Real Madrid and Lille battle on Wednesday night in France for Matchday 3 in the Champions League.
Madrid got off to a winning start in this competition by defeating Stuttgart 3-1 in the home opener.
Meanwhile, the French club came back from Portugal empty-handed after the loss to Sporting in Matchday 1.
Even away from home, I like the Spanish giant to come away with a result here, and I think there’s betting value to cash a winning ticket.
Lille vs. Real Madrid Odds, Picks, Prediction
| Lille Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+0.5 +140 | 2.5 -150/+115 | +475 |
| Real Madrid Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-0.5 -195 | 2.5 -150/+115 | -180 |
- Real Madrid vs. Lille moneyline odds: Real Madrid -180, Lille +475, Draw +330
- Real Madrid vs. Lille over/under: 2.5 goals (over -150, under +115)
- Real Madrid vs. Lille pick: Real Madrid Moneyline
I am backing Real Madrid in Lille vs. Real Madrid.
Lille Preview
Lille makes its return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign that finished in the Round of 16. This is the same club that made a run to the quarterfinals of the Europa Conference League last season.
Unfortunately, the recent success of Lille brought attention to its manager, who made the switch to AC Milan in the summer. After the move, the club decided to bring in Bruno Génésio to lead the team.
Génésio has had solid results at previous stops in France — at Lyon and Rennes. One thing that stands out at both stints is the fact that the clubs had European runs.
The results at Lille so far haven't been very positive, but there are still plenty of matches to turn this around.
Real Madrid Preview
There was no bigger name to switch clubs over the summer than French superstar Kylian Mbappé. However, he may not feature in this game.
After scoring in his fourth straight match, Mbappé was recently subbed off in the 80th minute against Alavés due to a hamstring issue. He was shown on the team plane traveling to France, but I feel he may need more recovery time.
Regardless of whether Mbappé plays, Carlo Ancelotti should still have plenty of firepower to get a result. He likely will revert to the formation from last season, with Jude Bellingham playing behind Vinícius Junior and Rodrygo.
The big question will be who Ancelotti plays in midfield with Eduardo Camavinga pushing to return from injury. His other option is Luka Modrić, who has plenty of experience in big games.
Lille vs. Real Madrid Prediction
This is a major step up in competition for Lille, and I think it will be too much. It now comes down to picking the best way to back the visitors.
With that said, my bet is a same-game parlay, pairing a Madrid win with the total going over one goal at -125 odds at Bet365. I would play this to -140 before shifting to over two goals at a better price.
One of the main reasons for this bet is how Lille has done against stronger opposition. In the qualifying round, the French team needed overtime to get past Fenerbahçe.
That was followed by giving up five big scoring chances in the second leg of the next round against Slavia Prague. I think we can all agree that Madrid is much better than those clubs.
Meanwhile, Lille also hosted Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. That was a match PSG won 3-1 and created four big chances in the process.
I also don’t like the absentee list for this game for Lille, who will be without multiple key starters. Even without Mbappé or Thibaut Courtois, Madrid should have enough to get a win.
Pick: Real Madrid Moneyline and Over 1 Goal (-125)
