March 7 Champions League picks: Expert round of 16 predictions plus $5,000 in bonuses
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Two teams will qualify for the quarterfinals after the second leg of Tuesday’s Champions League round of 16 matches, as Chelsea hosts Borussia Dortmund and Benfica welcomes Club Brugge.
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Dortmund takes a one-goal lead into west London, while Benfica goes into their home fixture with a commanding two-goal cushion over the reigning Belgium champions.
We’ve highlighted some of the best bets for the March 7 Champions League clashes, along with the industry’s best sports betting offers, totaling up to $5,000 in welcome bonuses.
Borussia Dortmund invades Stamford Bridge after 11 successive victories in all competitions.
Chelsea is trending in the polar opposite direction, winning one of its previous seven.
While it’s never easy to win on the road in the Champions League, Dortmund’s scintillating form, combined with Chelsea’s palpable disharmony, provides ample evidence to back the German side.
At DraftKings, Dortmund is pegged as outlandish +320 underdogs to snatch victory at the Bridge, disproportionately long odds you might want to get in on.
However, our focus is on the corners market, where the teams should exceed the 9.5 total offered at DraftKings.
Chelsea’s insipid, toothless offense has been well-documented since Graham Potter took charge.
They’ve scored two goals in seven previous matches. While they lack killer instinct, Chelsea has no such issues with winning corners.
They’ve managed at least five corners in all but one in their previous nine matches. The Blues heaped on the pressure in Dortmund, winning 10 corners in the first-leg defeat.
Potter’s side requires a goal to level the aggregate, putting additional impetus on the home side to push forward and attack. That should result in a higher number of home corner kicks.
Dortmund won’t sit idly by while Chelsea pours it on. On the contrary, overflowing with confidence, Dortmund will invariably press forward when the opportunity presents itself.
Dortmund had at least four corners in nine of their previous 11 encounters and won five corners against Chelsea in the first leg.
Expect the teams to combine for at least 10 corners, with Chelsea winning the majority. Locking in Chelsea, at -130 for over 5.5 corners, presents another solid option.
Benfica enters the second leg against Club Brugge with a commanding two-goal lead.
The cliche that two-goal leads are worst doesn’t apply to this particular situation, as a conspicuous gulf exists between the two oppositely trending clubs.
With an eight-point cushion, Benfica sits comfortably atop the Primeira Liga. They’ve won eight of their previous nine games by a combined 21-2.
They kept a clean sheet in seven of those nine games, including a 2-0 victory at Club Brugge in the first leg.
After winning last season’s Belgium First Division, Club Brugge hasn’t lived up to expectations in the current campaign.
Currently sitting in fourth, Club Brugge is 21 points off the pace and fell last week to relegation favorites Oostende.
They’ve won just one of their previous six encounters, scoring five goals. That’s an abject return considering the inferiority of their domestic league.
They also failed to score in their two previous away and three Champions League matches overall.
The news gets worse for Club Brugge, who enter the lion’s den at Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, where Benfica hasn’t lost in 15 league and Champions League matches.
Last year’s reigning Belgium champions are unraveling at the worst possible time, and Benfica’s magisterial run should cause the visitors all sorts of issues in Tuesday’s second leg.
Look for Benfica to win the game and advance to the quarterfinals while keeping their eighth clean sheet in 10 matches.
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