10-08-2007 Champions League Betting - Europe’s Big Guns Enter the Fray

60% Better Champions League Betting Odds

Champions League Betting - Third Round of Qualification

The third qualifying round of the Champions League takes place in midweek, with sixteen teams chasing eight places in the all important group stages. Among the contenders are some of Europe’s biggest clubs – such as Liverpool, Arsenal, Benfica and Valencia – who’s path will be blocked by the lesser lights of European football, aspiring to join the top 32 sides on the continent in the all important group phase.

New Season – Betting Fundamentals Remain the Same

After a long summer deprived of football betting action punters will be keen to get involved in the action, but there are a couple of points worth bearing in mind. The first rule of any betting whether its Champions League football or flies up a wall, is always, always, get the best price. In this case it is likely to be found at a low-margin sportsbook like PinnacleSports.com, pricing their Champions League Asian Handicaps to just c102%, which is 60% better than traditional bookmakers.

Bear in Mind Contrasting European Schedules

The second key point to bear in mind is varying league schedules throughout Europe. Those teams from Northern and Eastern Europe will already be well into their seasons, giving them a fitness advantage. Teams such as Rosenborg of the Tippeligaen in Norway, and Elfsborg of the Allsvenskan Swedish first division are halfway through their campaigns, while Shakhtar Donetsk from the Ukrainian Premier League will have several competitive games under their belt.

In contrast the Italian Serie A and Spanish La Liga will not have even begun by the time the first leg games take place, so it is reasonable to expect teams such as Lazio, Valencia and Sevilla to be operating below 100% power.

Summer Spending - Do Your Research

A further important point to take into consideration is summer transfer activity. Though any bettor with a passing interest in European football will be aware of the £26million transfer of Fernando Torres to Liverpool, or the move of Thierry Henry from Arsenal to Barcelona, plenty of other interesting but relevant stories have quietly slipped below the radar.

A good example is Shakhtar Donetsk, who have quietly spent 40 million euros on new players in their bid to join Europe’s elite. Financed by billionaire, Rinat Akhmetov, Donetsk have bought Italian striker Cristiano Lucarelli, Mexican forward, Nery Castillo and Brazilian defender, Ilsinho, all much sought after signings. The club are in the process of building a new 50,000 seater stadium, part of the build-up to the 2012 Euro championships jointly hosted by the Ukraine and Poland. Though it is reasonable to expect new signings will take longer to settle in to the very different lifestyle, Akhmetov has included use of his private jet as part of the deals, as well as mansions and help with settling in families. As such a team like Shakhtar, who may not normally attract the interest of casual bettors, will be taken seriously by punters who have done their homework in the pursuit of profit.

Liverpool v Toulouse - Tie of the Round

As with the previous two rounds, the final stage of pre-qualifying takes place over two legs, home and away, with away goals counting double. The pick of the fixtures is probably Toulouse versus Liverpool - finalists in two of previous three finals. The French ligue 1 side are expecting a full house for this opportunity to break into the Champions League for the first time, but they lost their opening game of the Championnat 3-1 away to Valenciennes, and have a tough game entertaining French champions, Lyon, prior to this match. Liverpool have vast experience in the competition, and a host of new signings, but will wary that this potential banana-skin could derail their season before it has barely begun.

Best Champions League odds at PinnacleSports.com!

1.96/1.96 style pricing (c102%) on the major European Football competitions, gives gamblers up to 60% better Champions League odds. PinnacleSports.com offers commission-free fixed odds betting with exchange style pricing, as well as the web’s highest guaranteed liquidity and fastest payouts.

Get a 10% sign-up bonus, 7% cash back on US horse bets and the best odds on all major sports.

Find a Smarter Way To Bet at PinnacleSports.com.