They provide bettors with the opportunity to back heavy favourites at a reasonable price, while giving a head start to the underdogs through a substantial handicap when playing against heavy favourites.
With the Champions League set for Tuesday and Wednesday this week, we have taken a look at the most widely available European handicap market in UEFA’s most prestigious competition. We’ll start by highlighting the biggest plus handicap on the schedule before discussing the most significant minus handicap in Spain.
Champions League European Handicap | Betano Odds |
|---|---|
+3 Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich | |
-2 Atletico Madrid vs Slovan Bratislava | |
Shakhtar and Atleti Handicap Double | 2.80 |
Odds courtesy of Betano. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Will We See Another Competitive Performance Away From Ukraine?
A +3 handicap for Shakhtar Donetsk means Bayern will need to win by three clear goals for this selection to lose. If Bayern win 0-2, the handicap will then be applied to Shakhtar, resulting in a 3-2 victory for them in this specific market.
This Shakhtar Donetsk side limited Arsenal to a 1-0 scoreline at the Emirates and drew 0-0 in Bologna. The Ukrainians were leading 0-2 against PSV in the Netherlands before a red card ended the contest, allowing PSV to produce a comeback victory and secure a 3-2 win.
Shakhtar also secured a 2-1 victory over Young Boys at a neutral venue but lost 0-3 to Atalanta - the latter being the only occasion where the +3 handicap failed in this Champions League campaign.
Shakhtar have shown they can be competitive at this level. Their long odds of 18/1 at home are largely due to playing all their home games at a neutral venue. The upcoming fixture against Bayern Munich will be held in Germany, making this more of a home fixture for the visitors.
Harry Kane could miss the match for Bayern Munich due to an injury, alongside Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman, and Mathys Tel, who are all struggling to be fit.
The current tight fixture schedule could influence the outcome, with Shakhtar benefiting from a more favourable lead-up. The ‘home’ side have five days of rest before the Champions League tie, having rested all weekend before flying to Germany.
Shakhtar’s most recent fixture was on Thursday, just days before their clash with Bayern on Tuesday. Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich is Bayern’s sixth game in the 18 days following the international break. Bayern’s most recent match was a DFB Pokal defeat to Leverkusen on Tuesday, followed by a 4-2 win over Heidenheim in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Moreover, after their impressive performance against PSV in the latest matchday, the team will be confident of challenging teams away from Ukraine. While Bayern Munich are a step above PSV, they are a weakened side and could struggle to reach their best form.
Madrid's Nine-Win Streak to Continue
In contrast to the Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich matchup, Atletico Madrid start with a -2 handicap. When a team start on a minus handicap, like Atletico Madrid (-2.5) in this case, they need to win the game by a margin of three goals. If Atletico Madrid win their upcoming match 3-0 against Slovan Bratislava, the score in the handicap market would be 3-2.
A quick look at Slovan Bratislava’s Champions League results this season shows they are a level below the required standard for the competition. Their campaign started with a 5-1 hammering by Celtic in Scotland, followed by a 0-4 defeat at home to Manchester City. They also suffered a 2-0 defeat in Girona, a 1-4 loss to Dinamo Zagreb, which was flattering for the visitors, and a 3-2 defeat to AC Milan on home soil.
The last two scorelines should give Slovan Bratislava some hope that they can keep these fixtures competitive. Scoring twice against a team like AC Milan should provide a glimmer of hope. However, they are to face a Diego Simeone side boasting nine consecutive wins. Not only did they beat Sparta Praha 0-6 in Prague last week, but Atleti also managed a dramatic comeback from 1-3 down against Sevilla on the weekend, sealed by a late Antoine Griezmann strike.
The mood in the Spanish camp will be buoyant. The -2 Handicap might be one that Julian Alvarez, Rodrigo de Paul, Griezmann, and the rest of the team comfortably overcome.