2026-27 Conference League Winner Preview: Odds, Favorites, Predictions

It looks like the Conference League is the easiest path to the Europa League for English teams. Three of the last four editions were won by a representative of the EPL, so it’s only natural to start this year’s preview with Brighton.

The club has been a staple for consistency in the last several years, using advanced analytics and hard work off the pitch to stay competitive. Brighton is the definition of a mid-table club in a good way, as they always manage to stay around the middle of the table, despite losing star players.

This year, though, manager Fabian Hurzeler is aiming higher. He clearly stated it’s time for Brighton to truly challenge for trophies, and the Conference League is an excellent target.

Brighton has the deepest and most talented squad in the tournament, led by one of the most exciting young head coaches in European soccer. They play with a clear style, pressing the opponent and playing the ball out of the back.

Hurzeler has been there for two years now, so the organization is immense. The only downside is that teams like Arsenal and Man City can take advantage of Brighton’s style with relentless press and quick transitions.

No opponent in the Conference League is on a similar level, so I expect a deep run by Brighton. They should reach the semifinals, at the very least, and it will most likely come down to the last three games.

It’s very likely that Brighton will be sitting comfortably in the middle of the EPL table at that time, so Hurzeler will have the luxury to rotate and prioritize the Conference League.

We have all the ingredients for another title run by an English side, but is +300 enough to back Brighton? Let’s talk about the other teams before I share my Conference League winner betting pick.

Atalanta is certainly among the teams that can go all the way, so I’m not surprised they are among the favorites in the Conference League. The question is whether this is the second-best team in the tournament.

My honest answer would be no. Atalanta made some money from their summer transfer activity after selling Marco Palestra to Chelsea and losing a few other players. This is essentially a slightly worse version of last year’s squad.

If you look at the performance in the previous season, it’s obvious that Atalanta doesn’t score enough goals. The team found the net only 51 times in 38 Serie A games. This season has delivered more of the same, with Atalanta scoring more than once just in one game so far.

The team is good enough to cruise throughout the group stage, but the eliminations will be a problem. Atalanta is simply not prolific enough up front, so I can’t recommend backing them at +550.

AS Monaco are certainly an interesting option and a potential Conference League winner, but I have my doubts about the team. The defense struggled a lot last year, with Monaco conceding 54 goals in the French Ligue 1.

That was the 4th-worst defense in the league, and the club didn’t do much to address the issues. In fact, losing defensive midfielder Aladji Bamba to Newcastle will only make it worse. There’s a reason to believe Monaco are worse at the other end as well, after selling Maghnes Akliouche to PSG.

On the bright side, Monaco started the season well and currently sits second in Ligue 1. This is probably the reason you can get +700 for them to win the Conference League, but that’s not enough for me.

This team is leaking too many goals, and this is bound to cost them in the knockouts. A good example of how poor Monaco’s defense is came against Górnik Zabrze in the qualifiers for the Conference League. While the French side won rather comfortably, they still allowed three goals in the tie.

There are too many teams that can easily take advantage of Monaco’s defensive fragilities, so this won’t be my pick for a Conference League winner.

Freiburg is another team that got worse in the summer, after they sold Johan Manzambi and Merlin Röhl to the Premier League. This should weaken them in the middle of the park and in attack, while the defense was questionable to begin with.

The team conceded 58 goals in 34 games, which is nothing short of abysmal. It’s easy to forget that for a moment because Freiburg have started strongly and lead the Bundesliga after three rounds.

This is certainly a reason to be optimistic if you’re a Freiburg fan, but it’s way too early to draw any major conclusions. I don’t believe this team’s style is suitable for knockout tournaments, as they will concede goals against competent attacks.

I expect Freiburg to easily reach the last 8, but it will be tough to contain the opponents they will face from that stage on.

Conference League Best Sleeper: Getafe (+2800)

Getting +2800 for the Spanish representative in the tournament is excellent value, but let’s talk about Getafe a little more.

The team really struggled to score goals last year, with only 32 in 38 La Liga games, but the defense was very solid with 38 conceded. They kept mostly the same core at the back and brought center forward Martín Satriano from Lyon to address the attack.

I don’t expect him to suddenly transform Getafe to a high-scoring side, but finding the net in a few key moments during the Conference League could be enough in this particular tournament.

The reason is simple: Getafe’s defense won’t concede many goals. This team is tough to beat by design, which is exactly the profile you’re looking for in knockout tournaments like the Conference League. The price of +2800 is way too high, so I’m happy to back Getafe to win.