Champions League Predictions Today: UCL Picks, Best Bets for Tuesday, September 8

UCL Betting Picks in Summary

• Dortmund Moneyline (-120)
• Inter-Real Madrid Over 3.5 Goals (+122)

The UEFA Champions League is back, and the 2026-27 league phase gets underway with six matches on Tuesday.

The opening slate includes a few headline matchups, highlighted by Real Madrid hosting Inter Milan and Manchester City traveling to Porto.

Let's dive into the best Champions League bets for Tuesday.

All soccer odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Champions League Picks Today: UCL Predictions

Dortmund Moneyline (-120)

Borussia Dortmund vs. Villarreal, 3 p.m. ET

Borussia Dortmund enters the Champions League in good form, and this looks like an appealing matchup for the German side at Signal Iduna Park.

Dortmund has won both of its Bundesliga matches to begin the season after also advancing in the DFB-Pokal. Its lone defeat across four competitive matches came by a 2-1 score against Bayern Munich in the German Super Cup.

Villarreal's start has been much less encouraging. The Yellow Submarine is still searching for its first league victory of the season, and its struggles in Europe last year were significant. Villarreal earned only one point across eight UCL league-phase matches and lost all four road games without scoring.

One of those defeats came against Dortmund, which rolled to a 4-0 home victory over Villarreal.

Dortmund will be missing suspended defenders Nico Schlotterbeck and Ramy Bensebaini, but their projected lineup still features plenty of attacking talent, including Serhou Guirassy, Ethan Nwaneri and Konstantinos Karetsas.

Real Madrid-Inter Over 3.5 Goals (+122)

Real Madrid vs. Inter Milan, 3 p.m. ET

Tuesday's marquee matchup takes place at the Santiago Bernabéu, and I'm expecting chances at both ends.

Real Madrid enters off a 1-0 defeat to Real Betis, but that result wasn't necessarily indicative of the way Madrid played. Los Blancos controlled long stretches of the match but failed to turn their opportunities into goals.

Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior are expected to lead the attack against Inter, giving Madrid more than enough firepower to net multiple goals at home.

The bigger reason to prefer the over is Madrid's personnel situation elsewhere. Arda Güler, Bernardo Silva and Eduardo Camavinga are suspended, while Éder Militão, Rodrygo and Endrick are among the injured players. Aurélien Tchouaméni is also considered doubtful.

Inter has a dangerous attack of its own, with Lautaro Martinez expected to start, and the Italian side should have opportunities if Madrid pushes numbers forward.

I’m expecting fireworks this afternoon.

What is a moneyline bet in soccer?

A moneyline bet is a wager on which team will win the match. Because soccer matches can end in a draw, most moneyline markets include three options: the home team, the away team, or a draw.

What does “draw no bet” mean?

Draw no bet removes the draw as a losing outcome. If the match ends tied, your wager is refunded. If your team wins, the bet wins.

What is a soccer total?

A total is a bet on how many combined goals will be scored in a match. For example, an Over 2.5 Goals bet wins if at least three goals are scored.

What does “both teams to score” mean?

Both Teams to Score, often abbreviated BTTS, is a wager on whether each team will score at least one goal during the match.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.