Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Friday 5/25/18
CL Final - Odds & Props
May 24, 2018
UEFA Champions League Final - Real Madrid vs. Liverpool (5/26/18)
Date/TV/Time: Saturday, May 26, 2018 (FOX, 2:45 p.m. ET)
Venue: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium
Location: Kiev, Ukraine
Real Madrid will look to add another UEFA Champions League trophy as it meets Liverpool in the final from Kiev on Saturday. The La Liga power has won the last two Champions League titles and three of the last four. Overall, the club has 12 Champions League titles.
Liverpool captured the 2004-05 Champions League with a victory over A.C. Milan. The Premier League club returned in the 2007-08 Champions League final but lost a 2-1 rematch to Milan.
These clubs haven't met since the group stage of the 2014 Champions League and Read Madrid defeated Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield and 1-0 at home.
Champions League Records
Real Madrid
Group Record: 4-1-1 (17-7 GD)
Round of 16: 2-0-0 vs. Paris Saint-Germain (5-0 GD)
Quarterfinals: 1-0-1 vs. Liverpool (4-3 GD)
Semifinals: 1-1-0 vs. Bayern Munich (4-3 GD)
Liverpool
Group Record: 3-3-0 (23-6 GD)
Round of 16: 1-1-0 vs. FC Porto (5-0 GD)
Quarterfinals: 2-0-0 vs. Manchester City (5-1 GD)
Semifinals: 1-0-1 vs. AS Roma (7-6 GD)
Betting Odds - per Sportsbook.ag
Game Line
Real Madrid +120
Liverpool +197
Draw +295
Over 3.5 (+110)
Under 3.5 (-140)
1st Half Line
Real Madrid +155
Liverpool +215
Draw +145
Over 1.5 (+110)
Under 1.5 (-150)
2nd Half Line
Real Madrid +135
Liverpool +195
Draw +185
Over 1.5 (-160)
Under 1.5 (+120)
Propositions - per Sportsbook.ag
To Lift The Trophy
Liverpool +120
Real Madrid -150
Draw No Bet (Regular Time)
Liverpool +120
Real Madrid -160
Goal Line (Regular Time)
Liverpool +0.5 (-160)
Real Madrid -0.5 (+120)
Alternative Goal Line A (Regular Time)
Liverpool -0.5 (+197)
Real Madrid +0.5 (-280)
Alternative Goal Line B (Regular Time)
Liverpool +1.5 (-400)
Real Madrid -1.5 (+270)
Alternative Total A (Regular Time)
Over 2.5 (-240)
Under 2.5 (+175)
Alternative Total B (Regular Time)
Over 4.5 (+240)
Under 4.5 (-360)
Total Liverpool Goals
Over 1.5 (-105)
Under 1.5 (-135)
Total Real Madrid Goals
Over 1.5 (-145)
Under 1.5 (+105)
Both Teams to Score (Regular Time)
Yes -240
No +175
Real Madrid to keep a clean sheet (Shutout)
Yes +350
No -500
Liverpool to keep a clean sheet (Shutout)
Yes +450
No -750
Total Corners (Regular Time)
Over 11.5 (-110)
Under 11.5 (-130)
Total Cards (Yellow = 1) (Red = 2) (max 3 per player) (Regular Time)
Over 5.5 (+110)
Under 5.5 (-150)
Time of First Goal (Regular Time)
Goal Before 23:00 -120
No Goal Before 23:00 -120
Penalty Awarded (Regular Time)
Yes +260
No -390
Sending Off (Regular Time)
Yes +325
No -475
Total Shots On Target on UEFA.com (Regular Time)
Over 10.5 (-150)
Under 10.5 (+110)
Most Shots On Target on UEFA.com (Regular Time)
Real Madrid -1.5 (-105)
Liverpool +1.5 (-135)
Total Possession % by Real Madrid on UEFA.com (Regular Time)
Over 54.5 (-110)
Under 54.5 (-130)
Player Props - per Sportsbook.ag
Ronaldo - To Score a Goal Anytime (Regular Time) (Must Start)
Yes -115
No -125
Karim Benzema - To Score a Goal Anytime (Regular Time) (Must Start)
Yes +217
No -310
Gareth Bale - To Score a Goal Anytime (Regular Time) (Must Start)
Yes +190
No -275
Mohamed Salah - To Score a Goal Anytime (Regular Time) (Must Start)
Yes +115
No -155
Firmino - To Score a Goal Anytime (Regular Time) (Must Start)
Yes +207
No -295
Saido Mane - To Score a Goal Anytime (Regular Time) (Must Start)
Yes +235
No -350
Best ways to bet the Champions League final odds: Real Madrid vs. Liverpool
By: Ashton Grewal
5-6 minutes
It doesn’t get any bigger in European club football than the Champions League final. Real Madrid are gunning for their third straight title in the competition, but Liverpool represent a dangerous roadblock in Kiev Saturday.
Oddsmakers see a Real Madrid three-peat as the most likely outcome with the Spanish giants as -150 favorites and the Reds paying +125 to pull off the upset.
Covers betting preview is here for dedicated footy fans and those fringe folks just following a buddy to a bar to watch. Here are five wagers worthy of a punt for Saturday’s monumental match.
All odds courtesy of WilliamHill unless otherwise indicated.
Will there be a goal in the opening 15 minutes?
Liverpool are fast starters. Manager Jurgen Klopp’s heavy metal football forces opponents – particularly those used to dominating possession – into bad turnovers. Here’s a good look at the mistakes they squeezed out of Manchester’s City’s backline in the first leg of their Champions League tie.
There have been four goals scored in the first 15 minutes of Liverpool’s last four matches in the tournament and four in Real Madrid’s last four Champions League fixtures.
Take: Yes (+160) on a goal in the first 15 minutes of the match.
First Half/Second Half result
Parlaying which side will win each half isn’t usually a smart bet. This is a reach but try and follow the reasoning: Liverpool are fast starters, but they tend to run out of gas in the second half of matches. The book on the Reds is they get out to big leads, but make things a little too interesting in the final 45 minutes.
Klopp’s gegenpressing tests the endurance of even the fittest footballers in the world and the Reds don’t have the bench depth of their opponents. Midfielders Emre Can and Adam Lallana returned to the active squad but both players haven’t played much football over the last month because of injuries.
Real Madrid has an embarrassment of riches on their bench. Casemiro, Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Mateo Kovacic, Isco, Gareth Bale and Lucas Vazquez; Only four of those seven world-class talents will be a part of Los Blancos’ starting XI. The reinforcements should help Zinedine Zidane’s side win the second half.
Take: Liverpool to win the first half/Real Madrid to win the second half at +700.
Player Prop: Salah to score
Zidane made some headlines when he said he wouldn’t swap any of his players for Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah. His response was to a silly question, but it could still be taken as a slight to the Egyptian magician. Salah has 44 goals in 51 appearances in his first season for Liverpool – including 10 in 12 Champions League matches.
Klopp allows his star attacker some positional freedom but Salah spends most of his time bombing down the right side. That means Real left back Marcelo will be the primary defender. The Brazilian is one of the most technically-gifted footballers in the world as he demonstrated with this lovely cross against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals.
But he’s not one for always putting in a proper shift defending. Michael Cox points out that Marcelo was one of the biggest culprits in Brazil’s shock 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup. Salah will have scoring chances if Marcelo gets caught too far up the pitch.
Take: Bet365 lists Salah at -120 to score at anytime during the match.
Total: Over 3
This promises to be an entertaining final. Klopp isn’t the type of manager to instruct his players to sit on a lead and Real Madrid has just one clean sheet in its last 11 matches in all competitions. The average goal total in Real Madrid matches in this tournament is 3.75. Liverpool’s is even higher at 4.4. If the EPL club strikes first – which we think will happen – things will really open up.
Take: Over 3 at +115.
Winner: Real Madrid
Klopp’s tactics are entertaining but not ruthless enough in winner-take-all matches. He’s made it to six finals during his 17-year managerial career and has lifted the hardware just once. Liverpool lost to Sevilla in the Europa League final just two years ago with Klopp calling the shots in the technical area.
Zidane, meanwhile, has been perfect in Europe since taking over the managerial duties at Real Madrid. The Galacticos finished a disappointing 17 points behind Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table but fans will build a statue of Zidane in front of the Bernabeu if he can guide Real to a third straight European title.
Take: Real at -150.