Champions League qualifying playoff odds and betting preview

With the curtains set to close on another Champions League qualifying campaign, real matches are right around the corner.

While there isn't the typical Champions League star power at this stage of the competition, the financial significance of qualifying is enormous for these smaller clubs.

Here's how to approach betting on this week's matches as 12 clubs battle for the final six spots in the competition's group stage:

Krasnodar (+110) vs. Olympiacos (+250), Draw (+240)

This is one of those strange spots when a team is returning home after taking a beating in the first leg. These matches usually go one of two ways: The losing team uses the opening-leg loss as motivation and responds with a spirited effort to salvage its reputation, or that club lays down and takes it on the chin again.

This time, I think Krasnodar were caught in a letdown spot last week in Greece after an emotional victory over Porto, and I expect a strong response here. Olympiacos will likely take their foot off the gas as well, knowing even a 4-1 defeat would qualify them for the group stage.

This spot reminds me of when Astana beat Celtic 4-3 in Kazakhstan in the 2017-18 Champions League playoff after losing 5-0 in Glasgow. Celtic came in loose following the big victory and trailed 4-1 in that match before scoring a pair of late goals.

Pick: Krasnodar +110

Red Star Belgrade (+145) vs. Young Boys (+170), Draw (+250)

In the most entertaining of the first-leg matches, these two teams played out a 2-2 draw in Switzerland.

Back in Serbia for the return leg, Red Star have a leg up on qualification by virtue of those two away goals. However, Young Boys are a seasoned squad and they travel well, actually winning in Zagreb to qualify for last season's Champions League.

Young Boys need to go for it since a 0-0 draw will see Red Star through, sapping the bulk of the value from their +145 to win line. The atmosphere in Belgrade will be hostile and the hosts are experienced enough to get a result, but I don't see Young Boys losing in this spot.

Pick: Draw +250

Rosenborg (+175) vs. Dinamo Zagreb (+145), Draw (+240)

Zagreb is a brutal place to play, so the club's 2-0 win during the first leg was expected. More talented clubs have tasted defeat there - most notably Arsenal in 2015 - but Rosenborg played a lot better than the scoreline suggests. They were punished for starting slowly after falling behind 2-0 inside of 30 minutes, but the team looked a lot better over the final hour.

Rosenborg have been untouchable at Lerkendal Stadium in this edition of qualifying, and with Zagreb making the over 2,000-km trip to the Baltics, fatigue will be a factor.

Expect the visitors to sit back and defend their 2-0 aggregate lead, making for a cagey affair. Play the 0-0 draw if you're feeling especially frisky (+1000) and put those winnings toward a flight to Zagreb's gorgeous beaches.

Pick: Draw +240

Club Brugge (-150) vs. LASK Linz (+400), Draw (+275)

Ajax (-450) vs. Apoel Nicosia (+550), Draw (+650)

By winning away from home in the first leg, Club Brugge joined some esteemed competition.

UEFA introduced the current qualifying format, which brought with it the inaugural playoff round, in the 2009-10 season. Since then, 32 clubs have won as visitors in the first leg of their playoff. All 32 qualified for the group stage, and 24 teams went on to win the second leg at home, a 75 percent success rate. Forget the match breakdown for a second - anytime you can get a hit rate that high, take it.

Plus money is ideal, of course, so -150 isn't desireable in this spot. Parlaying Club Brugge with Ajax, who should comfortably see aside APOEL, solves that issue.

APOEL celebrated holding Ajax to a goalless draw in Cyprus during the first leg, with the Amsterdammers playing a chunk of the match down a man. That says about all we need to know here.

Pick: Club Brugge -150 and Ajax -450 parlay (+103)