The UEFA Europa League winner odds for 2024-25 suggest that English sides are the most likely champions in this tournament.
The top soccer sportsbooks identify Spurs and Man Utd as the favorites, but the rest of the continent will be eager to prove them wrong. On top of that, we will see a new format with more games early on.
How does it work and what teams are most likely to go all the way? Read on to find my analysis of the top favorites, the Europa League champion odds, and my predictions and best bets.
2024/25 Europa League Winner Betting Odds
Here are the latest Europa League odds, courtesy of Everygame.
| Team | Europa League Winner Odds |
|---|---|
| Manchester United | +500 |
| Tottenham | +500 |
| AS Roma | +900 |
| Real Sociedad | +1100 |
| Athletic Bilbao | +1200 |
| FC Porto | +1200 |
| Lazio | +1400 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | +1800 |
| OGC Nice | +2000 |
| Galatasaray | +2000 |
| Lyon | +2000 |
| Olympiakos | +2200 |
| Fenerbahce | +2200 |
| Ajax | +2500 |
I can’t believe Manchester United is the favorite to win a title this season. How is that possible? The start of the season seemingly took them by surprise and the pressure is already on after only a few games.
They did win the opener against Fulham but have struggled to create chances and snatch points ever since. I just can’t see them lifting any trophies this season, especially after that heartbreaking loss against Liverpool last weekend.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. This new format might favor ETH’s United. Big teams are less likely to go out early and the Red Devils have multiple talented players in their ranks.
The same can be said about the favorites: Spurs and Roma. I will dissect their chances below, but before we get there, let’s discuss the new format in more detail.
New Europa League Format Explained
Before moving to my Europa League contender analysis and winner prediction, we need to talk you through the all-new format. The changes are drastic and will shape how teams balance between domestic leagues and the Europa League. Here are the main points:
- From now on, Europa League will have no groups.
- Instead, it’s a single league-like group featuring all 36 teams.
- Each team will play 8 matches – 4 home and 4 away.
- After the 8 matchdays, the top 8 teams advance to the round of 16.
- Teams placed 9th through 24th will compete in the Knockout Playoffs.
- 8 winners of the Knockout Playoffs advance to the round of 16.
- From the Round of 16 onward, the format remains the same.
Here are the key dates for this season of the Europa League:
- League Stage: 25th September 2024 through 30th January 2025
- Knockout Playoffs: 13th and 20th February 2025
- Quarterfinals: 10th and 17th April 2025
- Semifinals: 1st and 8th May 2025
- Final: 21st May 2025
The show starts soon, and it should be exciting to watch!
Favorites for the 2024/25 Europa League Title
The favorite trio features two teams from the English Premier League and one from the Italian Serie A. Of course, these are some of Europe’s most competitive leagues, so it’s no wonder their teams are at the top of the EL charts.
However, their odds to win the Europa League are not the best available.
Tottenham (+500)
The Spurs are joint leaders with Man Utd, according to the 2024/25 Europa League winner odds. This team has struggled a bit in the EPL early on, but it’s easy to the potential Tottenham have.
I watched all three of their games and they showed glimpses of pure brilliance. The Spurs played better than Newcastle for large periods last weekend but ended up losing.
It ends in defeat. pic.twitter.com/nqTma2itdO
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 1, 2024
They humiliated Everton with 4 goals and a clean sheet a week before and had a 1-1 draw against struggling Leicester in the opener.
Overall, the team didn’t collect many points but showed a lot of promise. The press is working, they control large periods of each game, and they have lots of the ball. If the Spurs improve their efficiency in the attacking third, they will be a formidable team.
Coming into the international break, their manager Ange Postecoglou will have to come up with more ideas in the attacking third. His team can create chances, but the finish is just not there. If that’s something they can improve upon, they’ll be a tough nut to crack not just in the EPL but in Europa League too.
Manchester United (+500)
Manchester United just can’t get a break. The team has spent just shy of €215m this summer and managed to win just 3 points from their first 3 Premier League matches. Following that nasty 3:0 defeat against Liverpool at Old Trafford, many fans expect ETH will finally see the exit door.
That’s unlikely to happen so early in the season after the Dutch manager received the board’s backing. He will be given a few months to fix the team, but I’m not sure if he can do it.
With Manchester United stuck with ETH and playing absolutely unrecognizable soccer, they simply can’t be among the favorites for the Europa League title.
The defense is struggling, the midfield is completely dysfunctional, and the fans are losing patience.
The only thing working in Utd’s favor is ETH’s ability to win knockout tournaments even when the team is struggling. The Red Devils won the League Cup in his opening season and followed that up with an FA Cup last year.
However, I wouldn’t bet on them to lift the Europa League 2024-25 when the odds are so low.
AS Roma (+900)
What’s there to be said about Roma? The fans expected a solid start under De Rossi, but Roma only picked up 2 points in their first three Serie A matches. They took a point off Juventus, lost to Empoli, and drew with Cagliari.
Despite buying Girona’s Dovbyk, Juventus’ Soule, and Rennes’ Le Fee for a combined total of €79m, they still seem to be struggling. If they keep this tempo up in Serie A, I doubt they’ll be able to fully commit to their Europa League campaign.
Roma is known to oscillate, but they seem to be doing even worse under their new manager, Daniele De Rossi. I simply can’t advise you to invest in Roma odds for winning Europa League at this point of the season.
Best Value Bets for Europa League Winners
Now let’s go through two teams that aren’t necessarily considered the main favorites but could still go all the way in the Europa League. The odds for these sleepers are fantastic and represent much better value compared to the favorites.
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FC Porto is not to be taken for granted. Despite losing to Sporting in the last fixture, Porto had won three consecutive matches before that and currently has 7:2 goal difference in the Portuguese league.
There are some downsides to the current FC Porto setup. For starters, they sold Evanilson to Bournemouth for €37m. The replacement has already arrived from Atletico Madrid – 20 year-old Samu Omorodion who’ll be fancying his goalscoring chances in both La Liga and Europa League.
They also got Fábio Vieira back on loan from Arsenal, so creating chances shouldn’t be an issue, either.
There might be better teams in the tournament, but Porto’s pedigree, discipline, and talent is enough to consider the team at the juicy price of +1200.
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Athletic Bilbao is the second sleeper pick that’s worth your attention. Their odds to win Europa League are currently at +1200. However, if the top contenders keep up with their poor form, I wouldn’t be surprised if Porto and Ath. Bilbao’s priced drop down to around +1000 or lower.
At the moment, Athletic Bilbao doesn’t seem to be at its best. They’re currently in 13th place in La Liga with 4 points in just as many games. However, I have to point out that the two losses came against top La Liga contenders – Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Valverde’s team seems to be well-rounded and has solid depth. The experienced Spaniard also brought in Alvaro Djalo from SC Braga, a prolific left winger who’s bound to leave his mark this La Liga season.
2024-25 Europa League Prediction and Betting Pick
Based on my research, making a Europa League winner prediction is tougher than ever. Teams with the best Europa League winner odds have started their season terribly, so backing the favorites is not the best idea.
This opens the door to all dark horses, and this is where the best bets to win Europa League can be found. If you aren’t afraid to take a bit of a risk, you should go for Athletic Bilbao or FC Porto (or both, the odds are good enough). Both sides are solid and can go all the way, while the odds of +1200 are too high.
