UEFA recently released the full league phase schedule for the Champions League. That means it’s time to look at the Champions League futures and draw some premature conclusions based on the schedule
PSG have another brutal draw, but the defending Champions League winners are still contenders, at +650. We’ll take a closer look at the odds board and some of the top contenders, dark horses, and longshots.
Stick around, and we’ll share some of the best value Champions League Futures bets. Without further ado, here are some of the teams to watch for:
Champions League Futures: Top Contenders
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona are +600 favorites to win their first Champions League since 2015. Their odds underscore the fact that there’s no clear favorite this season. Hell, PSG barely made the knockout stage in 2024-25 but ended up winning the entire competition.
Barcelona’s attack is the reason they are so highly-regarded. Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski make up a world class frontline. They’re going to pose matchup nightmares for everyone, however they’re not all that deep.
Barcelona’s financial situation means they were unable to bring in many reinforcements over the summer. That could hurt them in the UCL, especially if they have to deal with any injuries to key players.
Defending champions PSG are right behind Barcelona, at +650 odds. The Parisians relied heavily on Gianluigi Donnarumma to save them in the knockout stages, but the shotstopper is now with Manchester City.
Still, Luis Enrique is one of the best coaches in the world and should have PSG playing high-intensity football once again this season. Vitinha and Joao Neves are absolutely crucial in midfield, while Ousmane Dembele is widely expected to win the Ballon d’Or in two weeks.
Next up, we’ve got Liverpool, who are also at +650 Champions League futures. While Barcelona have a depth problem, Liverpool have no such problems. They splashed a ton of cash bringing in Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, and Jeremie Frimpong this summer.
Combine the talented fresh faces with the experience of former UCL winners Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Alisson, and you’ve got a team that can make a deep run in this competition.
Dark Horses
Last season, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal made a run to the Champions League semifinal for the first time since 2009. They have much more depth this time around and have improved in key areas of the field.
With striker Viktor Gyokeres, winger Eberechi Eze, and defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi, Arsenal will be thinking about winning it all this time. They sit at +750 Champions League futures to do so.
Real Madrid (+800) are no strangers to winning the Champions League, having done so a record 15 times. They have a much more balanced squad than last season, especially in defense. Real are our pick to win La Liga, and they’ve already won two UCLs this decade.
Xabi Alonso took Bayer Leverkusen to the Europa League Final two years ago. To have a fighting chance here, they’ll need their frontline to contribute more defensively. Arsenal exploited their poor pressing last season.
Manchester City (+1000) fell off last season after Rodri’s torn ACL. He’s slowly getting back to speed, but there’s still something missing at the Etihad. City have looked poor defensively to start the season, which is a big concern.
We should have all learned not to underestimate Chelsea by now. Nearly nobody predicted they would defeat PSG in the FIFA Club World Cup Final, but they did so in style. Enzo Maresca’s side also won the Conference League last season.
Chelsea sit at +1200 Champions League futures odds to win their second UCL title this decade.
Bayern Munich (also +1200) rely heavily on Harry Kane, and the English striker has six goals in just four games this season. Signing Luis Diaz was a smart move, but their desperation Nicholas Jackson loan buy was not as much. It’s hard to envision Bayern winning the UCL.
Longshots
Antonio Conte juggling UEFA competitions with the league does not usually go well. Napoli won a shock Serie A title in 2024-25, but they didn’t have any European competition to worry about.
Conte plays a high-intensity style, and it’s unclear if Napoli (+3000) can keep up. It will be interesting to see Kevin De Bruyne take on his old team, Manchester City, next week, though.
In 2024-25, Inter Milan (+3000) made the Champions League Final for a second time in three seasons. Simone Inzaghi orchestrated those runs, but the inexperienced Cristian Chivu is now at the helm. Inter are aging and can be caught out by athletic teams. I’d steer clear of betting on the Nerazzurri.
Tottenham won the Europa League last season, their first trophy for 17 years. They’ve added some interesting players, like Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani, Joao Palhinha, and Mohammed Kudus.
It remains to be seen how far new coach Thomas Frank can take this group. Their +3500 Champions League futures are certainly intriguing, though.
Atletico Madrid (+3500) have gotten off to a horrific start in La Liga, but don’t put it past Diego Simeone to figure things out quickly. There are a lot of moving parts, with no fewer than eight summer signings poised to play key roles this season.
Take a wait and see approach with Atletico, who have made some deep runs in the Champions League under Simeone.
Things start to get dicey with Juventus and Newcastle, both at +5000 odds. Juventus improved up top this summer by bringing in Jonathan David and Lois Openda. However, they’re just not strong enough back to front to seriously contend. Newcastle won’t have much of a shot with Alexander Isak off to Liverpool.
Full Odds Boards
- Barcelona +600
- Liverpool +650
- PSG +650
- Arsenal +750
- Real Madrid +800
- Man City +1000
- Chelsea +1200
- Bayern Munich +1200
- Napoli +3000
- Inter Milan +3000
- Tottenham +3500
- Atletico Madrid +3500
- Juventus +5000
- Newcastle +5000
- Atalanta +6500
- Bayer Leverkusen +6600
- Borussia Dortmund +6600
- Athletic Bilbao +10000
- Monaco +10000
- Marseille +10000
- Villarreal +12500
- Eintracht Frankfurt +12500
- Galatasaray +15000
- Benfica +15000
- Sporting CP +15000
- PSV +20000
- Ajax +20000
- Olympiakos +30000
- Club Brugge +30000
- FC Copenhagen +40000
- Union Saint-Gilloise +50000
- Bodo Glimt +50000
- FK Qarabag +100000
- AEP Paphos +100000
- Slavia Prague +100000
- Kairat Almaty +150000
Champions League Futures: Best Value Bet
It’s difficult to win the Champions League in back-to-back seasons. Nobody’s pulled it off since Real Madrid’s three-peat from 2016 to 2018. PSG are certainly capable of another deep run, but there’s certainly room to slip up.
English clubs have spent a ridiculous amount of money in the transfer market, and most of the top sides have strengthened. Liverpool and Arsenal, in particular, look like two teams with few weaknesses that could make deep runs in the UCL.
While Arsenal are still chasing that elusive Premier League title under Arteta, Liverpool won in Arne Slot’s first season. Liverpool have an incredibly deep squad with a treasure trove of attackers. If Alexander Isak hits the ground running, it’s going to be hard for anyone to beat Liverpool this year.
Expect Slot and Liverpool to focus their energy on the UCL and take the Reds’ Champions League Futures, at +650.
