid vs. FC Sheriff Tiraspol and Borussia Dortmund vs. Sporting Lisbon for the wager.
Check out below their selections and what kind of price they're getting on their parlay at DraftKings ahead of the showdowns.
Real Madrid vs. Sheriff Odds
| Real Madrid Odds | -1000 |
| Sheriff Odds | +2000 |
| Draw | +1000 |
| Over/Under | 3.5 (-105 / -120) |
| Day | Time | Tuesday | 3 p.m. ET |
| How To Watch | Paramount+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute Soccer odds here. | |
Brett Pund: This lopsided match fits the bill for what Real Madrid has typically done under manager Carlo Ancelotti: beat up and score a ton of goals when playing smaller sides and struggle against teams closer in talent.
Without knowing too much about Moldovan champions FC Sheriff, it’s hard to lay the heavy spread of -2.5 in this match, but if you just target Madrid’s team total, I think it makes for the perfect parlay leg for over 2.5 goals at -175 odds.
Los Blancos lead La Liga in expected goals (12.6), goals scored (21), shots on target (6.71) and goals per shot (0.17), according to fbref.com, and have hit gone over this team total in all matches against comparable opposition like Alavés (4-1). Levante (3-3), Celta Vigo (5-2) and Mallorca (6-1) this season.
Another reason to avoid taking them on the spread is how they’ve given up goals to all those aforementioned teams, and you have to think every player from Sheriff will be dreaming of scoring at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
I think Real Madrid will be looking to put on a show, so I'm backing them to score over 2.5 goals and will make it my top pick.
Pund's Pick: Real Madrid — Team Total Over 2.5 Goals (-175)
Dortmund vs. Sporting CP
| Dortmund Odds | -285 |
| Sporting CP Odds | +750 |
| Draw | +450 |
| Over/Under | 3.5 (+130 / -160) |
| Day | Time | Tuesday | 3 p.m. ET |
| How To Watch | Paramount+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute Soccer odds here. | |
Jeremy Pond: It didn't take long for me to find the wager providing the most value in this affair pitting the German powerhouse against the reigning Primeira Liga champions from Portugal.
Borussia Dortmund has gotten off to a respectable start in the Bundesliga, sitting in fourth place despite suffering a 1-0 road setback against Borussia Mönchengladbach this past weekend. The same came be said for Sporting, which is currently third in the Portuguese top flight after back-to-back wins.
Erling Haaland and Dortmund are close to 3-1 moneyline favorites in this matchup, but their defense has been downright awful. The Black and Yellows have conceded at least one goal in eight of nine games across all competitions. Making matters worse is the fact they've given up at least two goals in six of their last eight matches.
On the other side, Sporting might be the class of Portugal's first division, but the 5-1 shellacking it suffered against Dutch stalwart Ajax in its UCL debut showed this defense has even more problems than Dortmund.
For that reason, I'm backing both teams to score at -130 odds via DraftKings as my selection in this leg of the parlay. I just can't see Dortmund getting a shutout with that porous back line despite playing on home soil.
Pond's Pick: Both Teams To Score — Yes (-130)
Pund & Pond Parlay
Real Madrid Team Total Over 2.5 Goals (-175) & Dortmund/Sporting — BTTS (Yes | -130) at +178 odds via DraftKings
