Champions League Final
By Richard Gardner
Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich
The biggest game in world club soccer goes this Saturday at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid between European powerhouses Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.
I expect interest in the Champions League final to approach all-time levels at Bodog’s online sportsbook, with soccer betting excitement growing as the World Cup in South Africa approaches quickly.
We saw the majority of early action coming in on Inter Milan -0.5 (+130) and have since changed the pointspread to a pick, with Inter Milan at -175 and Bayern Munich at +135.
The total has been set at 2, with action fairly evenly distributed on both sides. Inter Milan matches are typically low-scoring while Bayern Munich likes to open it up a bit more. It’ll be interesting to see if an early goal forces either side to adopt a riskier style of play, or will we see a chess match out there?
We’ve also been getting a good share of action on the moneyline draw (+220). Bettors are thinking that this could be a close affair with two very good teams involved, so the chances of extra time are good. In fact, four of the last nine Champions League finals have gone to a penalty shootout, the last one between Chelsea and Manchester United two years ago in Moscow.
One bit of news that could affect wagering: Bayern Munich, already the underdog, will have to take the field without winger Franck Ribery, who lost his suspension appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which ruled Monday that his three-game ban was the correct decision after Ribery was sent off in the first leg of the semifinals against Lyon.
Losing a key soccer player doesn’t quite have the same impact as, say, losing a key basketball player, but Ribery’s absence certainly won’t stem the pressure on Bayern Munich’s goal scorers that include Miroslav Klose, Thomas Müller and Arjen Robben.
Inter Milan will look to Diego Milito, Samuel Eto'o and Mario Balotelli for their offense. Striker Milito is the 4/1 favorite to notch the match’s first goal on Bodog’s soccer props board, followed by Eto'o at 9/2. “No goal scorer” at 13/2 has also attracted its share of support. Perhaps the thinking there is if the game is a snoozer, at least you make money on it. It’s like an insurance policy on boredom!