Last Updated on February 19, 2024 11:44 pm by Erwin Noguera
The Champions League returns after a week of rest in between the first leg of the round of 16. One of the most remarkable matches to cover will be between Porto and Arsenal, two strong and historic teams from their countries.
O Dragões gave a good beating to Shakhtar in the last match of the group phase, while in the league, they defeated Estrela Amadora 0-2.
Meanwhile, the Gunners comfortably landed first place in their group and drew with PSV in the last game. For the league, they come from obliterating Burnley 0-5.
When:
Wednesday, February 21, 3:00 pm ET at the Estádio do Dragão
Moneyline odds:
Porto 5.49
Arsenal 1.746
Draw Offs:
3.84
Where Can I Watch it?
CBS and Paramount+
Why Bet on Porto?
Porto had an excellent group phase. They tied with Barcelona at the top with twelve points, after four wins and two losses. They even had a better goal difference with seven, one more than the Culés. However, they lost in the direct matches with their rivals, thus surrendering the lead.
This team is accustomed to qualifying to the round of 16, last time falling at that stage to Inter, with a solitary goal in two legs and receiving red cards in both matches. There’s no shame in falling to an eventual finalist, but the feeling that they are still in debt lingers in the air, the same that Benfica. That is especially true for the Dragões, who managed to eliminate Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juve some years ago.
This time, they have a great challenge ahead then again and must pass over the English runner-up to prove their worth.
Why Bet on Arsenal?
After years of suffering, in many ways, the Gunners returned to the Champions League. They had the luck to land an accessible group, and they led with category, with the sole stain being a loss to Minows Racing Club Lens. They ended with a record of four wins, one draw, and one loss, a whole four points over PSV in second place.
Arsenal was an eternal Cinderella in the Champions League, being constantly tipped to be competitive, just to end up facing a strong rival in the round of 16, thus falling at the first time of asking. Barcelona and Bayern were between their executioners on the last occasions, with the Germans giving them a 10-2 thrashing to remember.
In the last season, they lost the way in the Europa League, a competition where they were favorites, and against another club from Portugal, sporting. This time, they are obligated to break their round-of-16 curse.
Final Betting Analysis: Porto vs. Arsenal
Both teams are having decent seasons at the local level, although Porto’s instability has cost them the fight for the title, as Sporting and Benfica are far away. Arsenal still has a good chance of being the Premier League champion, but truth be told, they are the least favorites of the three at the top. In this context, both should look at the Champions League with bloodthirsty eyes.
After their small mid-season crisis, the Gunners have recovered in a great way, and they will continue that trend with an excellent win over the Dragões as visitors by 0-2.
Go for a victory for Arsenal at 1.746. If you bet $100 at such odds, you could get $74.6 for a total payout of $174.6.
Porto vs. Arsenal Betting Pick: Arsenal
EN 
ES 
PT