The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 has arrived as Arsenal will travel to Germany to take on Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.
Leverkusen disposed of Olympiacos in the playoff round to advance, while Arsenal automatically qualified for this stage of the tournament after finishing first in the League Phase.
Arsenal are -175 favorites on the moneyline, while a draw is available at +320. Fancy a Leverkusen upset? They are +475 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Arsenal Prediction, Pick
This bet can be found under the “Match Parlays” tab. Arsenal are dominating every competition they are in right now. They lead the Premier League by seven points, they finished top of the League Phase table in the UCL, they advanced to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and they are in the Carabao Cup Final. Although unlikely, the quadruple is still very much alive.
After some disappointing draws against Brentford and Wolves earlier this month, the Gunners have responded with four consecutive victories in all competitions.
For Bayer Leverkusen, this has been a season to forget. They are currently sixth in the Bundesliga and finished 16th in the League Phase. Their best chance for silverware this season is likely in the German Cup, as they have a semi-final clash against Bayern Munich to look forward to. They don’t come into this game in red-hot form, having won only one of their last five games in all competitions.
The Gunners were unblemished in the League Phase of this competition, becoming the first team to ever win all eight games. They scored 23 times while conceding only four goals. At least two or more goals were scored in all eight of those matches.
On the other hand, Leverkusen were the definition of average in the League Phase. They won three of their games, lost three and drew twice. The German side scored 13 goals and conceded 14. In five home games in this competition so far, including the playoff round, they have lost one, won one and drawn three.
The Gunners are the better team that’s in better form. I expect them to win this one comfortably and take a healthy lead to the Emirates Stadium for the second leg.