The second day of Champions League group stage Round 5 action gets under way with teams continuing to push for a knockout stage place.
Barcelona are fighting for their lives as they need to beat Bayern and get outside help from Viktoria Plzen to remain afloat in the battle for Champions League survival. Meanwhile, Liverpool can secure a knockout stage place with a result in the Netherlands against Ajax.
Atletico Madrid are in trouble, hanging by a thread as they host a struggling Bayer Leverkusen side. Group D, with Tottenham, Marseille, Sporting CP, and Eintracht Frankfurt remains the most wide-open group, and those two matches will be incredibly exciting.
Check out all our picks below.
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Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich prediction, best bet
- Best Bet: Bayern moneyline
- Odds: +185 (Caesars)
- Prediction (Win/Draw): Bayern win
Yesterday’s pick of Real Madrid as road underdogs ended up falling face-first. Carlo Ancelotti was too cavalier in the absence of a number of injured players, experimenting with Antonio Rudiger at full-back, an experiment that exploded like a beaker of chemicals in a mad scientist’s lab. That won’t happen with Bayern, and we’re riding with the same logic for a road team in a meaningless game, but with fewer injuries to contend with. It’s hard to pass up Bayern at this value despite the knocks against them. — Kyle Bonn
Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Olympique Marseille best bet, prediction
- Best Bet: Frankfurt moneyline
- Odds: +128 (Caesars)
- Prediction (Win/Draw): Eintracht Frankfurt
This is a glorious matchup between two teams that make absolutely no sense. Marseille have crushed Sporting twice and beaten Lille, but then lost to Ajaccio and Lens at home. Frankfurt were clobbered by Bochum and Sporting, but beat first-placed Union Berlin and RB Leipzig. But one thing sets these teams apart — finishing. In league play, Frankfurt have out-shined their xG by +5.93, second-best in the Bundesliga behind Union Berlin. Marseille, meanwhile, have underperformed in six of their last seven Ligue 1 matches, including their last three defeats. Frankfurt, who topped Marseille in France last time they faced off, will know victory here is a must if they want to advance, and victory they will claim. — Kyle Bonn
Atletico Madrid vs. Bayer Leverkusen best bet, prediction
- Best Bet: Atletico Madrid to win to nil
- Odds: +190 (Caesars)
- Prediction (Win/Draw): Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid have 90-minute Antoine Griezmann back, and it’s made a world of difference at both ends. Diego Simeone can finally sit back and absorb pressure without worrying about the team creating chances when given the opportunity. The result? A five-match unbeaten streak where they’ve conceded just three goals. At home against a Bayer Leverkusen side that’s not as hideous as earlier in the year but still poor on both ends of the field, this should be cake for Madrid as they exact revenge from the reverse fixture in Germany, where they were shorthanded and slumped to defeat. — Kyle Bonn
Yesterday’s picks
After a profitable weekend, an awful Tuesday for Kyle saw a number of picks fall completely flat. PSG were spectacular as they put a stunning seven past Maccabi Haifa, while a shorthanded Real Madrid were putrid in Germany against RB Leipzig.
| Picks | ✔️ or ❌ |
|---|---|
| Real Madrid to win (Bonn, +155) |
❌ |
| PSG vs. Maccabi Haifa 1H under 2.5 goals (Bonn, -120) |
❌ |
| Maccabi Haifa +2.5 goals handicap (Bonn, -105) |
❌ |
Soccer best bets records
Records below compiled since the first edition of this post on Monday, October 3.
| Kyle Bonn | Simon Borg | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Bets (Won-Lost-Push) |
33.3% (13-26-1) |
32.0% (8-16-1) |
| Total Units (+ Won / – Lost) |
-7.25 | -7.19 |
| Match Predictions (Correct picks) |
56.8% (21 of 37) |
52.0% (13 of 25) |
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