UEFA Champions League Picks Today: UCL Predictions for January 21

Atalanta are in a great position to finish in the top 8 and advance to the Champions League Last 16 stage without playoffs. The Italian side is in 8th position right now, but a win would be enough for a top 3 spot before the last round.

It’s funny how the team started the competition with a 4-0 defeat against PSG but has registered 4 wins and 1 draw since. Given how Atalanta has struggled in the Serie A, it’s only natural for the team to focus on the Champions League.

Their next opponent is more than beatable right now. Athletic Bilbao has struggled in both the Champions League and La Liga this season. Recent form has been especially bad, with Athletic shipping a total of 11 goals in the past three games.

The team’s discipline has been a problem as well, with red cards shown to Athletic players in both of their last games.

Overall, the Basque squad currently lacks momentum and confidence, so Atalanta should be able to win. I expected odds of around -180 for the hosts, so I’m happy to take the -134 for them as one of the best Champions League betting picks today.

Barcelona need a big win too boost their top 8 chances today after struggling in the early stages of the Champions League. The team is on ten points after six games, sitting 15th in the UCL table. On the bright side, two wins in the last two matches could be enough to avoid playoffs and fixture congestion in February.

Hansi Flick will be eager to get them, starting with the clash against Slavia Prague. The Czech side is almost certainly out of the tournament, and the lack of goals has been one of the main reasons. The team has only scored three in six games so far, which bodes well for Barcelona.

The Spanish side has struggled defensively after conceding 11 goals so far, but they should be able to limit today’s opposition. On the other end, Barcelona will create plenty of chances and can certainly score multiple times.

Furthermore, the Spanish giant desperately needs goals since goal difference could play a huge role at the end. Barcelona currently sits at +3 and a win by 2 or more goals would be enough to overtake Manchester City and Sporting.

A fully motivated Barcelona team should be too much to handle for Slavia, so the odds of -118 for the away side to cover the -1.5 goals handicap is an excellent bet.