Arsenal vs Sporting CP
March 9, 2023 12:45 pm EDT
The Line: Arsenal +120 / Sportings CP +240 // Total: 2.5
(Get latest betting odds)
Sporting CP and Arsenal face off on Thursday in leg 1 of their Group of 16 UEFA Europa League showdown at José Alvalade Stadium. These two teams have faced off five times in European competitions, and Arsenal hasn’t given up a goal in any of those games.
Sporting CP vs Arsenal Odds
Sporting CP comes into this game sitting as the underdog at +240 while Arsenal is the favorite sitting at +120. The total in this game sits at 2.5 goals, with the over paying out at +100.
Sporting CP Betting Preview
Sporting CP advanced to this game, beating Midtjylland 5-1 on aggregate. On Saturday, Sporting faced off against Portimonense, and they were able to secure a 1-0 victory. They had 68 percent of the possession and seven shots on goal, but they didn’t get the first goal until the 77th minute. Manuel Ugarte picked up his third booking in the Europa League, and he’s now suspended for this game. Mateo Tanlongo could move into the starting lineup, and there is a ton of pressure on him with the flashes of star power that he’s shown.
Arsenal Betting Preview
Arsenal has a ton of pressure heading into this game on them, and that includes advancing out of this round of the Europa League. Arsenal has won four games in a row across all competitions, including against AFC Bournemouth in the last game. They fell behind 2-0, but it took three goals after the 62nd minute to secure the victory. Arsenal had 81 percent of the possession and nine shots on target. Leandro Trossard suffered a groin injury in the last game, and it’s not expected that he’s going to be able to go in this game. Gabriel Jesus is still banged up and not expected to be able to go in this game. Emile Smith Rowe is expected to move into the starting lineup in this game.
Shane’s Free Pick
Arsenal is dealing with some key injuries heading into this game, and they are going to struggle to attack in this game. I do expect their defense is going to be good, though, and Sporting isn’t going to have many quality scoring chances here. Look for a 1-0 or 1-1 type of game, and the under is going to cash.
