There’s plenty of UEFA football action to go around, as another installment of the Europa League is well underway as we speak.
The Europa League consists of a good number of clubs that lucked out from a Champions League berth, so we should expect a ton of thrilling matches ahead as the teams seek to win a trophy in Solna, Sweden in May as well as be thrown back into the Champions League mix. And with that, let’s run down below the teams worth keeping an eye on and their respective futures odds to win the 2017 Europa League title.
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2017 Europa League Round of 32 Betting Preview
Favorites
Manchester United (+350)
Without a doubt, English Premier League standouts Manchester United are heavy favorites to win it all.
As strange as it sounds, the Europa Cup is the one major title that the Red Devils have yet to win, meaning that they’ll be giving it their all in this tournament to somehow make up for their disappointing 2016 EPL season. They certainly got off on the right foot by taking the first leg against Saint-Etienne in the Round of 32, 3-0, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring all three goals in that contest.
Ibrahimovic himself has due motivation to excel in the tournament, as he has yet to taste his first major European title. That being said, it wouldn’t be wise to bank against Man U indeed.
AS Roma (+650)
Considering that Juventus are almost a lock to win the Serie A title, AS Roma will likely shift most of their attention towards the Europa Cup instead. In turn, the Wolves of Spain will definitely be on the prowl for a title victory in Sweden, and in good form at that.
Roma weren’t necessarily having a bad campaign in Serie A competition, and their 4-0 shutout of supposed contenders Villareal in the first leg shows that they’re not bothered by the loss of midfielder Alessandro Florenzi at all, who re-injured his knee in training last week. In fact, and similar to Manchester United, the team’s top scorer in Edin Dzeko also bagged a hat trick against Villareal to kick off the Round of 32, proving that Roma is that one other team that you definitely do not want to cross paths with in the tournament.
Sleeper
Athletic Bilbao (+1,400)
Spanish clubs have won four of the last five Europa Cup titles, so perhaps it’s about time that we give proper recognition to Athletic Bilbao as well and not just the more decorated AS Roma.
Although the 2012 Europa Cup runners-up made it harder on themselves by narrowly defeating APOEL Nicosia in the first leg, 3-2, Los Leones do have a relatively easy path of advancement in the tournament all things considered. On top of that, Bilbao have firepower in hand much like the favorites here, with striker Aritz Aduriz leading all scorers with six goals in this season’s Europa Cup play.
PAOK FC (+50,000)
You’d be better off ignoring Greece’s very own PAOK FC from your list of options here. The 57th-ranked club in the UEFA standings have never been to the semifinal round of the Europa Cup, and the last time they won a football title was at the 2002-03 season of the Greek Football Cup, which is a domestic tournament all the less.
Furthermore, the 3-0 defeat to Germany’s Schalke in the first leg of this year’s tournament should be enough evidence for you to steer clear from the PAOK FC bandwagon to begin with.
Writer’s Prediction
AS Roma (+650) spoil Man U’s bid and secure their own first-ever Europa Cup title.
Complete List of Europa Cup Futures Odds
| Team | Odds | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | +350 | AS Roma | +650 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | +900 | FC Shakhtar Donetsk | +900 |
| FC Schalke 04 | +1,200 | Lyon | +1,200 |
| Athletic Bilbao | +1,400 | Fiorentina | +1,600 |
| Besiktas | +2,500 | AFC Ajax | +2,800 |
| FC Zenit | +3,300 | FC Copenhagen | +3,300 |
| FC Rostov | +4,000 | RC Celta de Vigo | +5,000 |
| Fenerbahce SK | +5,000 | FC Krasnodar | +5,000 |
| Borussia Monchengladbach | +5,000 | Olympiacos FC | +6,600 |
| RSC Anderlecht | +6,600 | KRC Genk | +8,000 |
| Legia Warsaw | +10,000 | Osmanlispor | +15,000 |
| PFC Ludogorets Razgrad | +20,000 | FC Astra Giurgiu | +20,000 |
| APOEL FC | +20,000 | KAA Gent | +20,000 |
| AZ Alkmaar | +25,000 | Villareal | +25,000 |
| AC Sparta Praha | +25,000 | AS Saint-Etienne | +25,000 |
| PAOK FC | +50,000 | Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC | +50,000 |
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