The Europa League Play-off Round: Betting odds, Favourites and Predictions.
One step away from the league stage.
The Europa League play-off round begins on August 22, marking the final round of qualification. The winners of the ties will advance to the league phase, while the losers will be transferred to the Conference League league phase.
The first legs will be played on August 22, with the second legs taking place on August 29, 2024. The draw for the group stage will be held the very next day, on August 30. Let's take a closer look at the most interesting pairs, the teams' chances of advancing, and the betting odds.
Europa League Play-off Round Betting Odds
Most of the ties have a clear favourite. The odds on them to advance are so low that it’s pretty useless to think about betting on them. Below, we offer you a table that contains the most interesting odds on a team to advance to the next stage.
Teams to qualify to the next round odds
Europa League 2024/25 Play-off Round Key Ties
Let's take a closer look at the most intriguing matchups in these two-legged ties
Jagiellonia Białystok vs. Ajax
Despite an underwhelming previous season (finishing 5th in their domestic league), the Dutch side Ajax is the clear favourite. After a heroic victory over Panathinaikos in the previous round, decided by a penalty shootout with 34 kicks taken by both teams, Ajax areriding a wave of momentum and has a strong chance of advancing to the league stage. Even in the away leg, their chances of winning are more than favourable, with odds of
4/5
Jagiellonia have lost three consecutive matches, including not only their Champions League qualification clash against Bodø/Glimt but also a 2:4 defeat to Cracovia in the domestic league.
Ajax are, of course, the more skilled opponents, but their scoring efficiency this season has been lacking. In their last seven matches, there have been only 12 goals scored (an average of 1.71 per game). Therefore, a bet on under 2.5 goals in both legs could be a good option.
Dinamo Minsk vs. Anderlecht
In the first match, the reigning champions of Belarus will face the most successful team in the history of Belgian football. However, Dinamo are deprived of the home-field advantage, as they will play at a neutral venue in Hungary. This significantly diminishes their chances of advancing to the Europa League group stage.
After their failure in the Champions League qualifiers, Dinamo struggled to get past Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar (2:0, 1:2). Now they face a highly prolific Anderlecht. In the last 11 matches involving the "Purple and Whites," there have been 39 goals scored (an average of 3.55 per game).
Considering that the Brussels side has netted 25 goals in their last ten matches (an average of 2.50 per game), betting on Anderlecht to score over 2.5 goals individually in the first leg might be a good option
Viktoria Plzeň vs. Heart of Midlothian
The bronze medalists of the Czech league are strong favourites in their tie against the Scottish Premiership bronze medalists, Hearts, with odds of
2/5
to advance to the league stage.
Viktoria Plzeň have won 6 out of their last 7 matches, including both legs against Kryvbas in the Europa League qualifiers. The Czech side has a habit of scoring in the second half at home, with this streak now reaching 10 matches. Therefore, it might be worth considering a bet on Viktoria scoring at least one goal in the second half of the first leg.
Hearts have had a sluggish start to their season, failing to win any matches in their domestic league. It seems likely that their Europa League campaign, which started at this stage, may also end here.
PAOK vs. Shamrock Rovers
After starting their European campaign in the Champions League qualifiers with a win over Bosnian side Borac, PAOK were then knocked out by Malmö, sending them to the Europa League. Shamrock Rovers followed a similar path, starting with a victory over Víkingur Reykjavík in the Champions League qualifiers, but they were then soundly defeated by Sparta Prague (2:6 on aggregate).
PAOK have struggled defensively, conceding seven goals in their four Champions League matches and even allowing two goals against mid-table Panserraikos in the Greek league. However, aside from their disappointing pre-season, where they lost four out of five friendlies, PAOK have remained unbeaten in 9 out of their last 10 matches.
Shamrock Rovers have also hit a rough patch in their domestic league, sitting in fifth place, ten points behind the leaders. However, they have shown they can upset favourites, as they did in the previous Europa League qualifying round by defeating Slovenian side Celje in extra time. Unfortunately, their defensive approach has not been paying off lately, as they have conceded in eight consecutive matches.
Both teams have scored in six of the last seven games that PAOK have played. We might expect the same in the first leg.
Lugano vs. Beşiktaş
Lugano, participating in European competitions for the fifth time since their bankruptcy, have been gradually building up their potential. They secured second place in the Swiss Super League last season, finishing behind the dominant Young Boys. However, Beşiktaş remain the clear favourite in this matchup, having already claimed silverware this season with a 5:0 thrashing of Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Cup. The odds for Beşiktaş to advance are
1/5
Lugano lack the resources to consistently compete on multiple fronts. In the current Europa League, they barely made it past Partizan, receiving a red card in the 88th minute but miraculously scoring the decisive goal in the 111th minute while down to ten men. However, such miracles are unlikely to work against Beşiktaş. Not only do the Turkish giants have extensive European experience, but they have also significantly strengthened their squad prior to this season.
New signing Ciro Immobile, the long-time captain and top scorer for Lazio, has already made an impact under the guidance of new coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst, scoring two braces this season.
Braga vs. Rapid Wien
Two teams that finished fourth in their respective leagues last season meet in this tie. Braga’s players had the advantage of resting over the summer, as they didn't participate in Euro 2024, allowing them to have a strong preseason, winning 5 out of 7 matches. Rapid Wien have been solid in their domestic games, going unbeaten in 11 consecutive matches and currently sitting second in the Austrian Bundesliga. However, bookmakers still favour the Portuguese side, with odds of
2/5
on Braga to advance.
Both Braga and Rapid started their European campaigns in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, easily dispatching their initial opponents. Braga dominated Maccabi Petah Tikva (2:0 at home, 5:0 away), while Rapid comfortably overcame Poland’s Wisła Kraków (2:1 away, 6:1 at home). In the following round, Braga, despite being favourites, narrowly defeated Swiss side Servette (0:0 at home, 2:1 away). Rapid, unexpectedly, calmly knocked out Turkish Trabzonspor (1:0 and 2:0), despite being the underdog.
Braga have only lost twice in their last 10 home matches, securing six wins. They are predicted to win their upcoming game as well, but a goal-scoring spectacle is unlikely. Neither the Portuguese nor the Austrians have been particularly prolific in their recent matches.
Odds on Other Europa League Play-off Round Ties
In the tie between Bulgaria's Ludogorets and Moldova's Petrocub, bookmakers are confident that the Bulgarian side will advance, offering odds of
3/20
. They also anticipate that the tie could be effectively decided in the first leg, predicting a dominant victory for the home side.
Austrian side LASK is the favourite in their tie against Romanian club FCSB, with odds of
7/10
for them to advance. However, given LASK's inconsistent performances and squad issues, it might be premature to write off Romania's only European Cup winner. Instead, it could be worth focusing on the referee for the first leg and considering a bet on the total number of yellow cards. Dutch referee Allard Lindhout, known for his strictness, has issued at least four yellow cards in each of his last 12 European matches.
Cypriot side APOEL, which has made headlines in the Champions League in the past, is a more prestigious team compared to Riga's RFS. However, the odds for APOEL to advance are relatively modest at
1/2
Both games are expected to be closely contested, and high goal totals are unlikely.
Maccabi Tel Aviv are the favourites in their tie against Serbian side TSC, with odds of
3/10
to advance. However, it's important to remember that the Israeli team cannot play their home matches on their own pitch. Despite the difference in class between the teams, a blowout in the first match is unlikely.
Bosnian side Borac is clear underdogs in their matches against Ferencváros, with the Hungarian team favoured to advance with odds of
1/10
The loss of several players has not affected Ferencváros's performance, while Borac has been dreadful away from home this season. As a result, it's likely that much of the outcome will be decided in the first leg.
In the Scandinavian derby between Molde and Elfsborg, the bookmakers favour the Norwegian side, offering odds of
1/2
on Molde to advance. Given that both teams are known for their scoring ability, high goal totals can be expected in these matches.
Everton
Chelsea
Manchester Utd
Bournemouth
Real Madrid
Sevilla
Tottenham
Liverpool
Leicester
Wolverhampton Wanderers
