Champions League Matchday 1 betting preview

It's been 107 days since the 2019 Champions League final, but who's counting?

Europe's most prestigious club competition makes its much-anticipated return this week, and it's back with a bang as some of the continent's top sides are set to clash in the quest for football supremacy.

Best bet

Galatasaray (+290) at Club Brugge (+100), Draw (+260)

Trapped in Group A with PSG and Real Madrid, these sides will likely be left battling for third place and a berth in the Europa League, meaning opportunities for wins will be scarce. Club Brugge are both tactically and technically sound and impressed in the group stage last season, losing just twice despite being grouped with Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, and Monaco. They lost some key players over the summer, but new striker David Okereke has made a seamless transition to the side and they have no shortage of creativity with Ruud Vormer and Hans Vanaken pulling the strings in midfield.

Galatasaray's transfer policy is apparently to bring in players past their prime: Their starting XI is a who's who of Premier League castoffs. The name value might help sell tickets, but don't let it sway your judgment in this match. They were a trainwreck away from home in last season's competition, failing to score a goal in losses at Porto, Schalke, and Lokomotiv Moscow. They've lost 12 of their last 14 Champions League matches away from home (two draws), and all signs point to another defeat at Jan Breydel Stadium.

Pick: Club Brugge (+100)

Value bets

Liverpool (+130) at Napoli (+200), Draw (+250)

Liverpool have enjoyed a flawless start to their season, but they face their toughest test yet as they make the trip to Naples. Carlo Ancelotti will have Napoli out for revenge after a narrow loss at Anfield last season saw them dumped from the competition. Napoli are incredibly difficult to play against at Stadio San Paolo, and they are full of belief. Unlike most squads, they'll attack Liverpool from the get-go, and they have quality in their side to make the visitors pay. The Reds lost in Naples last season and could be partially distracted with a Sunday trip to Chelsea looming. It's the perfect storm for Napoli to begin the group stage with three points.

Pick: Napoli (+200)

Barcelona (+110) at Borussia Dortmund (+230), Draw (+275)

Borussia Dortmund have had a strong start to the season and will be flying high following their 4-0 weekend dismantling of Bayer Leverkusen. They're a tough side to beat under Lucien Favre, and as good as Barcelona are, traveling in European competition is no easy task. Lionel Messi is only just back from injury, so he should be eased into the fold. This match should have plenty of entertainment value, with a scoring draw a very likely outcome.

Pick: Draw (+275)

Genk (+450) at Red Bull Salzburg (-188), Draw (+333)

Red Bull Salzburg will be fired up to make their Champions League debut, but this line is too high for a side with no previous experience in the competition and a poor record in qualifying. Losing Munas Dabbur, Xaver Schlager, Stefan Lainer, Hannes Wolf, and Diadie Samassekou won't help, either. Each of those players appeared in over 40 matches for Salzburg last season, combining for 59 goals and 43 assists. Salzburg's always been smart in reinvesting their money, but signing Ajax castoffs Maximilian Wober and Rasmus Kristensen doesn't exactly inspire confidence. Genk have plenty of talent in all three phases and should be able to spoil Salzburg's party.

Pick: Genk +0.5 (+150)

Parlay of the week

Ajax's remarkable home record in the competition speaks for itself, and they shouldn't have any trouble with a Lille side that's lost at Amiens and Reims to start the season.

In a group with Juventus and Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen face a must-win at home to Lokomotiv Moscow if they're to have any chance of progressing. This is a long trip for the Russian outfit to make midweek, and we saw last season how poorly they travel as they lost all three times away from home. It should be comfortable for Leverkusen at BayArena.

The last leg of the parlay is the wild card, but Atalanta's fearlessness should work to their advantage in Zagreb. They'll attack straight from kickoff and make life as uncomfortable as possible for the hosts. Dinamo Zagreb always impress in qualifying, but their record is poor when the quality of opposition improves in the group stage. Back the visitors to win their first Champions League match in club history.

Pick: Ajax (-200), Bayer Leverkusen (-250), and Atalanta (+110); parlay odds (+341)

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.