I'm targeting two powerhouses in Wednesday's Champions League picks.
The pregame narrative: PSG kicks off its Champions League title defence at home against Atalanta and should win convincingly. Elsewhere, look for Harry Kane to do damage when Bayern Munich hosts Chelsea.
Check out the best Champions League predictions for the matches on Sept. 17.
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Champions League predictions
Best bet: PSG halftime/fulltime (+105)
PSG is still the best team in Europe untill proven otherwise.
Luis Enrique's side dominated this competition last season and carried that momentum into the FIFA Club World Cup, dispatching some elite teams before suffering a shocking 3-0 loss to Chelsea in the final.
Here are some of PSG's most impressive performances from those runs:
- UCL semifinal: 1-0 win vs. Arsenal
- UCL semifinal: 2-1 win vs. Arsenal
- UCL final: 5-0 win vs. Inter Milan
- CWC R16: 4-0 win vs. Inter Miami
- CWC QF: 2-0 win vs. Bayern Munich
- CWC SF: 4-0 win vs. Real Madrid
PSG led at halftime and won in all but one of those fixtures (against Bayern), so I can't imagine it struggling against a good but not great Serie A side, even without Ousmane Dembele.
Atalanta is 1-2-0 through three domestic fixtures, only beating the bottom-feeding Lecee.
PSG is 8-1-1 in its last 10 fixtures with a +16 goal differential.
Key stat: PSG led the Champions League in match rating (7.29), xG (36.4), and big chances (71), and was second in clean sheets (seven) during its title run, per FotMob.
Best Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea bet
Kane to score (-118): Kane has a long history against Chelsea, dating back to his days at Tottenham.
The English striker scored six goals in 16 London derby appearances, which, by his standards, left a lot to be desired.
But Kane has found another gear with Bayern Munich, and I expect him to punish his longtime rival on Wednesday.
- Kane has scored 93 goals in 101 games with Bayern Munich, including eight through five appearances this season.
- Last season, he netted 11 goals in 13 Champions League fixtures.
- Bayern Munich is unbeaten in 34 straight UCL group stage home games and is 8-1-1 in its last 10 home games against English sides.
- The Bavarians were second in xG in the UCL last year despite losing in the quarterfinal.
All of those stats lead me to believe Bayern Munich will soundly defeat Chelsea at home. You could back it on the moneyline at -143, but I think this is a better option.
Champions League predictions made at 10:44 a.m. on 09/16/2025.
