Europa League Round of 16 Playoffs Leg 1 Odds & Picks

• The Europa League Round of 16 playoffs begin on Thursday
• There are a number of tantalizing clashes on the schedule
• Read on for the full odds for all eight games and three previews

The Europa League officially returns on Thursday with the Round of 16 playoffs. There are several intriguing clashes that offer a ton of betting value, with a number of clubs that failed to progress in the Champions League now falling into the knockout rounds of this competition.

It’s a new format with 16 teams in a playoff over two legs, of which eight will advance to play another eight teams that are sitting in wait. Those other eight include West Ham, Lyon, Bayer Leverkusen, Monaco, Eintracht Frankfurt, Galatasary, Spartak Moscow and Crvena Zvezda.

Among the games this week, Barcelona will lock horns with Napoli, while Borussia Dortmund faces Scottish standouts Rangers. Elsewhere, Porto visits Serie A outfit Lazio in Rome. Also, Atalanta travels to Greece to battle Olympiacos.

Read on for full odds and three betting previews.

Europa League Round of 16 Playoffs Leg 1 Odds

Odds as of February 15th at Barstool.

Barcelona vs Napoli Prediction

For the first time ever, Barca finds itself out of the UCL and in Europa. It’s been a whirlwind of a campaign for Xavi’s side, but a number of big moves in the January transfer window have strengthened the squad. The Catalans are riding an eight-game unbeaten run in La Liga and most recently played to a 2-2 draw with Espanyol thanks to a Luuk de Jong equalizer at the death. However, prior to that, Barcelona did run riot on Atletico, beating them 4-2 on February 6th.

📰[SPORT] | The amount Barcelona can earn via the UEFA Europa League are:

Winning the Ro16 tie against Napoli: €1.1m
Winning QF: €1.5m
Winning SF: €2.4m
Losing Finals: €4.5m
Winning Finals: €8.5m

Barcelona could earn a total of €13.5m for winning the trophy. #fcblive pic.twitter.com/3B4Cm0ZbxO

— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) February 15, 2022

Napoli is in the midst of an impressive season in Italy, currently sitting in third spot and just two points behind league leaders AC Milan. The side has conceded the fewest goals in Serie A while losing just once in their last seven outings. In Europa however, Luciano Spalletti’s men weren’t as convincing, finishing as runners-up in Group C to Spartak Moscow with a 3-1-2 record. The backline was far more vulnerable in Europe, allowing 10 goals while bagging 16 in six games.

The last time these two sides met was in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2019/20, with Barcelona eliminating Napoli across two legs. The Spanish giants have continued to improve and will be poised to conquer this competition, currently holding the third-best Europa League odds in the tournament futures market. The Blues meanwhile, have struggled to turn up in Europa. I do think the hosts hold the edge in the first leg.

Pick: Barcelona -106

Zenit vs Real Betis Prediction

Two sides who have never met in Europe will clash on Thursday as Zenit welcomes Real Betis to St. Petersburg for the first leg. The Russian hotshots were one of eight teams who are now in Europa after a dismal UCL group stage campaign. Zenit ended up in the same pod as Chelsea and Juventus, managing to grab just five points through six matches.

Goodnight all. Can't wait to be back at this place on Thursday! 🏟️💙#ZenitRealBetis #UEL pic.twitter.com/NPMG3EoKvh

— FC Zenit in English✨ (@fczenit_en) February 15, 2022

However, they’ve thrived on home soil in Europa, losing just once in 24 games at Krestovsky Stadium (21 wins, 2 draws). Their most recent European fixture was also a hard-fought, goal-filled 3-3 draw with the Blues on Champions League Matchday 6.

Betis are showing very well domestically, currently holding third place in La Liga. The squad has also come out victorious in six of their previous seven games, most recently beating Levante 4-2 over the weekend. In Europa, Manuel Pelligrini’s group finished second in Group G behind Bayer Leverkusen. However, Betis has tasted defeat in each of their last two European games on the road, losing to Celtic and Leverkusen.

💚🤍💚

Our call-up for #ZenitRealBetis!#EuroBetis #UEL pic.twitter.com/ynWD0YI2yN

— Real Betis Balompié (@RealBetis_en) February 15, 2022

This is a tough one to call because these clubs have no familiarity with one another. Zenit’s competition is nothing compared to what Betis faces on a regular basis, but it’s clear the hosts absolutely relish at home. That being said, I do think they will share the points here.

Pick: Draw +235

Porto vs Lazio Prediction

Portuguese giants Porto host Lazio on Thursday as the two lock horns for only the second time in 20 years. Sergio Conceicao’s side crashed out of the Champions League after finishing in third place in an extremely competitive Group B consisting of Liverpool, Atletico, and AC Milan.

However, Porto is cruising in the Primeira Liga, sitting in top spot and six points clear of Sporting. They will be without a key figure of their backline for the foreseeable future though in Pepe, who is facing a ban from football after attacking one of Lisbon’s officials during a heated 2-2 draw last Friday night.

Lazio was runner-up to Galatasaray in Group E, but they didn’t look great, finishing with a 2-3-1 record while scoring only seven times. However, their defense held it down, conceding a mere three goals.

This is familiar territory for the Italians, previously playing 11 two-legged ties in the competition. But, Lazio doesn’t have a good track record in the first legs, winning them just twice. Portuguese oppositions aren’t kind to Maurizio Sarri’s side either, losing four of their last five away games in the country.

Given how poor Lazio has played against the likes of Porto, Sporting, and Benfica in past, I have to take the hosts here. They’re dominating domestically and will have the utmost confidence on home soil.

Pick: Porto +110