Champions League Tips

Hoffenheim have won nine and lost only one of their last 12 games and have started 2026 with three consecutive victories. Hoffenheim were 3-1 winners when these two sides last met and claimed a victory by the same scoreline at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. With the hosts averaging 1.38 goals per game at home, back them to score in a defeat.

Rochdale have won 20 of their 25 games this term, including nine wins from 11 at home. Opponents Southend are winless against the top six, but the visitors have scored in all of their 14 away games this term, suffering four defeats on their travels.

Cambridge are up to fourth place after four successive wins and are unbeaten in League Two since October. Shrewsbury lost 5-1 when facing promotion hopefuls MK Dons on Saturday, and they’ve scored in all four of their visits to the top six, losing three of those. 

Lincoln lead the chasing pack in pursuit of League One leaders Cardiff and the impressive Imps should make no mistake at home to Bradford. Lincoln have won seven of their last eight home league matches while the Bantams have lost three of their last four on the road. However, eight of the hosts’ last nine have seen BTTS land, and Bradford have scored in 81% of their league games this term.

This is all about repeatable matchup edge: Cleveland just beat Orlando 119–105 while holding the Magic to 27.5% from three, attacking the exact area Orlando needs to function offensively to have a shot to deal with the Cavs prolific perimeter attack. Orlando can’t hang its hat on its defence here, so back the Cavs to cover.

The Bulls have won five of their last six, including each of their previous four. The Lakers won the Luka Doncic derby in Dallas, but their defensive issues are alarming. The Bulls have won six of their last seven at home, and the Lakers have dropped four of their last six away.

The Rockets are elite at home having won 15 of 18 games so far. They just celebrated a big win against the East leading Pistons on the road, while the Grizzlies just allowed 133 points against the lowly New Orleans Pelicans. KD and co. dominated the first meeting, back them to win this one by double digits as well.

Boston enters as a heavy favourite with one of the league’s best offences, led by Jaylen Brown and strong depth at home. Portland, however, has played its best basketball in January and already beat Boston once this season. With improved scoring balance and recent momentum, the Trail Blazers have a strong chance to keep this game within the number.

Boston enters as a heavy favourite with one of the league’s best offences, led by Jaylen Brown and strong depth at home. Portland, however, has played its best basketball in January and already beat Boston once this season. With improved scoring balance and recent momentum, the Trail Blazers have a strong chance to keep this game within the number.

The Rockets are elite at home having won 15 of 18 games so far. They just celebrated a big win against the East leading Pistons on the road, while the Grizzlies just allowed 133 points against the lowly New Orleans Pelicans. KD and co. dominated the first meeting, back them to win this one by double digits as well.

Boston enters as a heavy favourite with one of the league’s best offences, led by Jaylen Brown and strong depth at home. Portland, however, has played its best basketball in January and already beat Boston once this season. With improved scoring balance and recent momentum, the Trail Blazers have a strong chance to keep this game within the number.

FEBRUARY –  The Texans’ suffocating defence has been the key to their eight-game winning run and with the AFC looking the less competitive conference this season after the demise of the Kansas City Chiefs, they have the talent to go a long way. Quarterback CJ Stroud is fully fit again and can look for an elite wide receiver in Nico Collins while former first-round picks Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley Jr. are just two of their many defensive stars.

JULY – Elena Rybakina looks a bet in her bid to repeat her 2022 triumph at the All England Club. The Kazakhstani has had a tough couple of years, due in the main to off-court issues, but she finished last year on a high with victory at the WTA Finals. She’s a superb grass-court player who is as good as Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek when she’s on her game.

JULY – Alex Noren enjoyed a resurgence in his career in 2025, winning twice on the DP World Tour, and 2026 could finally be the year he ends his long wait for a maiden Major. The Swede has an affinity for links golf, evidenced by his victory at the 2016 Scottish Open and his two top-10 Open finishes, he could go all the way and land the Claret Jug in 2026.

DECEMBER – Mercedes may have botched the ground-effect era, but the Silver Arrows have a strong record of responding well to rule changes, and the sweeping regulation shift coming in 2026 should bring the title back into play. Their power unit has already come under, and been cleared, of scrutiny, suggesting it is likely to be among the strongest engines on the grid, and they have the driver lineup to win the consistent points necessary to land the constructor crown.

Aryna Sabalanka has reached each of the last six Grand Slam finals played on hardcourts and has won four of those. The Belarusian has won two of the last three editions of the Australian Open and can respond to the disappointment of losing last year’s final by taking the trophy in 2026.

St. Pauli have picked up the fewest home points in the Bundesliga this season and given RB Leipzig won at another struggling side, Heidenheim, on Saturday, the visitors will be confident of securing back-to-back road successes.

Hoffenheim have won nine and lost only one of their last 12 games and have started 2026 with three consecutive victories. Against a Werder Bremen side that are winless in eight, the visitors will fancy their chances of collecting another three points.

Fiorentina’s form is improving, as evidenced by last month’s 5-1 home win over Udinese, while Como are flying right now, recording back-to-back wins over Lazio and Torino and scoring nine goals in the process. The net should bulge with plenty of regularity in this cup clash.

Salford are starting to look the real deal as they aim for promotion. The Ammies are unbeaten in 10 games in all competitions and are catching ailing Chesterfield at a good time. The Spireites have failed to win in five and the points should stay in Greater Manchester.

RB Leipzig were 2-0 winners when these sides last met and history can repeat itself on Tuesday, especially considering St. Pauli are the lowest home scorers in the German top flight.

Hoffenheim were 3-1 winners when these two sides last met and claimed a victory by the same scoreline at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. With the visitors in form and Werder Bremen conceding plenty on home soil, history could be set to repeat itself.

Hoffenheim have won nine and lost only one of their last 12 games and have started 2026 with three consecutive victories. Against a Werder Bremen side that are winless in eight, the visitors will fancy their chances of collecting another three points.

Blackpool have scored in their last nine League One games, while they’ve netted 23 goals across their 14 games at Bloomfield Road. However, only two sides in the third tier have conceded more goals than Blackpool’s 39. Opponents Stockport have found the net in 10 of their 13 away games this term, but all of the visitors’ away clean sheets have come against teams in the relegation zone.

Barcelona haven’t kept a clean sheet in their seven Champions League games this term. The Catalans have conceded at home to Olympiakos and Eintracht Frankfurt, and they host a Copenhagen side who are pushing to make the top 24 after winning 3-2 against Villarreal last time out. 

Feyenoord have conceded 13 times across their seven League Phase games, while they were beaten 4-3 at FCSB in their last European trip. Betis have scored twice in all three of their home games in the Europa League this term, but the visitors need a win to avoid elimination. 

BTTS has landed in 10 of 14 Genoa games since Patrick Viera was sacked, and they head to a Lazio side who have scored 13 times in their six home clashes with sides below them.

Wolves have conceded the second-highest number of goals at home, while Bournemouth have shipped the most goals away. BTTS has landed in the visitors’ last eight games, while Wolves can threaten after an upturn in performances under Rob Edwards.

Rangers return from a visit to Portugal aiming to continue some free-scoring form in the Premiership, but they visits a Hibs side that averages two goals per game at home. 

Fiorentina’s form is improving, as evidenced by last month’s 5-1 home win over Udinese, while Como are flying right now, recording back-to-back wins over Lazio and Torino and scoring nine goals in the process. The net should bulge with plenty of regularity in this cup clash.

Cambridge are up to fourth place after four successive wins and are unbeaten in League Two since October. Shrewsbury lost 5-1 when facing promotion hopefuls MK Dons on Saturday, and there have been four or more goals in 62% of their away matches.

Cardiff have a four-point cushion at the top of League One and, with both teams scoring in eight of their last 10 matches, and 71% of their home games have featured at least three goals. Barnsley have seen both teams score in seven of their last nine matches and that includes their away game at Liverpool in the FA Cup.

Tranmere have lost 4-2 and 3-1 in their last two matches, and 69% of their trips have featured three or more goals. Barnet’s last four home matches have seen over 2.5 goals land, so back a high-scoring encounter.

Doncaster drew 3-3 with Wigan on Saturday and more goals should be on the cards, as over 2.5 has landed in four of Leyton Orient’s last five matches. The visitors have shipped 2.23 goals per game on their travels.

League Two leaders Bromley are unbeaten in nine outings and could outclass Crewe. The Railwaymen have won only one of their last six games away from home and the points are expected to stay at Hayes Lane.

Lincoln lead the chasing pack in pursuit of League One leaders Cardiff and the impressive Imps should make no mistake at home to Bradford. Lincoln have won seven of their last eight home league matches while the Bantams have lost three of their last four on the road.

Only a point separates these teams but Notts County can move above Swindon in the playoff race with a third win in a row. The Robins have lost their last three in all competitions and the Magpies are favoured for the victory.

Wigan came from three goals down to rescue a point at Doncaster on Saturday but they have won just one of their last eight league games and look out of their depth at Wycombe. The Chairboys have won five of their last eight at home and they triumphed 1-0 in October’s reverse fixture.

Barnet have won three of their last four to move into mid-table and can improve their recent run by winning against Tranmere. Rovers have lost four out of five and may struggle at the Hive.

Douvikas has scored three times in two games in this season’s Coppa Italia, while he took his tally for the campaign to 11 wth a brace in the weekend win over Torino.

Phil: Juventus have won their last three Champions League games against Bodo/Glimt, Pafos and Benfica and they can complete a clean sweep of the second half of their league phase with a win in Monaco. Juve have lost only one of their last ten league and cup games, while the home side are struggling with more Ligue 1 defeats than wins this season.

Oliver: Athletic Bilbao are in must-win territory to secure their place in the knockout stages. They take on Sporting, who have already secured knockout football, but have done so without winning away from home. Bilbao can take advantage of that and will be confident after beating Atalanta last week.

Rob: Atalanta look good value for the away win at Union Saint-Gilloise, with Raffaele Palladino having made a tremendous impact. La Dea have won 10 of the 15 games in which he has been in charge. Union have already lost to Marseille (3-2), Inter (4-0) and Newcastle (4-0) at home and Atalanta can make it a perfect four.

Henry: PSV were crushed 3-0 by Newcastle last week, in a game where they could manage only one shot on target. Bayern Munich have qualification in the bag, but the Bavarians will still be striving for a top-two finish.

Enda: Dortmund were undone by a red card against Tottenham last week but responded with a 3-0 Bundesliga win at Union Berlin. Inter were well beaten by Arsenal on matchday seven and had to come from 0-2 down at the San Siro to see off Pisa at the weekend.

Tom: Ajax can still qualify for the knockout stages but they know they will need to beat Olympiakos at the Johan Cruyff Arena. The hosts have certainly improved over recent weeks, winning seven of their last 10 across all competitions.

Aidan: Club Brugge need a win to stand any chance of finishing in the top 24 and they have demonstrated they can be tough to handle at home already in the competition, beating Monaco 4-1.

Liverpool look like the best value pick, with the Reds putting their struggles behind them with an eight-game unbeaten run. The Reds have the fourth-best Expected Goals record across the first six Champions League gameweeks, while they’ve recorded back-to-back 1-0 wins over Real Madrid and Inter Milan in Europe. Arne Slot’s side have a kind double-header in January, leaving them primed for a top-eight finish. With the Premier League coasting towards a fifth Champions League berth, the Reds should be in a good position to focus on European success in the spring.

Spain have some incredibly talented individuals, Lamine Yamal being the prime example, but are strong in all areas and don’t have any particular weaknesses. They won Euro 2024 with relative ease and they should be too good for their continental rivals at the World Cup. They also look a level above South American heavyweights Argentina and Brazil, suggesting they will be the team to beat at the World Cup this summer.

Le Mans haven’t won at home to a top-half side this season, and they meet a Dunkerque team who have scored twice in three straight games, while the visitors have netted two or more goals in three of their last four away trips. These two shared a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture and the away side can continue that scoring form here.

Norwich have scored 12 goals across their last three matches and will fancy their chances of netting against a Coventry side without a clean-sheet in their last six. Shutting out the league leaders may be an issue though, with the Sky Blues also leading the Championship scoring charts.

Everton will be missing creative forces such as Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for this game and they are already a side lacking in goals, with seven of their last eight games going under the 2.5 goal mark.  There have also been no more than two goals scored in four of Leeds’ last five league fixtures so don’t expect a classic on Monday night.

Over 2.5 goals has landed in three of Vitesse’s last four, and 73% of their games this term have featured at least three goals. Over 2.5 has landed in 91% of ADO Den Haag’s home matches, so goals are expected in this encounter.

De Graafschap have suffered 4-2 and 3-2 defeats in their last two home games, while Den Bosch have seen 17 goals scored across their last four on the road. There have been four or more goals in 64% of the hosts’ games at their own ground, so back a high-scoring affair.

Girona have won four of their last five La Liga matches while Getafe have lost five of their last six in the league. The visitors are struggling to score and keep goals at the other end – a recipe for disaster if it continues.

Verona have lost five of their last six home Serie A matches and could slip up again to an Udinese team that have won two of their last four away league games.

Norwich have scored 12 goals across their last three matches and will fancy their chances of netting against a Coventry side without a clean-sheet in their last six. Shutting out the league leaders may be an issue though, with the Sky Blues also leading the Championship scoring charts.

Cueta have seen both teams score in five of their last six games, and they meet a Cultural Leonesa side who lost 4-2 to Sporting Gijon last time out. The visitors are leaking too many goals, but they’ve averaged 1.45 goals per game on their travels this season.

Norwich have scored 12 goals across their last three matches and will fancy their chances of netting against a Coventry side without a clean-sheet in their last six. Shutting out the league leaders may be an issue though, with the Sky Blues also leading the Championship scoring charts.

Verona have lost five of their last six home Serie A matches and could slip up again to an Udinese team that have won two of their last four away league games.

Girona have won four of their last five La Liga matches while Getafe have lost five of their last six in the league. Getafe have failed to score in four of their last six La Liga contests and generated an XG of no more than 0.66 in any of their last three. Back them for a defeat against a Girona side that has kept four clean sheets in their last six games

Back the visitors to win to nil, as they have done away to Verona’s fellow strugglers Pisa, Parma and Torino this term, given that Verona have failed to score in four of their last six matches, and the hosts have lost five of their last six home Serie A games.

Porto have won every league game bar one this term, but they host a Gil Vicente side who have seen both teams score in five straight games, including a clash with Sporting Lisbon in early January. The visitors have scored 1.33 goals per game on their travels, while Porto have scored 16 across their eight home matches, winning seven.

Norwich have been a bogey team for Coventry for an extended period, as they are unbeaten across the last 13 meetings, registering nine wins during that time. With the current Sky Blues team struggling for results on the road, a much-improved Canaries could nick the three points.

Verona have lost five of their last six home Serie A matches and could slip up again to an Udinese team that have won two of their last four away league games.

Le Mans haven’t won at home to a top-half side this season, and they meet a Dunkerque team who have scored twice in three straight games, while the visitors have netted two or more goals in three of their last four away trips. These two shared a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture and the away side can continue that scoring form here.

Everton have picked up more points on their travels than they have at home this season and they may come unstuck against a much-improved Leeds side that have only lost once in 10 matches across all competitions and are looking to complete a league double over David Moyes’ team after winning 1-0 at Elland Road in August.

Everton have picked up more points on their travels than they have at home this season and they may come unstuck against a much-improved Leeds side that have only lost once in 10 matches across all competitions and are looking to complete a league double over David Moyes’ team after winning 1-0 at Elland Road in August.

Norwich have been a bogey team for Coventry for an extended period, as they are unbeaten across the last 13 meetings, registering nine wins during that time. With the current Sky Blues team struggling for results on the road, a much-improved Canaries could nick the three points in a game featuring plenty of attacking endeavour.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin made over 270 appearances across a nine-year spell with Everton, but the Leeds forward could come back to haunt his former club on Monday as he looks to build on an impressive run that has seen him score eight times across his last 10 appearances.

Jovon Makama has stepped up to the plate for Norwich in the continued absence of Josh Sargent and with nine goals across his last nine starts, he could have a decisive say on Monday.

Porto have won every league game bar one this term, but they host a Gil Vicente side who have seen both teams score in five straight games, including a clash with Sporting Lisbon in early January. The visitors have scored 1.33 goals per game on their travels, while Porto have scored 16 across their eight home matches, winning seven.