Eight teams will vie for a spot in the Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday.
The pregame narrative: Six of the eight Champions League matchups are separated by just one goal, leaving plenty of drama for the second legs. Benfica enters with a one-goal lead over AS Monaco, and I expect the former to beat the latter. Elsewhere, I'm taking the under between Bayern Munich and Celtic.
Check out the best Champions League predictions for the knockout phase playoffs.
Champions League predictions
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Best Bet: Benfica to win (-130)
Benfica eked out a 1-0 victory over AS Monaco in the first meeting and I'm bullish on its chances of earning another win in the second leg.
The Eagles won thanks to a goal early in the second half from Vangelis Pavlidis, but the squad had plenty of opportunities to extend the lead.
Benfica held a significant advantage in the following categories:
- Shot attempts (23-6)
- Attacks (59-32)
- Corners (7-2)
Benfica enters this contest in fine form, too, winning each of its last five outings.
Monaco started the contest strong thanks to an impassioned crowd at Stade Louis-II, but the club faded hard after the half. With the scene shifting to Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, I'm betting on a convincing effort from the home side.
Key stat: Benfica has already defeated Monaco twice in Champions League action in 2024-25.
Quick pick
Bayern Munich vs. Celtic under 3.5 goals (+120): I'm fine taking the plus-money odds with the under for this total.
Bayern Munich would be feeling better about its chances of advancing if not for conceding a late goal to Daizen Maeda in the first leg. The German side is still in the driver's seat with a 2-1 edge, though, and I expect the club to rely on its defensive prowess to advance.
The Bavarians have conceded just 19 goals across 22 Bundesliga matches this year, proving to be a formidable defensive side.
Although Celtic's offence is lighting up the Scottish Premiership, fans and bettors have come to expect more muted outputs in Champions League play. The Bhoys have gone under this total in five of their last seven Champions League matches.
Picks made at 2:26 p.m. on 02/17/25.
