Here are our Europa League outright betting tips. It’s the semi-final second leg matches on Thursday evening and at the conclusion of play we will know which two sides will face-off in the final of this year’s competition. It has been a long road, from the qualifiers of the summer to the last hurdle before the main event and although this competition is still seen as a back-up to the Champions League, disrespected by many fans during the group stages, it has been an interesting renewal and we look forward to Thursday’s fixtures.
Chelsea or Arsenal to win?
Chelsea take on Frankfurt at Stamford Bridge with the teams locked at 1-1 on aggregate, while Arsenal go to Valencia boasting a 3-1 lead, something they will be desperate to protect in Spain. At the time of writing, an all English final of the Champions League looks unlikely, but we could have one in the Europa League. Four Premier League sides in the semi-finals of UEFA’s two biggest competitions, while the national team are flying, it’s a great time to be a follower of English football.
Chelsea Too Short to Back
Which club will go on to lift the famous trophy? Will it be an English representative, will La Liga continue to dominate this tournament or are we set for a Bundesliga champion? It’s anyone’s guess at this time but bookmakers have had their say, offering Europa League outright betting – and it makes for interesting reading with plenty of value still to be found.
If you believe you have the winner picked, why not put your money where your mouth is and back your predictions with cold, hard cash? It’ll make things more interesting in the weeks to come.
The current outright betting has Chelsea as favourites with backers of the London club able to get their hands on no more than the 19/20 being offered up by Unibet. A convincing jolly, but that looks to be on the short side as The Blues have already secured a top-four finish in the Premier League, so will be playing Champions League football next season regardless of if they win this or not. Even without that, do we really want to be sitting on an odds-on shot who are locked at 1-1? It’s not a bet for us and we’ll happily look further down the pecking order for our interest.
Arsenal a Better Bet
Arsenal are second favourites with Bet365 handing out 15/8 and that looks an easier bet to make. The Gunners oozed class when collecting a 3-1 win over Valencia last week in the first-leg and now look to have one foot in the final. They will aim to keep things tight in Spain, remain within the two goals and try to hit their opponents on the break.
It would come as no surprise to see Arsenal go on to lift the Europa League and, as well as the better price, they are an attractive bet as it looks likely they will finish outside of the top-four in the Premier League. That means winning this cup is their best chance of sneaking into the Champions League next season.
The other two entrants have been written off by those who hold the purse strings and if you expect Valencia to bounce back before going on to win the title outright, you’ll get a stunning 7/1 at William Hill. They do have an away goal working in their favour and the stats tell us backing La Liga teams has been a profitable approach over the last few years. Frankfurt are outsiders of the four remaining clubs, Unibet confident enough to trade a heavyweight 11/1. That’s generous, as they are locked at 1-1 with Chelsea and have impressed in this tournament so far, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see that nibbled at by lovers of a plucky underdog.