UEFA Champions League Picks Today: UCL Predictions for February 18

Inter should progress from this tie, but the first game against Bodo Glimt won’t be easy. The Norwegian side looked doomed after the first five rounds of the Champions League group stage but delivered an amazing run in the last three games to progress to the playoffs.

Bodo drew Borussia Dortmund and then beat Manchester City and Atletico Madrid! Any team in the world would be proud of such a run, so the Norwegians will be full of confidence.

One of the reasons might be related to the fact that the domestic league is in off-season right now. Bodo has all the time and energy in the world to prepare for the Champions League, and we saw the results. I expect more of the same against an Inter side that’s in a tough battle on multiple fronts.

The Italians lead Serie A and just had a pulsating encounter against Juventus. We saw how drained Juve was yesterday against Galatasaray, so don’t expect the best from Inter either. The Italians will likely try to keep the game quiet and will be happy with a draw in this opening leg.

I was tempted to bet on that outcome, but getting +120 for Bodo +0.5 is the better option. The Norwegian will be ready and fresh for this one, so getting plus odds for them not to lose is one of the best UCL bets today.

Newcastle enter this opening game as solid favorites, but Qarabag won all of their 10 points in the UCL group stage at home. In fact, the team’s games in Azerbaijan have been wild, to say the least.

It all started with a fairly reasonable 2-0 against FC Copenhagen, but the next three home games delivered a total of 15 goals. In fact, all of them had both sides scoring at least two goals.

Long story short, Qarabag don’t mind trading blows at home, so I expect more of the same against Newcastle. The English team has mostly struggled away from home this season but is currently on a 2-game win streak as a visitor. In both games, the opposition scored, though, and Newcastle’s defense as a whole has been vulnerable the entire season.

I expect a very open clash here, with opportunities on both ends. While Newcastle is likely to win this one, the over 2.5 goals and both teams to score market offers much better value at +124.