Arsenal is one of these teams that tends to end up with a bad draw in the Champions League every year. The Gunners haven't had the best of luck in the Champions League over the years, and even though they won their group in the opening months of this tournament, they still were given the unluckiest of draws here in the Round of 16. Bayern Munich didn't have the best go of it at the start of this tourney, but the hope it has is that it will rebound and take care of business here in the Round of 16 to advance into the quarters starting with Wednesday's match at the Allianz.
Don't miss the Champions League action from Allianz Arena at 2:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 15, 2017. Catch every moment of the match live on FOX Sports 1.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Bayern Munich -194
Arsenal +567
Draw +333
Over/Under 3
Odds Analysis
Bayern Munich has to be the favorite in this match. It's the favored team to get into the quarterfinals, and in order to do that, it probably has to figure out how to get the victory here on German soil. That's not to say that the Reds can't go on the road and win at Arsenal; we know that it can. But clearly, the task will be a heck of a lot easier if it returns to the Emirates with a lead and a bit of a cushion.
Arsenal though, is going to have a shot here on the road. Sure, the Gunners are +567 on the moneyline, and they're going to be looked upon as big underdogs. But would it really be shocking if they were able to escape Germany with an advantage? A draw would be the goal, though.
The total of 3 is indicative of a match that could feature a heck of a lot of goals, something that isn't quite normal for the first leg of a home-and-home series, especially this earlier in the Champions League between two legitimate contenders.
How They Got Here
Arsenal had to work hard just to stay at the top of Group A. The Gunners had some mistakes along the way in the form of two draws, but the club didn't lose any of the six matches. In the end, they had 14 points to show for their work, and that was good enough to hold off PSG to claim the top spot. The problem? This draw was about as bad as it got, because Bayern Munich was certainly the best of the second place teams in the first round of the tournament.
As far as the Reds are concerned, they have to be really bothered right now. Will Bayern Munich end up winning the Bundesliga? Probably. But the fact that it's not a given right now is a real concern for a team that is used to having things wrapped up by the time the Round of 16 of the Champions League rolls around.
In the group stage, the Reds did have the best goal differential in the group at +8, but they were second best to Atletico Madrid. Is there any sin in that? To us, there isn't, but to the fans at the Allianz, that was a big problem even though the team went 3-0-0 at home and outscored teams 10-1 along the way.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
This one is going to be easy. Arsenal is tremendously overmatched at the top of the Premier League, and we've seen that in some recent away matches, including a 3-1 loss at Chelsea that wasn't nearly that close. Bayern Munich is good enough to snare everything in this one, and we wouldn't be shocked if the return trip to the Emirates ends up being a bit of an exhibition after a blowout here in Germany.
Champions League Odds: Bayern Munich 3, Arsenal 1
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