The Champions League knockout stages began with a host of mouth-watering matchups that will be contested over two legs for eight spots in the quarterfinals.
Europe's best clubs will compete for the continent's ultimate club prize in a competition that is one of the biggest in the world across any sport.
The Round of 16 is star-studded, as Lionel Messi matches up against his old nemesis Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo hopes to turn around his Manchester United fortunes, and Pep Guardiola looks to finally deliver a Champions League trophy to Manchester City with four more opponents left to overcome.
MORE: Who will win 2021/22 Champions League?
Here is a brief overview of all eight Round of 16 matchups with odds, predictions and betting picks (all odds courtesy of DraftKings).
PSG vs. Real Madrid betting pick & prediction
What promises to be the most delicious Round of 16 matchup by far is also the hardest to call. Tread carefully in this matchup, as a meeting of two title-worthy sides this early is certain to create chaos.
While picking a winner may prove perilous here, the odds back both teams to find the net. That certainly may happen with elite attacking firepower on both clubs, but the odds discount each side's defensive prowess.
The rise of 24-year-old Eder Militao at Real Madrid has been meteoric, with the Brazilian ranked as the best center back in La Liga this season by data metrics website SofaScore and second by WhoScored. Meanwhile, his Brazilian international teammate Marquinhos has also developed into a star at PSG, sporting the captain's armband.
The under is a compelling play here with both team defenses likely showing up in a first leg that neither side will want to fall too far behind. The Under 2.5 feels a little risky in the event it does become as exciting as the pre-match billing, but the Under 3 should be a safer play with the chance for a push.
Pick: Asian Totals, Under 3 goals (-125)
RESULT: Win
Prediction: PSG 1-1 Real Madrid
RESULT: PSG 1-0 Real Madrid
- Moneyline: PSG +100 / Draw +275 / Real Madrid +265
- Spread (Asian Handicap): PSG -0.5 (+100) / Real Madrid +0.5 (-115)
- O/U 2.5 total goals: Over -155 / Under +125
- Both teams to score: Yes -195 / No +145
Sporting CP vs. Man City betting pick & prediction
With all due respect to Sporting, don't overthink this one.
A game between the competition's favorite and one that lost half its group stage matches has only one outcome. To make matters worse for the Portuguese side, the club's particularly stout defense has been beaten regularly of late in Primeira Liga play, conceding six times over its last six matches.
The odds are understandably whacked on Man City's behalf, so give it a slight kick with a parlay, either half-time/full-time or Man City to win and keep a clean sheet. I like the latter, because Sporting may be lighting up the scoreboard domestically and it throttled a bad Besiktas team in the group stage, but it was also held goalless by an awful Borussia Dortmund defense.
Pick: Man City to win to zero (+125)
RESULT: Win
Prediction: Sporting 0-2 Man City
RESULT: Sporting 0-5 Man City
- Moneyline: Sporting CP +1000 / Draw +475 / Man City -340
- Spread (Asian Handicap): Man City -1.5 (-115) / Sporting CP +1.5 (+105)
- O/U 2.5 total goals: Over -170 / Under +135
- Both teams to score: Yes +105 / No -135
Inter vs. Liverpool betting pick & prediction
While the defenses should star in PSG vs. Real Madrid, this match should be the one to pop off.
Liverpool was a perfect six-of-six in the group stage, but the Reds were leaky at the back, conceding six goals over the stage of competition. The Reds have already picked up a win at the San Siro in the group stage with a 2-1 win over AC Milan, but it required a two-goal comeback.
Inter, meanwhile, is in fabulous goalscoring form, with a 48.1 expected goals (xG) across 24 Serie A matches this season, nearly 5 xG above the next best team in the league per FBref. Look for Liverpool to come back to Anfield with work to do in the matchup.
Pick: Inter or Draw & Over 2.5 goals (+170)
RESULT: Loss
Prediction: Inter 2-2 Liverpool
RESULT: Inter 0-2 Liverpool
- Moneyline: Inter +250 / Draw +250 / Liverpool +110
- Spread (Asian Handicap): Inter +0.5 (-125) / Liverpool -0.5 (+110)
- O/U 2.5 total goals: Over -140 / Under +115
- Both teams to score: Yes -185 / No +140
RB Salzburg vs. Bayern Munich betting pick & prediction
Another one not to overthink. Here, the focus is Robert Lewandowski.
The goal machine should feast in this match. He scored nine goals across the six group stage matches, failing to score just once — and in that game he picked up an assist. It's Lewa's world and we're all living in it.
Sadly, that's not a good way to make a profit, as the odds on him scoring aren't worth the risk that comes with picking a goalscorer. Back the German side — led by Lewandowski — to win by multiple goals instead. Go ahead and take the leap to -2, the bump in odds is worth a possible push.
Pick: Bayern Munich -2 (+155)
RESULT: Loss
Prediction: RB Salzburg 0-3 Bayern Munich
RESULT: RB Salzburg 1-1 Bayern Munich
- Moneyline: RB Salzburg +700 / Draw +450 / Bayern -275
- Spread (Asian Handicap): RB Salzburg +1.5 (-110) / Bayern Munich -1.5 (+100)
- O/U 3.5 total goals: Over +100 / Under -125
- Both teams to score: Yes -165 / No +125
Chelsea vs. Lille betting pick & prediction
Hilariously, Chelsea is the 'unseeded' home team in this matchup and Lille is 'seeded' thanks to their group stage finishes (Lille finished first, Chelsea second), but it's clear who is the favorite.
But don't be fooled by Lille, which is a quality opponent. And Chelsea has proven a flawed attacking team in the last few months. This is a tougher matchup to call than the odds would suggest, but in the end Chelsea should get it done. Lille has firepower, and Hatem Ben Arfa was brilliant in the recent loss to PSG, but Jonathan David will hope forward partner Burak Yilmaz can return so he can move back to his preferred wide position.
The Blues faced Lille in the Champions League group stage two seasons ago and picked up a pair of 2-1 wins. This matchup will be less entertaining — Chelsea played to a trio of 1-0 results among its six group-stage matches, winning two of them. This will be more of the same, although hedging for a draw is a good strategy here.
Pick: Chelsea to win or draw & under 2.5 goals (-110)
RESULT: Win
Prediction: Chelsea 1-0 Lille
RESULT: Chelsea 2-0 Lille
- Moneyline: Chelsea -310 / Draw +425 / Lille +750
- Spread (Asian Handicap): Chelsea -1.5 (+100) / Lille +1.5 (-120)
- O/U 2.5 total goals: Over -150 / Under +110
- Both teams to score: Yes +100 / No -140
Villarreal vs. Juventus betting pick & prediction
Juventus had a horrendous start to the season, but the Old Lady is on a 10-match Serie A unbeaten streak, and the arrival of Dusan Vlahovic will cure all lingering goalscoring ailments. Villarreal is also in excellent league form, scoring 17 and conceding five over its last seven La Liga games, and impressing in a 2-0 win over a very good Real Betis side and tying Real Madrid 0-0.
For both these sides, a combined seven of 12 group stage games featured three goals or more, and the attacking firepower has only gotten better. Take the over and Juventus, which just flat out sports the better overall squad, and whom the bookmakers are undervaluing. The odds on this particular parlay provides a spectacular return.
Pick: Juventus to win & over 2.5 goals (+350)
RESULT: Loss
Prediction: Villarreal 1-3 Juventus
RESULT: Villareal 1-1 Juventus
- Moneyline: Villarreal +165 / Draw +215 / Juventus +170
- Spread (Asian Handicap): Villarreal pick'em (-115) / Juventus pick'em (-110)
- O/U 2.5 total goals: Over +105 / Under -145
- Both teams to score: Yes -135 / No -105
Atletico Madrid vs. Man United betting pick & prediction
This game is a complete and utter coin flip, in so many ways. Neither side has been convincing this season, but both still remain in the top-four hunt in their respective leagues.
There is one way to separate the two clubs. By expected goals over-/under-performance, Atletico Madrid should be second in the La Liga table, while Manchester United should be eighth in the Premier League, according to UnderStat's metrics. Quite simply, Atletico is underperforming in front of net, while Man United is overperforming.
The problem, however, with taking Atletico to win straight up is the massive draw potential in this match. It's hard to make an over/under call, and there's no history between these two clubs, only matching up twice previously, back in 1991/92 for a pair of Cup Winners' Cup meeting (a competition that's now defunct).
The two sides have each kept just one league clean sheet since the turn of the calendar year. Backing both teams to score and run would be a sound strategy.
Pick: Both teams to score (-130)
RESULT: Win
Prediction: Atletico Madrid 1-1 Man United
RESULT: Atletico Madrid 1-1 Man United
- Moneyline: Atletico +140 / Draw +220 / Man United +200
- Spread (Asian Handicap): Atletico pick'em (-140) / Man United pick'em (+115)
- O/U 2.5 total goals: Over +105 / Under -145
- Both teams to score: Yes -130 / No -110
Benfica vs. Ajax betting pick & prediction
Ajax is a lot like PSG this season — absolutely steamrolling its league, but hard to get a true gauge on its real standing within the wider European scope. While Ajax is making headlines for its goalscoring prowess, backed by Sebastien Haller's sensational form, this team has hardly conceded either — a +64 goal differential (69 scored and five conceded!) through 22 Eredivisie matches is absolutely unheard of.
And yet, the Dutch giants have still not truly been tested. Benfica has (to mixed results). A famous 3-0 win over Barcelona earned the Portuguese side a place in the knockouts, but there are also ugly defeats to Bayern, plus a pair of 3-1 losses to Porto and Sporting in league play. That was the same Sporting side that was outscored by a combined 9-3 against Ajax in the group stage.
Ajax shouldn't be expected to make too deep a run in this tournament, but it should dispatch Benfica with relative ease.
Pick: Ajax -0.5 (+100)
RESULT: Loss
Prediction: Benfica 1-3 Ajax
RESULT: Benfica 2-2 Ajax
- Moneyline: Benfica +270 / Draw +245 / Ajax +100
- Spread: Benfica +0.5 (-120) / Ajax -0.5 (+100)
- O/U 2.5 total goals: Over -145 / Under +105
- Both teams to score: Yes -190 / No +130
