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Premier League leaders Arsenal will hope to avoid a letdown in European competition at home when they face Sporting CP in the second leg of the Europa League Round of 16. The two sides played to a 2-2 draw in the first leg, so both sides need a result here to advance to the quarterfinal round.
Let’s take a closer look at Thursday’s match, with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Arsenal v. Sporting CP
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV channel: None
Live stream: Paramount+
Odds, picks & predictions
Arsenal: -255
Draw: +400
Sporting CP: +700
Moneyline pick: Arsenal -255
We’ll see how manager Mikel Arteta plays this, with his side having a Premier League game Sunday. I expect Gabriel Jesus, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka to either be rested or play sparingly in this contest. However, the Gunners have enough depth with Leandro Trossard, Eddie Nketiah, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson to field a competitive squad. The back line should be relatively intact, although Sporting did find some good breaks in the first leg.
Sporting are somewhat out of contention for the Liga Portugal title, so this is a big match for them. However, it’s hard to bet against Arsenal at home this season. Back the Gunners to get the win here and secure a spot in the quarterfinal round.