Champions League Qualifiers Top Betting Picks, Aug. 9

Goncalo Ramos looks set to fill the goalscoring void of Nunez, Schmidt likely to be keen for his side to avoid any complacency in Denmark, given their wide lead. Benfica, of course, reached the last eight of the Champions League for the first time in a half-dozen years last season, They did play eventual bridesmaid Liverpool very close over two legs, that after surviving a group which included Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

Benfica are a much stronger team at the moment, and they’re heavy favorites going into this second leg. They are scoring goals for fun. Expect that trend to continue in the Tuesday reverse. They kicked off their domestic season by beating Arouca, 4-0, at home. They are more than prepared to extend their amazing run of form, and whip Midtjylland in the second leg.

Benfica have won their last eight games across all of the competitions, scoring 27 goals and keeping four clean sheets in the process. Midtjylland, meanwhile, barely prevailed over Cypriot side AEK Larnaca in the second qualifying round, eliminating them only after penalties. That was after a pair of 1-1 draws.

The difference in quality between these two teams is enormous. Benfica have a new gem in Goncalo Ramos, who perhaps commands a $100m sale price if he continues playing like this. He’s a player to include in your soccer picks and parlays. Benfica outclassed Midtjylland in the first leg of this competition, and while it would be no surprise to see the Danish side score once again, the visitors surely have too much firepower for them to handle.

Pick: Benfica -135

Rangers vs Royale Union SG

After losing out on penalties in the final of Europa League last season, it’s thus beyond stunning if Rangers were to be eliminated by a side-Royale Union Saint Gilloise-that’s never featured in a major European tournament, Rangers are listed at -125 with the latest soccer odds.

The Scottish giants dominated in terms of possession in the reverse leg, but failed to find the back of the net while losing, 2-0.  Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men are far from out, though. Remember, they overturned first-leg deficits to progress from both the quarterfinal (Braga) and semifinal rounds (Leipzig) of the Europa League last term. Another such comeback against Royale would arguably be less surprising.

Royale Union, meanwhile, surpassed any and all of their expectations, pushing the title race all the way and finding themselves in Champions League qualifiers in their first Belgium top-flight league season. While their first leg victory was impressive, the intimidation factor of a rocking Ibrox simply cannot be underestimated. Rangers are another animal when playing in front of their fans, as last season against teams like RB Leipzig, Dortmund and Braga proved.

If you’re soccer betting, understand how important is to play at home, detecting the teams that are way better when playing in front of their fans. For Rangers, Alfredo Morelos returned from an injury spell in the league game against Kilmarnock, scoring just 24 minutes after being substituted in.

Of course, Rangers’ experience in the qualifying fixtures should come in handy to overcome any nerves, and they should be able to secure a win and a spot in the playoff round. Then, a clash with PSV Eindhoven or Monaco. The consolation prize for the losers is direct entry into the Europa League group phase.

Pick: Rangers -125