Champions League Thursday Predictions, Odds & Best Bets – September 10, 2026

Our winning Best Bet streak continued on Tuesday as Borussia Dortmund outscored Villarreal 3-2, landing our recommended Dortmund or draw (1X) and Over 2.5 Goals pick. That followed a perfect weekend for our main picks, with all three Serie A Best Bets and both Sunday head-to-head Best Bets cashing, alongside two winners from four longer-priced value plays.

Attention now turns to the final night of the Champions League’s opening round. Our Thursday card offers two overwhelming home favorites, some totally balanced matchups and another hard to call meeting in Eindhoven. Rather than taking Bayern Munich or Manchester United at extremely short value, we are turning to combined markets and goalscorers for more appealing prices. Furthermore, stay tuned for more weekend content after Thursday’s Champions League roundup.

PSV Eindhoven vs Shakhtar Donetsk

PSV Eindhoven are strong -250 favorites at the Philips Stadion, while the draw is priced at +375 and Shakhtar Donetsk are +500 outsiders.

Peter Bosz’s side followed a devastating 4-0 Dutch Super Cup defeat against AZ Alkmaar with a 2-2 home draw against Fortuna Sittard in their Eredivisie opener. Well, we can say that their response has been emphatic: four straight wins, culminating in Saturday’s impressive 3-1 victory away to bitter rivals Ajax.

PSV have scored 14 goals across their last three league games, but they are still waiting for a first clean sheet of the season. Their aggressive approach should overwhelm Shakhtar for long periods, while also leaving counterattacking space for the Ukrainian side, though.

Shakhtar Donetsk travel to the Netherlands for their first European fixture after winning four of five Ukrainian Premier League games. Arda Turan’s squad retains the club’s familiar identity: a largely Ukrainian defensive and midfield base supporting a technically gifted, Brazilian-influenced attack. Kaua Elias has already scored three times this term.

The realities of war have inevitably weakened the domestic environment in which Shakhtar prepare. PSV should have too much firepower in Eindhoven, but their -250 moneyline offers little appeal, in our opinion. Combining an anticipated home win with a Shakhtar goal makes the value much better, yet realistic given PSV’s defensive struggles.

Best Bet: PSV to Win and Both Teams to Score (+140)

Bayern Munich vs Bodø/Glimt

Few moneylines will be shorter this week than Bayern Munich’s -1429 price. The draw is available at +1000, with a remarkable Bodø/Glimt victory listed at +1400.

Bayern beat Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup before scoring nine goals across comfortable wins over Stuttgart and Osnabrück across different domestic competitions. Saturday’s goalless draw against newly promoted Schalke was an unexpected interruption, although Vincent Kompany began with Harry Kane and Michael Olise on the bench. Both should return refreshed here.

Bodø/Glimt are not conventional minnows. The Norwegians reached last season’s round of 16 after some remarkable wins, have not lost since early May and dismantled Eredivisie side NEC Nijmegen in the playoffs. Both teams are best known for their attacking potential, and Kjetil Knutsen is unlikely to abandon the bold approach that brought Bodø back to this stage.

As for Bayern, little needs to be said about their attacking ceiling. If Kane and Olise return to the starting lineup, the hosts should create chances almost at will. However, Bodø’s ambition also gives them a route to goal against Kompany’s high defensive line.

Pairing a Bayern victory with both teams scoring is far more attractive than the prohibitive moneyline. For a smaller, higher-risk play, three first-half goals are plausible if the Bavarians start aggressively and Bodø refuses to retreat.

Best Bet: Bayern Munich to Win and Both Teams to Score (-120)

Value Bet: Over 2.5 First-half Goals (+140)

Como vs RB Leipzig

Champions League debutants Como are -125 favorites at home, with both the draw and an RB Leipzig victory priced at +275.

Cesc Fabregas has built a formidable unit that stormed into Serie A’s top four last season, leaving Calcio giants Juventus and AC Milan outside Europe’s prime competition. His work beside the famous lake has earned widespread praise across the continent. Even against the backdrop of Italian soccer’s widely discussed struggles in recent years, Como’s rapid ascent feels particularly striking. Now, the Biancoblu can celebrate their first taste of Champions League soccer with a terrific opportunity to get off to a flying start.

Thursday’s clash will also be Como’s first home game of the 2026/27 campaign. After three consecutive games away from home, the Lariani return to the renovated Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia full of confidence following statement wins at Napoli (2-1) and Genoa (4-1). Moreover, Fabregas has nearly a complete squad, with Assane Diao, Martin Baturina, Nico Paz and Tasos Douvikas providing tons of talent, creativity and goals up front.

RB Leipzig’s trajectory has been different. Martin Demichelis’s men opened with a 6-0 German Cup win at Eintracht Trier and a 3-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga opener, but suffered a sobering 3-1 defeat at the hands of Werder Bremen on Saturday. Their only goal was a late consolation after a display short of both ideas and especially defensive control.

Rocco Reitz, Romulo and Christoph Baumgartner are reportedly unavailable for the Red Bulls, while Castello Lukeba and Brajan Gruda remain doubtful.

Como may be European debutants, but they look like the more settled team under Fabregas’ guidance and should make home advantage count.

Best Bet: Como to Win (-125)

Fenerbahce vs AS Roma

Despite a seven-year absence from the Champions League, Roma enter this season’s competition as narrow +110 favorites for a demanding trip to Istanbul. Fenerbahce can be backed at +220, while the draw is priced at +235.

Fenerbahce have also reached the Champions League proper for the first time since 2008/09 after overcoming Gornik Zabrze, Sturm Graz and Lyon. Their famous home support makes the Yellow Canaries dangerous, but they have already lost twice domestically, including Saturday’s derby against arch rivals Besiktas. That setback should not be treated as a definitive guide to Thursday, though. In their long-awaited Champions League opener, expect Fener to attack the occasion with a different, more aggressive approach, regardless of the eventual outcome.

Suspended midfielder Matteo Guendouzi and injured defender Jayden Oosterwolde are absent, Marco Asensio is doubtful, and qualifying top scorer Talisca has departed. It also remains to be seen whether Romelu Lukaku is fit enough to start against (one of) his former clubs, with Vedat Muriqi another option up front. Mason Greenwood and Kerem Akturkoglu can still trouble Roma in transition, particularly behind the visitors’ attacking wing-backs.

Roma’s form is much more convincing. Gian Piero Gasperini’s reunion with former club Atalanta ended in the most dramatic fashion as the Giallorossi staged a 2-1 comeback win to preserve their perfect Serie A record. They have scored 10 goals and conceded only once across three victories.

Donyell Malen has been inspirational to that flying start, scoring five times already. More remarkably, the Dutchman has registered 19 goals in his first 21 Serie A appearances for Roma. With Paulo Dybala and Rodrigo Mora supplying the creativity behind him, Malen’s movement and confidence make him the standout candidate to score in Istanbul.

Fenerbahce’s home threat makes the away moneyline uncomfortable, but Roma have the momentum and quality to avoid defeat in a game featuring at least three goals. Malen is also attractively priced to extend his streak against a defense with one clean sheet in five games.

Best Bet: Roma or Draw (X2) and Over 2.5 Goals (+140)

Value Bet: Donyell Malen Anytime Goalscorer (+100)

Manchester United vs Sabah

Manchester United are -1000 favorites on their Champions League return. A draw is priced at +600, while a historic Sabah victory at Old Trafford carries enormous odds of +2200.

Michael Carrick guided United to third place last season, but the Red Devils have started inconsistently. A 2-0 defeat against newly promoted Hull City and a 2-2 draw at Everton sit either side of a 5-2 home win over Ipswich, leaving questions before this weekend’s Manchester derby.

United’s squad depth will be tested by the congested schedule, and Carrick should rotate at some stage. Yet he can barely afford another flat display when the Champions League anthem returns to the Theatre of Dreams. A fast start would establish control and allow him to protect key players later.

Sabah deserve respect after ending Qarabag’s long domestic dominance and navigating four qualifying rounds. Still, this is an extraordinary step up for the Champions League debutants. They lost away to both Aarhus and Hapoel Be’er Sheva in qualifying, and Old Trafford presents a far greater challenge.

At -1000, United’s moneyline is of no practical interest. Bruno Fernandes is a much better route into the game at even money. The captain has scored three league goals this season and remains United’s penalty taker and most reliable final-third influence. Even if Carrick limits his minutes, Bruno should be central to the anticipated early onslaught.

Best Bet: Bruno Fernandes Anytime Goalscorer (+100)

Champions League Best Picks Summary

• PSV to Win and Both Teams to Score (+140)
• Bayern Munich to Win and Both Teams to Score (-120)
• Como to Win (-125)
• Roma or Draw and Over 2.5 Goals (+140)
• Bruno Fernandes Anytime Goalscorer (+100)

Value Picks

• Over 2.5 First-half Goals in Bayern Munich vs Bodø/Glimt (+140)
• Roma’s Donyell Malen Anytime Goalscorer against Fenerbahce (+100)

Important: All prices in this Champions League article were available at EveryGame at the time of writing.