UEFA Europa League Betting Picks: Best Bets for Thursday, September 17

The 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase gets underway this week, and Thursday’s schedule provides several intriguing betting opportunities across Europe.

Bournemouth make their long-awaited continental debut with a trip to the Basque Country, while Turkish giants Besiktas welcome an out-of-form Olympique Marseille side to Istanbul. Hoffenheim face a potentially awkward assignment in Crete, before Celtic attempt to respond to painful Champions League and Old Firm setbacks against an in-form Ferencvaros team.

In addition to the Levski Sofia vs RB Salzburg betting preview, SpookyExpress.com’s sports analysts have broken down four of Thursday’s (September 17th) most interesting matchups and identified our favorite Europa League betting picks.

All 1X2 odds and listed betting prices are from EveryGame and were correct as of Tuesday.

Real Sociedad vs Bournemouth Prediction

Bournemouth’s first-ever European outing could hardly have been given a more appropriate setting.

The Cherries travel to San Sebastiaán to face Real Sociedad, bringing a curious Basque connection with them. It was Usurbil-born former Athletic Club captain Andoni Iraola who transformed Bournemouth into a European qualifier before leaving the club for Liverpool during the summer.

That makes Thursday’s trip particularly symbolic. A Bournemouth side largely shaped by a Basque coach will begin its continental adventure in the Basque Country, against Athletic’s great regional rivals. Three days later, Iraola himself will return to the Vitality Stadium when Liverpool face his former club in Premier League action, but that’s a completely different subject.

The transition to Marco Rose has not been seamless. Bournemouth remain without a Premier League victory (three draws and a dramatic stoppage-time defeat at Man City in their opener) under their new manager after Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Brentford, although the performance itself offered plenty of encouragement. The Cherries generated 20 attempts and ten shots on target, but defensive errors again prevented them from turning superiority into three points.

Yet, the combination of attacking threat and defensive vulnerability makes Thursday’s matchup especially interesting from a goals perspective.

Real Sociedad are hardly entering Europe in convincing form either. The Copa del Rey holders finished only 10th in La Liga last season and come into Matchday 1 following a 3-0 home defeat to Atletico Madrid. Their current La Liga record of 7 points after six games (2-1-3) and just six goals scored under Pellegrino Matarazzo (the first American coach to win a major trophy in one of Europe’s top five leagues) can be drastically improved, as one of Spain’s modern heroes Mikel Oyarzabal is looking for his first goal this term.

Bournemouth, on the other hand, have conceded in each of their opening four Premier League matches.

The straight 1X2 market actually has Bournemouth as narrow favorites at +130, compared with +170 for La Real and +245 for the draw. Rather than backing the English side outright on their European debut, combining double chance with a high-scoring game offers significantly more upside.

Best Bet: Bournemouth or Draw (X2) and Over 2.5 Goals (+165)

Well, there is obvious risk attached to expecting three or more goals, but Bournemouth have already shown that Rose’s aggressive approach can create chances at both ends. If their attacking performance against Brentford is repeated, avoiding defeat in a game featuring at least three goals looks considerably more appropriate than the +130 moneyline for playing against a La Liga opponent.

OFI Crete vs Hoffenheim Prediction

Hoffenheim may be red hot -278 favorites in Crete, but Thursday’s Europa League opener looks more complicated than the moneyline suggests.

The Greek Cup winners have entered the league phase in excellent defensive form, going unbeaten in their last four matches across all competitions (3-1-0) while recording clean sheets against PAOK, Kifisia, Nestos and Olympiacos. Their most recent result was particularly impressive – a 1-0 away victory against Greek champions Olympiacos, while OFI have also opened the new campaign with a Greek Super Cup triumph over AEK Athens.

Hoffenheim represent a very different challenge, however. The Bundesliga side’s matches have been considerably more chaotic. Their last three league games have produced a 2-1 victory over Stuttgart, a 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund and another 3-2 loss against Koln. They have therefore both scored and conceded in each of those three Bundesliga games.

That makes the enormous disparity in the 1X2 market – OFI +575, Draw +375, Hoffenheim -278 – less useful than the goals markets.

OFI’s clean-sheet sequence is the obvious concern, but Hoffenheim possess significantly more attacking quality than the opposition the Greek side have faced recently. At the same time, the Germans have shown little evidence that they should be trusted defensively enough to justify such a short away price.

OFI Crete vs Hoffenheim Best Bet: Both Teams to Score – Yes (-125)

OFI, in fact, do not need to control the match for this selection to land. Not at all. One home goal would be enough, and Hoffenheim’s recent defensive record makes that a very realistic possibility despite the visitors’ status as heavy favorites.

Besiktas vs Marseille Prediction

Two major European names meet in Istanbul, but their trajectories heading into Thursday’s Europa League opener could hardly be more different.

The Turkish giants have made an encouraging start under Italian boss Vincenzo Italiano and successfully negotiated Europa League qualifying, winning five consecutive matches in the competition before a second-leg defeat in a tie they had already placed firmly under control.

Marseille, meanwhile, travel to Turkey under heavy early-season pressure. Bruno Genesio’s side have lost three successive Ligue 1 matches (Monaco, Paris FC and Rennes last time out), and the midweek brings yet another difficult assignment in one of Europe’s most hostile away environments.

EveryGame consequently makes Besiktas -137 favorites, with the draw at +290 and Marseille as high as +285.

Yet the most interesting betting option may involve Dusan Vlahovic. The Serbian striker is expected to return to the starting lineup after serving a domestic suspension at the weekend. Before that absence, Vlahović had scored four goals across his previous two appearances for Besiktas, immediately establishing himself as the focal point of Italiano’s attack.

Marseille’s current form makes the Black Eagles tempting at -137, but the straight home win offers relatively little protection if the French side finally produce a response. The combination market gives us another route.

Best Bet: Besiktas or Draw & Over 2.5 Goals (+100)

The Black Eagles have the form and home advantage to justify protection on the 1X side, while Marseille still possess enough individual attacking quality to contribute to an open contest.

There is also an attractive player-prop alternative:

Value Bet: Dusan Vlahovic Anytime Goalscorer (+100)

At even money, backing the returning striker may actually be the more interesting standalone wager. If Vlahović is confirmed in the starting XI, I would keep this one in the article.

Best Bet: Besiktas or Draw (1X) and Over 2.5 Goals (+100)

Value Bet: Dusan Vlahović Anytime Goalscorer (+100)

Celtic vs Ferencvaros Prediction

Perhaps just a few teams join the Europa League proper carrying more emotional baggage than Celtic at the moment.

Their Champions League campaign ended in extraordinary fashion… in a bad manner. Celtic appeared to have one foot in the league phase after beating LASK 3-0 in Glasgow, and even scored first in Austria, only for the tie to completely unravel as the Scottish champions suffered a remarkable elimination eventually losing the second leg 5-1.

The Hoops recovered domestically with a sequence of victories, but Sunday’s Old Firm meeting produced another major setback.

Rangers defeated Celtic 3-0 in the League Cup, eliminating their arch rivals while producing one of Celtic’s poorest performances over the past months. Martin O’Neill subsequently questioned whether his players had shown enough determination, while captain Callum McGregor was similarly critical of the collective display.

The timing could hardly be worse. Celtic now have to respond in Europe before facing Rangers again at the weekend.

Ferencvaros are definitely not ideal opposition for a side looking for an easy confidence-building victory. The Hungarian giants arrive in Glasgow unbeaten in competitive football since late July and have already negotiated four Europa League qualifying rounds. Most impressively, they eliminated Mohamed Salah’s new club Trabzonspor 5-0 on aggregate, winning 1-0 in Turkey before a comfortable 4-0 home victory. Their recent run also includes victories over Puskas Academy and Gyor before a 2-2 derby draw against Ujpest.

There is history here too. Ferencvaros famously won 2-1 at Celtic Park in Champions League qualifying in 2020, meaning the Hungarians should have few psychological reservations about Thursday’s venue.

And while Celtic stand firm -143 favorites with EveryGame, their recent defensive collapses make that price difficult to embrace, at least from our perspective.

Best Bet: Celtic or Draw (1X) and Over 2.5 Goals -105 at EveryGame