Champions League Matchday 2 takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday. We have a selection of free betting picks for you, as we will ahead of every Matchday this season.
This week the favorites should shine: Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and last season’s beaten finalists Inter Milan are among my UEFA Champions League best bets. Do not just make moneyline selections, however – I predict some emphatic wins, so the handicap looks the smarter way to play.
UEFA Champions League weekly picks and best bets for Matchday 2
Inter Milan vs Slavia Prague
Inter Milan -1.5 (-115 at Sports Interaction)
Inter Milan made a winning start against Ajax in Amsterdam (2-0) a fortnight ago. France international striker Marcus Thuram scored both goals and is +110 to find the net here.
Slavia Prague drew at home to Bodo/Glimt (2-2) on Matchday 1, but face much tougher opposition here. The significant difference in quality between these sides is likely to emerge over the 90 minutes.
Defying predictions they would play conservatively under manager Cristian Chivu, Inter Milan have scored 15 times in six games in all competitions this season. If they attack as they have done in 2025-26 thus far, they ought to overcome the handicap.
- Date: Tuesday, September 30
- Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
- Where to watch: Paramount+
Pafos vs Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich -2.5 (-105 at Sports Interaction)
This is one of the biggest mismatches of Matchday 2 as Champions League debutants Pafos face off against visitors that are arguably Europe’s top-performing team right now.
Bayern Munich remain undefeated through their first five Bundesliga games of 2025-26, racking up an average winning margin of 3.8 goals per match.
For good measure, they beat the reigning Club World Cup holders, Chelsea, on Champions League Matchday 1, cruising to a 3-1 home win that underlined their quality.
It's hard to see how Pafos can put up meaningful resistance. Not only are they UCL novices, but they're also weaker than Bayern in every position on the pitch.
I expect Bayern’s habit of winning games by big margins to continue.
- Date: Tuesday, September 30
- Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Alphamega Stadium, Kolossi, Cyprus
- Where to watch: Paramount+
Monaco vs Manchester City
Manchester City -1.5 (+115 at Sports Interaction)
This was always going to be a tough game for Monaco, and it is made even harder by the absence of their top two midfielders. Denis Zakaria and Lamine Camara are the missing men, meaning manager Adi Hutter has an almighty hole to fill in the middle of the pitch.
A further concern is Monaco played poorly and lost 4-1 at Club Brugge on Matchday 1. They've failed to keep a clean sheet in six matches in Ligue 1 this season, and lost 3-1 at Lorient in their most recent fixture.
Following their 5-1 weekend win over Burnley, Manchester City arrive in a confident mood. The visitors have the momentum and look good enough to win by a couple of goals.
- Date: Wednesday, October 1
- Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Stade Louis-il, Fontvieille, Monaco
- Where to watch: Paramount+
Arsenal vs Olympiacos
Arsenal -1.5 (-167 at Sports Interaction)
Olympiacos failed to win on Matchday 1, despite enjoying a one-man advantage for most of the game against Pafos. If they cannot beat the Cypriot champions, what chance do they have here?
Arsenal won comfortably (2-0) at Athletic Bilbao in their opening Champions League group game and have since done well in the Premier League, too: They drew vs. potential title rivals Manchester City (1-1 home) and won at Newcastle United (2-1) at the weekend.
The hosts are the much stronger side and should make their superiority count.
- Date: Wednesday, October 1
- Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Emirates Stadium, London, England
- Where to watch: Paramount+
Barcelona vs PSG
PSG +0.5 (-120 at Sports Interaction)
Barcelona are -108 favorites to win this week, while the current Champions League holders PSG are +240 outsiders. The big price on the visitors opens up a good opportunity to support them on the handicap.
Some PSG players will be absent through injury, so manager Luis Enrique may have to make changes in a couple of positions. But the Ligue 1 club's form is good: They've won six of their last seven matches in all competitions, including a stunning performance when they defeated Atalanta 4-0 (home) on Matchday 1.
Barcelona will be playing below full strength, too — midfielder Gavi is out for example — and their performance level has fluctuated in recent weeks.
The minus-money price on the hosts looks too short given the calibre of the opposition they're facing, so the Ligue 1 away team are my pick.
- Date: Wednesday, October 1
- Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- Where to watch: Paramount+
Champions League player prop quick hits for Matchday 2
Atletico Madrid vs Eintracht Frankfurt
Julian Alvarez to score (+120 at Sports Interaction)
Argentina international Julian Alvarez goes into this game in sensational form: He scored a hat trick in Atletico Madrid’s 3-2 win over Rayo Vallecano last Wednesday, and then netted twice as they thrashed rivals Real Madrid 5-2 at the weekend.
The plus-money anytime goalscorer price is worth considering on Alvarez as he looks as sharp as any player in Europe in front of goal right now.
Marseille vs Ajax
Benjamin Pavard 1+ shot on target (+200 at Sports Interaction)
Benjamin Pavard was one of Marseille’s star summer signings. The France defender arrived from Inter Milan to provide manager Roberto De Zerbi with the quality, experience, and leadership skills he was looking for.
Pavard scored on his Marseille debut against Lorient in Ligue 1 earlier this month and will be a threat at attacking set-pieces this week. Look out for the 29-year-old challenging effectively for headers or latching on to loose balls in the penalty area.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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