Ajax vs Rangers – Champions League Odds, Picks & Predictions

• It’s Ajax vs Rangers on Matchday 1 of the new UEFA Champions League season
• Ajax have a 100 percent record in the Eredivisie while Rangers are second in the SPL
• We preview the game, look at the Ajax vs Rangers odds, and offer some picks below

It’s Ajax vs Rangers on Matchday 1 of the new UEFA Champions League season on Wednesday, September 7 In Amsterdam, with a kick-off time of 12:45pm ET.

For Ajax, it will be a case of trying to continue their blistering start to the season, while Rangers will be licking their wounds after a bruising 4-0 defeat on Sunday in the first Old Firm derby of the season.

We preview Ajax vs Rangers, look at the Champions League odds, and offer some analysis, team news, and picks for this huge Matchday 1 UCL Group A clash.

Ajax vs Rangers Odds

Odds as of Sept 6 at Caesars Sportsbook. Use this Caesars Sportsbook promo code to bet on this or other games.

Ajax have been listed as -215 for the win, which has a 68% implied probability. Rangers are considered big outsiders in Amsterdam and are pitched at +550 with an implied probability of just 15%.

There is also a good return on offer for the draw at +360, which has an implied probability of 22%.

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Over/Under and Spread

Caesars have listed over 3.5 goals in plus money at a reasonable +130 with the flip side offering under 3.5 goals at -160. The bookies appear, therefore, to favor the home win but by a relatively small margin.

If you’re new to betting on soccer and want to know about Soccer Futures and Outright Betting, then our page offers help on how to do this on this and all other Champion League games.

Ajax vs Rangers Prediction

It has been a summer of upheaval for Ajax with manager Erik ten Hag departing (for Manchester United) along with a host of big names, including Antony and Lisandro Martinez (both Man Utd) and Sebastien Haller (Borussia Dortmund), but it’s still been business as usual with five wins from five in their Eredivisie openers.

Helloooooo, boys! 😍@ChampionsLeague is edging closer… #UCL #ajaran pic.twitter.com/pr1d8qMVH4

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) September 6, 2022

New manager, Alfred Schreuder, and his new signings have settled quickly, with Steven Bergwijn – signed from Tottenham – scoring twice at the weekend as they easily beat Cambur 4-0 to go five from five.

Five From Five in the Eredivisie

Everything is looking typically rosy for Ajax domestically but they will be tested in Europe as, in addition to Rangers, Liverpool and Napoli make up what looks like a really challenging UCL group.

Strong second half! ⚡️

▴ 2-0 Lorenzo Lucca
▴ 3-0 Donny Warmerdam
▴ 4-0 Donny Warmerdam #jajher pic.twitter.com/vw5rHCJL18

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) September 5, 2022

Ajax, who have won the European Cup/Champions League three times, have an excellent record against Rangers, having won all four of their previous meetings on the European stage.

The Dutch champions will be hoping to improve upon last season’s Champions League campaign, where they won six from six in the group but crashed out at the round-of-16 stage after being beaten over two legs by Benfica.

Ajax vs Rangers Head-to-Head Stats

Rangers’ Old Firm Nightmare

This is Rangers’ first appearance in the UCL group stages for 12 seasons and was achieved after a grueling playoff process that saw them get past Union SG and PSV Eindhoven. Last season gave them a taste of European glory when they made it all the way to the Europa League final, only to be beaten by Eintracht Frankfurt.

They did however suffer a major blow at the weekend when Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side went down 4-0 to Celtic in the first Old Firm derby of the season – a result that will have gone down very badly in the blue half of Manchester and which was far from ideal preparation for this tie.

FULL-TIME: Celtic 4-0 Rangers pic.twitter.com/PsCaAIs4Jj

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) September 3, 2022

Van Bronckhorst described the performance as “very disappointing” and will be demanding a positive reaction from his players in the Dutch capital.

The Van Bronckhorst Factor

In Rangers’ favor is a good recent record in the Netherlands, including a 1-0 win over PSV last month that helped pave the way for this crack at the group stages. They also have, in van Bronckhorst, a Dutch coach who has plenty of European experience and who knows what it takes to win in Amsterdam.

Whether they have the players to deliver it is another matter, but this is guaranteed to be a better performance than the one they delivered at Celtic Park on Saturday.

🔴⚪️🔵 pic.twitter.com/rmZoAR92pD

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) September 3, 2022

Ajax vs Rangers Team Lineups and Injuries

Ajax Projected Lineup: Pasveer, Rensch, Timber, Bassey, Blind, Klaassen, Alvarez, Berghuis, Tadic, Brobbey, Bergwijn.

Injuries & absences: Wijndal, Ihattaren.

Rangers Projected Lineup: McLaughlin, Tavernier, Goldson, Sands, Barisic, Jack, Lundstram, Kamara, Tillman, Morelos, Kent.

Injuries & absences: Lawrence, Davies, Souttar, Helander, Hagi, Roofe.

Ajax vs Rangers Pick

Ajax’s flying start to the campaign looks, in theory, set to continue against the weakest team in the group, but this Rangers squad thrives on the European stage.

Van Bronckhorst has not been helped by a string of injuries to key players though, and this could be a step too far. I’m predicting an Ajax win but not by a big margin.

Pick: Ajax to win 2-0 (+700)