Will Benfica Continue Their Dominant Form? Expert Picks for Today’s UEL Slate
Written by: BettingThePitch
Published: Thu Oct 15, 2026, 8:00 am ET
Read Time: 6 minutes
soccer
We're coming off an excellent two days of Champions League football!
We finished 3-1 on our plays, including a perfect 2-0 sweep yesterday. Now, we're switching gears and turning our attention to the Europa League.
And boy, do we have plenty of matches to choose from!
The Europa League can be a little trickier to handicap, especially when it comes to team selection. Some clubs use these matches to rotate their squads and rest key players, making confirmed lineups even more important.
However, I've found two matchups that really stand out to me.
Both feature teams capable of putting up goals, and I'm willing to pay a little juice for some protection.
Let's get into the plays!
Head over to our Soccer Picks Page for our expert's soccer analysis, or read my best bets below.
Featured Plays
Hoffenheim vs. Besiktas
Trossard and Besiktas travel to Germany for a tough road battle today.
We head to Germany for a matchup featuring Hoffenheim and one of the most dangerous attacks in Turkey.
There's certainly a difference in the overall quality of the two domestic leagues. However, we've seen Turkish clubs give European opponents plenty of problems in recent competitions.
I think Besiktas have the attacking quality to do the same today.
Hoffenheim enter this matchup in poor form, having lost three consecutive matches. Additionally, they haven't kept a clean sheet in their last six games.
Their matches have also been producing plenty of goals.
Six of Hoffenheim's seven games this season have finished with at least three goals. Meanwhile, their home performances haven't exactly inspired confidence.
They have just one win and two losses through three home matches.
More importantly, Hoffenheim are conceding slightly more than two goals per game at SNP Arena.
That's a major concern against a Besiktas attack that has been producing consistently.
Interestingly, Hoffenheim's offensive numbers are much better than their position in the Bundesliga standings would suggest.
Despite currently sitting in the relegation zone, they rank inside the league's top 10 in expected goals.
That tells me this team is still creating opportunities going forward.
The problem hasn't necessarily been scoring goals. Instead, it's been their inability to keep opponents from finding the back of the net.
That's exactly why I like this matchup for an over.
On the other side, Besiktas enter today's match sitting second in the Turkish league.
The visitors are averaging just over two goals per game this season. Additionally, their last six matches have all finished with at least three goals.
However, their defense hasn't been particularly convincing either.
Besiktas have managed just one clean sheet during that six-match stretch.
As a result, we have two teams that are consistently producing goals while struggling to keep opponents off the scoresheet.
That's a combination I love when targeting totals.
Of course, I'll be paying close attention to the Besiktas lineup before kickoff.
If the visitors roll out their strongest attacking group, I think there's a realistic scenario where they clear this total themselves.
However, Hoffenheim's underlying attacking numbers suggest they should be capable of contributing as well.
Ultimately, I expect both teams to create opportunities throughout this match.
I'm willing to pay the -155 because Over 3 gives us push protection if the game finishes with exactly three goals.
I think three goals should be very attainable here, with a good chance we see even more.
Give me goals in Germany!
Play: Hoffenheim vs. Besiktas Over 3 Goals (-155)
Benfica vs. Celtic
This could be an absolute heavyweight battle.
If both managers roll out their strongest starting XIs, we could be in for a real treat today.
Benfica have been excellent in domestic competition to begin the season.
The Portuguese giants currently sit second in the league, with just one blemish on their record through eight matches.
More importantly, their attack has been producing at an incredible rate.
Benfica are averaging three goals per game this season and have been especially dangerous at home.
They've scored at least twice in all seven of their home matches to begin the campaign.
That's some serious consistency.
Additionally, eight of their last 10 matches have finished with at least three goals.
However, it's their ability to start matches quickly that really stands out to me.
Benfica have scored in the first half in nine of their last 10 games.
They love grabbing an early lead and immediately putting more pressure on their opponents.
Instead of sitting back, Benfica continue pushing forward and creating chances.
When they're playing at home, that aggressive approach can completely overwhelm visiting teams.
I expect them to bring that same intensity today.
However, Celtic have enough attacking quality to make this an entertaining matchup.
The Scottish champions have been a little inconsistent recently.
They started the season in excellent form before hitting a rough patch leading into the international break.
That stretch included three consecutive losses.
Still, Celtic managed to get back into the win column last week with an important road victory.
Now, they enter this matchup sitting atop the Scottish league standings.
They're averaging around two goals per game this season, with their road scoring average actually sitting slightly higher.
That attacking production will be important against Benfica.
If Celtic want to take anything from this match, they'll need to create opportunities and make the hosts uncomfortable defensively.
Fortunately for the visitors, the international break appears to have come at a good time.
Celtic enter this matchup with a healthy squad, and several important players had an opportunity to rest and recover.
That should give them a better chance of competing with Benfica's intensity.
From a betting perspective, I was also considering Celtic to score at least one goal.
The sportsbooks currently have that priced around -130, which is certainly interesting.
However, I ultimately prefer the full-game total.
Benfica have been so dominant offensively at home that I wouldn't be surprised if they scored three or four themselves.
Meanwhile, Celtic have enough attacking quality to contribute, especially if Benfica commit numbers forward.
If the visitors can find just one goal, that could put us in an excellent position to cash.
Again, I'm taking Over 3 because I want the push protection.
With Benfica's home scoring numbers and Celtic's ability to produce on the road, I think we're getting a great matchup for goals.
Ultimately, I expect Benfica to control long stretches of this match, but Celtic should have opportunities to make things interesting.
If both teams bring their usual attacking approach, this could be one of the most entertaining games on today's slate.
Give me another over!
Play: Benfica vs. Celtic Over 3 Goals (-155)
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