It’s shaping up to be a David vs. Goliath Champions League Final Saturday as heavily-favored Manchester City goes for its first UCL title against three-time champion Inter Milan. The current odds to lift the Cup sit at -425 in favor of the English side, while the Italians come back at +320.
Let’s dive deeper into how each squad got to this point and round out the article with a trio of bets on the championship match.
Key Information to Know
- Date: Saturday, June 10th, 2023
- Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul, TR
Current Form & Match Preview
Pep Guardiola’s squad is in top form right now as they ran through the Premier League en route to a third consecutive title. The Citizens also took care of business in the FA Cup Final this past Saturday, beating rival Manchester United 2-1. On the international front, it was pure domination as Manchester City outscored RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid by a combined 17-3 in the knockout rounds.
Don’t expect Internazionale to simply lie down and take a beating on Saturday. They’ve been playing excellent football themselves, especially in terms of defense and goalkeeping. The Italian side kept clean sheets in five of its six matches in the knockout stages, with the lone outlier being a 3-3 barnburner where they already held a two-goal advantage over Benfica in the aggregate.
Even though City is putting together a legendary campaign, the defensive prowess of Inter Milan makes this a very intriguing matchup. However, they’ve not seen an offense of this magnitude recently and could be in for a shock on Saturday.
Champions League Final Odds, Preview, Picks & Predictions (6/10)
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Manchester City (-220) vs. Inter Milan (+600), DRAW (+380)
I’m typically a contrarian when it comes to sports, as I enjoy a little chaos, and seeing an upset is always entertaining. As much as I’d like to take a shot with Inter Milan in some capacity, I cannot do it.
Simone Inzaghi’s men were able to shut down Oliver Giroud and company in the semi-final round, beating rival AC Milan 3-0 in 180 minutes of play. But quite frankly, the offensive depth of City dwarfs AC Milan’s roster.
The English side was able to amass four goals in their recent semi-final match against Real Madrid, and none of them came off the boot of Erling Haaland. Between Haaland (12 UCL goals), Bernardo Silva (3), Julián Ã;lvarez (3) and Riyad Mahrez (3), Inter Milan will have its hands full in this game. Manchester City should have no problem stretching their lead out by at least two goals.
Best Side Bet: Manchester City -1.25 (-105)
In terms of playing a total, I respect the defensive prowess of Internazionale, and I don’t think we’ll see a complete barnburner. Andre Onana has been excellent in net for the Italian squad, holding opponents scoreless in eight of his 12 matches during this Champions League run.
On the flip side, while Manchester City’s offense rightfully gets a ton of the spotlight, we should mention that their defense and goalkeeping are in the upper echelon, as well. Their performances against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid were brilliant. In the second leg of the semi-final against Madrid, the midfield and backline limited the opposition to just 41% possession. And in comparison to Real Madrid, I have to say that Internazionale is in a slightly lower class when it comes to offense.
Ultimately, I feel that we’ll see this match wrap up 2-0 in favor of City. But I think a -120 price tag on the Asian total of 2.75 is worth it and provides us a little breathing room in case it gets out of hand at 3-0. The last four championship matches have finished with two goals or less, including three consecutive 1-0 finals. I think the under is the best play here.
Best Total Bet: Under 2.75 (-120)
Finally, in terms of a player prop, I like for Kevin De Bruyne to find himself on the score sheet when the dust settles. The longtime City midfielder bleeds blue, and after suffering heartbreak in the 2021 final, I expect him to play a major role in this match.
The Belgium-born midfielder has scored twice in nine matches during this UCL campaign while recording a team-leading six assists. There’s too much at stake for him not to make a few offensive runs and either score or assist on a goal. Let’s lock in De Bruyne here at -140.
Best Prop Bet: Kevin De Bruyne To Score or Give Assist (-140)
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