The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League competition moves into the playoff round, with the first of two legs taking place between the teams that finished ninth through 24th in the group phase. The top eight teams have already advanced to the Round of 16, while the winners of the two-leg playoff round will join them. On Tuesday, the first playoff matchups will take place with Galatasaray hosting Juventus, Atalanta visiting Borussia Dortmund, Monaco welcoming fellow Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid battling Benfica.
Galatasaray and Juventus will kick off at 12:45 p.m. ET, while the other three matches will get going at 3 p.m. ET. Soccer fans and bettors can catch all the Champions League action live on Paramount+. Those interested in wagering on UCL games should check out the just in predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model while also taking a look at SportsLine expert Jon Eimer’s best bets for Tuesday’s matches.
Eimer finished 2023 as SportsLine’s No. 1 soccer expert, posting a 248-234-12 record (+25.93 units) on SportsLine article picks. Eimer has been red-hot in 2025, posting a profit in multiple leagues, including the Premier League, Champions League, La Liga and more. Anyone following his soccer betting picks could have seen huge returns at sportsbooks and on betting apps.
Here are Eimer’s best bets and analysis for Tuesday’s Champions League matches.
Galatasaray vs. Juventus
- Galatasaray double chance (-135): 1 unit
- Both teams to score (-130): 1 unit
- Galatasaray draw no bet (+130): 0.5 units
It’s important to remember this is a two-leg playoff, which means both teams will get a chance to play home and on the road. Many of these teams are going to prioritize playing aggressive at home and parking when on the road. Galatasaray is one of the clubs that will want to make an impact in the first leg at home, because traveling to Italy is going to be hard. Juventus will be the same; survive on the road and dominate at home. I’m taking Galatasaray to do some damage in that first leg and I’m shocked to see them as heavy underdogs playing in their stadium that rocked even the likes of Liverpool.
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Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta
- Dortmund Over 1.5 team total (-120): 1 unit
- Dortmund money line (+100): 0.5 units
Dortmund’s form in the new year continues to be spectacular, especially when playing at home. They’ve won four of their last five matches at home in the new year, and continue to be one of the most intimidating squads in all of Europe whenever playing in front of their home fans. Atalanta are in good form right now but their defense is easily rattled, and Dortmund know if they want to advance, they need to make something big happen in this first leg. This is the kind of match where I bet you Dortmund win at home and then Atalanta also win at home, so the question is going to be who does it better. Expect Dortmund to go for multiple goals in this first leg.
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Monaco vs. PSG
- Ousmane Dembele anytime goal scorer (+110): 1 unit
It’s always weird seeing a UCL match with two teams from the same league. We have so much head-to-head and league data to look through with these two Ligue 1 giants clashing. Monaco at home are strong, but I’m expecting PSG to not only win but win by multiple goals. Monaco embarrassed PSG back in November after beating them 1-0 in a match where they were a man down. Since then, Monaco have been in poor form, and PSG will be looking for a big start to the next round of UCL. Players like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele will all be starting up top. All three of these guys know how to score against Monaco, but I’m backing the best goal scorer in France in Dembele.
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Benfica vs. Real Madrid
- Real Madrid Over 1.5 team total (-130): 1 unit
- Kylian Mbappe first goal scorer (+270): 0.5 units
Real Madrid will come into this match as the most experienced UCL team in all of Europe. They’ll also come into this match in fantastic form after beating down a strong Real Soceidad club 4-1 in league play over the weekend. We saw players like Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde all find the scoresheet, and key player Kylian Mbappe was able to rest for this match. Mbappe flourishes under the big lights in a competition like this. Even though Benfica are strong and at home, I don’t see Madrid slowing down, knowing they have the talent to bury this in the first leg.
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