Rather than the former group stage to begin the tournament, this season there are 36 teams involved and they will play in one big League Stage, with the top eight qualifying directly for the knockout stage and the teams between 9th and 24th going into a play-off round.
Each team will play an additional two games as a result and the battle to finish top of the Champions League's inaugural League Stage will soon get under way.
Here is a look at some of the best bets for this stage of the competition.
Five best group stage bets for 2024/25 Champions League
- Bayern Munich to win League Stage @ 8/1
- Barcelona to win League Stage @ 10/1
- Barcelona top-eight finish in League Stage @ 3/4
- Borussia Dortmund top-eight finish in League Stage @ 2/1
- Celtic to finish in 9th-24th positions in League Stage @ 13/8
All odds are courtesy of bet365, correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Bayern Munich to win League Stage @ 8/1
Manchester City, Real Madrid and Arsenal are all above them in the League Stage Winner market but at 8/1, Bayern Munich could be a great pick.
First and foremost, the Bavarians have one of the softer set of fixtures, with games against Dinamo Zagreb, Benfica, PSG and Slovan Bratislava at home meaning they are likely to put plenty of points on the board.
Bayern are still finding their feet under new manager Vincent Kompany, but they made a bright start to the Bundesliga season before the international break, defeating strong Wolfsburg and Freiburg outfits.
They topped their Champions League group with five wins and a draw from six matches last term and made it all the way to the semi-finals before encountering a stubborn Real side.
Barcelona to win League Stage @ 10/1
Also worth considering to win the League Stage of this season's Champions League are Barcelona.
Barca reached the quarter-finals of last season's Champions League, but they look in an even stronger position with Hansi Flick in the dugout.
The German replaced Xavi as Barca boss in the summer and has already overseen four straight wins in La Liga, including a 7-0 demolition of Real Valladolid.
Their front three of Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Euro 2024 star Lamine Yamal is particularly dangerous and they have also been handed a kind fixture list, with Young Boys, Crvena Zvezda, Brest and Benfica among their opponents in the League Stage.
Barcelona top-eight finish in League Stage @ 3/4
Thinking along the same lines as the previous wager, Barcelona also look overpriced to make the top eight in the League Stage.
The fact Barca reached the quarter-finals of last term's competition already suggests they are among the top eight on the continent and the arrival of Flick and improving quality of Yamal only strengthens that sentiment.
Borussia Dortmund top-eight finish in League Stage @ 2/1
Borussia Dortmund have not made an explosive start to the season, but they impressed in the Champions League last campaign despite their domestic struggles.
Dortmund were runners-up in the competition last year and have the chance to get points on the board early this campaign.
Within their first five fixtures they will face Club Brugge, Celtic, Sturm Graz and Dinamo Zagreb, so there is every chance they can make the top eight.
Celtic to finish in 9th-24th positions in League Stage @ 13/8
Celtic have traditionally struggled in the Champions League but they could make it through to the knockout phase playoffs by finishing between 9th and 24th.
They have eased to four wins from four games in the Scottish Premiership already this term and Celtic Park is not an easy place to go.
Fortunately for Celtic, they will welcome the likes of Slovan Bratislava, Club Brugge and Young Boys to their Glasgow home and, while they may fall short of the top eight, they could be in the mix.