Soccer Odds & Expert Top Picks of the Week – December 5th

We have just seen another crazy weekend of soccer action come to a close, but in this world, there is never really time to breathe, as there are always a ton of fixtures on the docket. The UEFA Champions League returns this week, but we will focus on the games of that tournament in another piece. Instead, we will use this space to look ahead at games in the Championship in England, the UEFA Europa League, and the MLS Cup Final. There are a lot of big games worthy of your wagering dollars this coming week, so let’s check the latest soccer lines and get into the business.

Soccer Odds & Expert Top Picks of the Week – December 5th

Here’s how the man himself compares to his @BCFC counterpart this season. #BIRvWOL

👇 pic.twitter.com/8Fa4zf4QuS— Wolves (@Wolves) 4 de diciembre de 2017

Birmingham City vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

• When: Monday, December 4, 2:45 p.m.
• Where: St Andrew’s Stadium
• Tournament: England Championship
• Soccer Odds: Wolverhampton -0.5 (Total set at 2.5)

The Championship in England is turning into a bit of a 2-horse title race this season, although there is still a lot of football to be played. Wolves have a 1-point lead over Cardiff City at the top, but also have a game in hand, which they will play on Monday in the local derby with Birmingham City.It’s been a rough year for City who finds themselves mired deep in the relegation zone. Wolves are the top scorers in the league with 40 goals, while Birmingham has only managed 10 goals in 19 games. This will be the first meeting of the city rivals this season, and I like Wolves to win comfortably.Score: Birmingham 0 – Wolves 3

HNK Rijeka vs. AC Milan

• When: Thursday, December 7, 1:00 p.m.
• Where: Stadion Rujevica
• Tournament: UEFA Europa League
• Soccer Odds: AC Milan -0.5 (Total set at 2.5)

We spoke earlier about the craziness of the football schedule over the weekend, and they didn’t come much wilder than in AC Milan’s Serie A game against Benevento, where they gave up a late equalizer via a flying header from the Benevento goalkeeper.Milan is in cruise control in Group D in the Europa League but will be looking to secure top spot when they head to Croatia to face Rijeka. The first meeting between these two was a highly entertaining 3-2 win for AC Milan, and I think we will see more goals in this one. Let’s take Milan to win, and the OVER.Score: HNK Rijeka 1 – AC Milan 3

Arsenal vs. BATE Borisov

• When: Thursday, December 7, 3:05 p.m.
• Where: Emirates Stadium
• Tournament: UEFA Europa League
• Soccer Odds: Arsenal -1.5 (Total set at 3)

Arsenal sits at the top of Group H with 10 points from their 5 games, and are assured of safe passage into the next round of the Europa League. Still, they will want to move on in style, especially after falling 3-1 to Manchester United over the weekend.Their first meeting in this group with Bate Borisov was a highly entertaining affair, with Arsenal coming away with the 4-2 win on the road. I think they have more gals in them on Thursday night, as they would have scored a boatload over the weekend were it not for the spectacular goalkeeping of David DeGea.Score: Arsenal 4 – BATE Borisov 1

Toronto FC vs. Seattle Sounders

• When: Saturday, December 9, 3:00 p.m.
• Where: BMO Field
• Tournament: Major League Soccer
• Soccer Odds: TBA

The MLS champions will be crowned on Saturday afternoon, as we will be treated to a rematch of last year’s Final, which Seattle ended up winning in a rather drab affair. We can only hope that this year’s rematch is better than what we saw last season, and it is certainly setting up to be that way.These are two teams that have a lot of offensive talent out on the field, but as is often the case with championship games, we may be in for a bit of a tight affair. Toronto will have home-field advantage, although that meant nothing last season when they lost the final at home. I like Toronto to get revenge with a win to top off a magnificent season.Score: Toronto FC 2 Seattle Sounders 1