And then there were four.
The Champions League Quarterfinals provided plenty of shocks, as Real Madrid eliminated reigning title-holders Manchester City via penalty shootout.
German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also overcame the odds against Arsenal and Atletico Madrid, respectively, in the last eight, while PSG progressed from a back-and-forth tie with Barcelona.
As we approach the semifinals, which kick off on Tuesday, April 30, let’s examine the latest Champions League winner odds and make our best bets.
Champions League Odds 2024
Soccer odds used for these 2024 UCL winner picks are current as of Thursday, April 25, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Real Madrid (+140)
- Bayern Munich (+250)
- Paris St-Germain (+250)
- Dortmund (+800)
With Premier League front-runners Man City and Arsenal out of the picture, Real Madrid are now the favorites to win the Champions League.
Madrid’s semifinal opponent, Bayern Munich, shares the second-best odds with PSG, who is a significant favorite over Dortmund in the other tie of the round.
Champions League Winner Best Bet
Real Madrid (+140)
If you didn’t follow my advice and take the (+650) odds that were available before the quarterfinals, you missed out.
Carlo Ancelotti’s squad always seems to find another level in the Champions League, and that was the case again in the last eight, as it went toe-to-toe with the best team in the world.
Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin was the hero of the decisive second leg against Man City, making eight saves in the 120 minutes of action before denying Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic in the penalty shootout.
While Madrid no longer feature a traditional frontman like Cristiano Ronaldo or Karim Benzema, they have dynamic wingers in Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo, who are a handful with their pace and skill.
Jude Bellingham brings an additional scoring threat from midfield, where stalwarts Toni Kroos and Luka Modric can make an impact when called upon.
This is a complete unit with loads of experience in the latter stages of the competition, which will give Bayern Munich and others plenty to fear moving forward.
Champions League Sleeper Pick
Paris St-Germain (+250)
PSG are the lone remaining team in the Champions League that has never won it before, which qualifies the French side as a sleeper pick for our purposes.
Luis Enrique’s squad overcame a 3-2 first-leg home loss with a 4-1 victory over Barcelona at the Nou Camp, a result aided by Ronald Araujo’s 29th-minute red card.
Still, the Parisiens had to take full advantage, and they did.
Ousmane Dembele’s first-half strike and three-second half goals, including two from Kylian Mbappe, saw PSG write a new chapter in its UCL history after suffering one of its worst moments — a 6-1 defeat — on the same pitch in 2017.
PSG, which had +800 odds to lift the trophy before the quarterfinals, have a favorable path to the Wembley Stadium final as they will take on Dortmund in the semis.
The Ligue 1 front-runners don’t have the squad depth that Madrid or Bayern have, but Mbappe is arguably the best player in the world and has proven he can take over any match on any stage.
Should PSG progress past a Dortmund side that sits fifth in the Bundesliga, they’ll have the chance to make history before Mbappe likely leaves for Madrid this summer.
