Champions League Betting - FC Barcelona vs. Olympique Lyonnais

Of all the last 16 returning legs on the books this week at soccer betting line on this tie offers the widest margin between the favourites and the underdogs – and this after the first tie ended with a 1:1 draw. FC Barcelona weigh in as the huge favourite while Olympique Lyonnais the huge underdog. While the marketplace is completely one-sided, the soccer betting community is divided. After all, it is, theoretically, still an open affair. So do the bookies have it wrong? Alternatively, is betting on Olympique

Lyonnais just bait.

Champions League Betting Line:

FC Barcelona -1 -150 -280 2½ O -130 U +110 2 O -110 U -120 Draw +325

Olympique Lyonnais +1 +130 +950 2½ O -130 U +110 ½ O -130 U Ev Draw +325

Match Time: 03:45 P.M. Eastern Time Wednesday March 11, 2009

Venue: Camp Nou - Barcelona - Spain

Soccer Betting Analysis:

FC Barcelona -280: FC Barcelona are hot favourites in the competition proper to lift the prestigious cup but they have flattered to deceive before. So it is understandable why some sports bettors are not jumping on their bandwagon. However, they did score on the away, giving them the statistical upper hand as they prepare for the second leg at home.

Olympique Lyonnais +950: The bookies are not kind to Lyon, tipping them off the charts in the underdog plane. But for Lyon’s fans, they have to be optimistic about their side’s chances. The French delivered on their promise when they opened the first leg at home with perhaps one of the most exciting goals one could imagine. Juninho put the French side on the board with a deceptive free kick that at the very last second curved towards the net, taking keeper Valdes completely by surprise. The stunner set the tone for the rest of the match and it was an exciting clash.

Soccer Betting Verdict: The soccer betting line aside, the reality is this tie is still open. There is everything to play for and Lyon are not going to give up without a fight – even though the bookies have all but written them off. Lyon has a real chance to turn this tie on its head and deliver the biggest upset of the competition thus far. Doing it on the away is easier said than done. Lyon have been criticised for lacking a killer’s instinct. Typically, after doing well in the Group stage they have floundered at this point in the competition. However, the quality we saw from them in the first leg leads me to believe they have enough to put paid to their history tomorrow in Barcelona. Call me an optimist but hope springs eternal. Besides with odds like that (bait or not), betting on the surprise is worth a small stake.

Soccer Free Picks: Olympique Lyonnais +950 |Over 2.5 goals -130