The Europa League is down to the last 16 teams, and the round of 16 first legs are set to kick off on Thursday March 11th. Three of the most interesting matches are Manchester United vs AC Milan, Olympiakos vs Arsenal, and Tottenham vs Dinamo Zagreb.
Manchester United is coming off of a big win against Manchester City in the Premier League, and Portuguese striker Bruno Fernandes has elevated his game to carry the Red Devils to key wins this season. AC Milan on the other hand have gotten back on track in Serie A, but it looks like it won’t be enough to win the league, as they are six points behind Inter Milan.
Arsenal have an opportunity to try and save their season with the Europa League, as their league form has been dreadful this season, sitting tenth in the standings. For Olympiakos, they are the runaway leaders in Greece and will win the title shortly. Tottenham vs Dinamo Zagreb present two teams on a winning streak as Spurs have won four in a row, while Zagreb double down on that with an eight game winning streak.
These games also provide us with some interesting parlays and picks that can help the bettor win some big money. We will preview each game and some of the betting options for these clutch games of the Europa League according to FanDuel.
Manchester United vs AC Milan
Two of the biggest clubs in Europe meet on Thursday with Manchester United the huge favorite at -150 over AC Milan who are at +430. United will be without several players who are out injured and Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani are in doubt as well with some nagging injuries. AC Milan have also been hit with the injury bug with Hakan Calhanoglu, Ismael Bennacer, Mario Mandzukic, Ante Rebic and Daniel Maldini out.
United and Milan have played in 10 knockout stage games with the Italians having won 5 of those matches. Look for a tight affair as a lot of the hopes of each team's season will be riding on this tournament. A under 1.5 might seem tricky but could be a good bet if the game is low scoring. Under 1.5 goals is paying out +310. Bruno Fernandes would be an interesting pick for an anytime goal scorer at +125.
Olympiakos vs Arsenal
It could be a game of destiny for Olympiakos who are runaway leaders in Greece and have already knocked out Arsenal last year in the Europa League. At +300 Olympiakos could be a good bet given the poor season Arsenal has been having. Olympiakos have a pretty poor record against English teams, winning two of eleven matches in recent continental matches. Still, playing at home and against a weak Arsenal side the Greeks are due a big game at the European stage.
Look for a high scoring affair and betting that the game will have over 3.5 goals would be smart and at +240, it could help the bettor win some cash. If you really fancy Olympiakos chances, then betting that they will win and score pays out +650. A high payout considering that Arsenal are midtable against a team that is top of the table.
Tottenham vs Dinamo Zagreb
Spurs have turned their season around, and while Dinamo Zagreb have been in good form it will be a tall order for the Croatian side to win in England. Nonetheless Zagreb has one of the toughest defenses in the competition having seven clean sheets. The key to this game could be the over/under and at under 2.5 +136 it would be a safe bet. Zagreb won’t be a pushover, although chances of beating Spurs might be remote away from home.
A Tottenham win and goal in the game is paying out +175 a much more interesting bet than wagering that Spurs will win outright. A first goal by Harry Kane is paying out +230 and could be an interesting option in a low scoring game that one of the big guns will pull through and get a goal.
Parlays
Here is an interesting option that could pay out a lot, an AC Milan win, a Tottenham vs Dinamo Zagreb draw, and a Olympiakos upset could be as high as $11,772 It is one of the many parlays you can put together.
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