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The first legs of the UEFA Champions League playoffs continue on Wednesday, Feb. 18 with four of the eight matches that will decide who goes through to the knockout round. Sixteen teams are vying for the final eight spots in the next round. La Liga's Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan of Serie A are in the mix on Wednesday, along with Bayern Leverkusen of the Bundesliga and the English Premier League's Newcastle. All Champions League action is available live on Paramount+.

Inter Milan are -150 favorites against Bodø/Glimt (+360) at DraftKings Sportsbook, while Atletico Madrid are -105 against Club Brugge (+270). Newcastle are -245 favorites against Qarabag, while Greek side Olympiacos is a slight +150 favorite over Leverkusen, which is +185 on the money line. All four matches offer numerous wagering opportunities, including Over/Unders, player props and match props. Head over to SportsLine to see the latest on the UEFA Champions League, including the SportsLine Projection Model picks, and make sure you read what SportsLine soccer expert Martin Green is betting.

After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Last year, Green was profitable in multiple areas on his soccer betting picks, including Euro qualifying (+6.30 units), EFL Cup (+4.47), FA Cup (+3.07) and Champions League (+3.05), among others. Anyone who follows him could be way up.    

Here are Green's best bets and analysis for this week's UEFA Champions League matches.

Champions League best bets for Wednesday, Feb. 18

  • Qarabag vs. Newcastle both teams to score (-111)
  • Bodø/Glimt vs. Inter Milan both teams to score & Over 2.5 Goals (-130)
  • Bayer Leverkusen draw no bet vs. Olympiacos (+100)
  • Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid both teams to score & Over 2.5 Goals (-115)

Qarabag vs. Newcastle both teams to score (-111)

Both Teams to Score has paid off in Newcastle's past six games. The Magpies look dangerous in attack and are coming off an impressive 3-1 win against Aston Villa. Harvey Barnes, Anthony Gordon, Nick Woltemade, Yoan Wissa and Jacob Murphy look perfectly capable of unlocking Qarabag's defense. After all, Qarabag conceded 21 goals in eight games during the
Champions League group stage.

However, Newcastle's defense has also been brittle in recent weeks. They haven't kept a clean sheet in their last seven matches, so they're unlikely to shut out Qarabag in Azerbaijan on Wednesday. Captain Bruno Guimarães is out with an injury, which is a major blow, and Qarabag could cause problems for Newcastle in this game, so both teams to score looks appealing.

Bodø/Glimt vs. Inter Milan both teams to score & Over 2.5 Goals (-130)

Bodø/Glimt clinched a place in the Champions League playoffs after securing two remarkable wins. First, they beat Man City 3-1 at home, and that shock result sent them soaring up the table. They then battled to a 2-1 away win against Spanish heavyweights Atlético Madrid, ensuring they finished 23rd in the standings.

The Norwegian champions scored 14 goals and conceded 15 in eight group stage games, providing a great deal of entertainment. Inter Milan, the runners-up in last season's Champions League, certainly won't take Bodø/Glimt lightly. They may struggle to adapt to the artificial pitch and freezing conditions in Bodø -- which is 200 miles inside the Arctic Circle -- but the Nerazzurri still have enough quality to score in this game. They've scored 12 goals in their last four matches and are coming off a 3-2 win against Juventus at the weekend, which should boost their confidence. This could prove to be a high-scoring game.

Bayer Leverkusen draw no bet vs. Olympiacos (+100)

Olympiacos finished 18th in the Champions League table after winning their last three group stage games. The Greek champions beat Kairat Almaty 1-0, Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 and Ajax 2-1, which earned them a playoff berth. However, their domestic results haven't been great in recent weeks. They lost 1-0 at home to Panathinaikos on Feb. 8, and they could only draw 0-0 with 10-man Levadiakos on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen are unbeaten since losing 2-0 to Olympiacos on Jan. 20. They've picked up five wins and a draw in six games since then, including an impressive 3-0 victory over Villarreal. Leverkusen warmed up for this game by thrashing St. Pauli 4-0 at the weekend so the players should be full of confidence, and they look capable of avenging last month's defeat when they renew hostilities with Olympiacos on Wednesday.

Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid both teams to score & Over 2.5 Goals (-115)

Atlético Madrid are a "Jekyll and Hyde" team this season. Los Rojiblancos beat Barcelona 4-0 in the Copa del Rey semifinals last week, but then lost 3-0 to Rayo Vallecano at the weekend. They veer from hugely impressive victories to embarrassing defeats, which makes them an unpredictable team.

Club Brugge are more predictable. They're strong at home and have secured some impressive results at Jan Breydel Stadium this season. Club Brugge beat RB Salzburg 3-2 and Rangers 6-0 at home in the qualifying stages. In the group stage, they beat Monaco 4-1, drew 3-3 with Barcelona, lost 3-0 to Arsenal and beat Marseille 3-0. Their home games tend to be high-scoring affairs and Atlético Madrid are an attacking team these days, so combining both teams to score with Over 2.5 goals looks like a great bet.