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The Europa League opening matchday arrives on 16 September, and six of the ties come with a recommended bet attached. Oleksandr Halian and Oleksandr Vaskov, both Sports Data Managers, take two each, with TipsGG Sports & Esports Expert Oleksii Svyrydov covering the remaining pair. Prices stretch from 1.62 at the short end to 2.65 at the longest, and the odds converter will turn any of those figures into the format you prefer. Half of the six calls sit on goals or both-teams-to-score markets, a fair reflection of how open these first-round meetings look before anyone has a single point on the board. TipsGG publishes free football betting tips with pre-match odds for the Europa League, so every selection below arrives with the reasoning that produced it.
| Match | Market | Odds | Analyst |
| Ararat-Armenia vs Sparta Prague | Ararat-Armenia not to lose (1X) | 2.28 | Halian |
| Anderlecht vs Lyon | Total goals over 2.5 | 1.65 | Vaskov |
| Milan vs Benfica | Total over 2.5 | 1.73 | Svyrydov |
| Olympiacos vs Jagiellonia | Olympiacos to win by 1 goal or draw | 2.13 | Halian |
| Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar | Sunderland to win | 1.62 | Svyrydov |
| Sturm vs Rennes | Sturm not to lose & both teams to score | 2.65 | Vaskov |
Ararat-Armenia vs Sparta Prague Prediction
The Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium hosts an early kick-off in the opening round of the Europa League, with Ararat-Armenia, through to the main stage of a European competition for the first time in their history, up against a seasoned continental campaigner in Sparta Prague.
Both sides are currently a long way from repeating last season’s domestic achievements, even though the two league campaigns have only recently begun. Ararat already trail Noah by five points, while Sparta sit as low as ninth.
Curiously, these two opponents already met last year in Conference League qualifying. Those games were entertaining and full of goals — three and five strikes respectively — and it was the bigger name from Prague who advanced on aggregate.
Ararat have not been beaten at home since the start of the season: seven wins and one draw in eight matches. And in European qualifying their record is a clean 100% in terms of victories, albeit those continental games are played at a nominally home venue. Sparta, by contrast, have little to boast about on the road — only two wins against four defeats since the season began. On top of that, the Czech side fly to Armenia with a crowded treatment room.
I would not rule out the hosts extending their good run, just as I would not rule out the visitors continuing their poorer results. Beyond that, an exchange of goals looks a perfectly plausible outcome.
Prediction: Ararat-Armenia not to lose (1X) – 2.28
Alternative prediction: Both teams to score (Yes) – 1.68
Anderlecht vs Lyon Betting Tips
These teams meet for the seventh time in their history, but for the first time in Europe’s second-tier competition. They arrive in fairly even form — both have lost only twice apiece since the start of the season and both are on a three-match unbeaten run. Anderlecht are in a sense the more interesting of the two, having claimed at least two narrow wins in their last four matches, whereas Lyon have only one to their name.
Even so, the hosts have other problems. The squad situation is awkward: two first-choice defenders are unavailable and the availability of a third is in serious doubt. The attack has dipped too — at home in the Europa League the Belgians have averaged three goals a game, yet in their last four matches across all competitions they have scored only twice. There are issues both with creating chances and with finishing them.
Lyon have hardly been a model of attacking football in their opening matches either, but they have more rotation options and more ways to adapt to an opponent. The visitors are less convincing away from home, yet in the current circumstances they are capable of avoiding defeat, and perhaps even of being closer to a win. For now, though, we will step away from the final result and take a statistical bet.
Prediction: Total goals over 2.5 at odds of 1.65
Alternative prediction: Sikan to score at odds of 2.88
Milan vs Benfica Odds & Pick
Milan try to impose themselves at home, yet the team is still searching for the perfect balance between its lines. The recent trip to Lazio (2:2) laid bare the main problem for the Rossoneri — an extremely sluggish start, which saw the Italians collapse through the first half and concede twice. After the break, however, Ruben Amorim‘s side showed a completely different face: through high pressing and midfield dominance they took 72% possession, produced nine shots and engineered a comeback thanks to a brace from Diego Moreira. The hosts’ attacking potential is not in question, but recurring breakdowns in their defensive structure create huge problems.
Benfica come into the game like a well-oiled machine, riding a run of seven straight wins. In their latest Portuguese league outing, despite conceding early to Gil Vicente, the Lisbon side were utterly composed, dominating every patch of the pitch and dismantling their opponent both statistically and on the scoreboard (3:1). Even when chasing the game, Marco Silva‘s team do not panic, instead methodically unpicking a defence with vertical passes and by loading the box. The chief weapon for the Eagles remains Vangelis Pavlidis, while a deep bench allows them to keep the tempo high for the full 90 minutes.
The San Siro should stage a clash of two attacking philosophies. The hosts will look to take control of the ball, but the Lisbon side are far more reliable in the finishing phase right now and can punish the slightest space conceded.
Prediction: Total over 2.5 – odds of 1.73
Olympiacos vs Jagiellonia Preview
The Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium stages an opening-round Europa League tie between Olympiacos, who fell one step short of a second successive place in the Champions League main stage, and a sturdy Jagiellonia side.
The Piraeus club arrive with a crowded treatment room and a narrow defeat in the latest Greek Super League round to OFI Crete. The most painful absence is obviously last season’s top scorer Ayoub El Kaabi, sidelined long term with a broken leg.
Jagiellonia, for their part, also lost their most recent Ekstraklasa match (0:2) to Wisla. In last season’s Conference League, Jaga drew three times on the road, and among their opponents were sides as well known as AZ Alkmaar and Strasbourg. The pragmatic style of the yellow-and-reds often delivers the result the team needs.
Olympiacos are unquestioned favourites with the bookmakers. Their big names, the wild atmosphere at the stadium and other factors genuinely do argue for the hosts. That said, the defeat in the last league round, along with a weak display against Nijmegen, does not inspire such great confidence in a comfortable win for the Piraeus side. I am sure Jagiellonia’s organised style, combined with a depleted red-and-white squad, will cause the hosts serious problems. I believe a narrow win for the favourite or a draw is the most likely outcome of this match.
Prediction: Olympiacos to win by 1 goal or draw – 2.13
Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar Match Tips
Sunderland may have lost to Arsenal on the scoreboard (0:2), but statistically they gave nothing away to the reigning English champions, posting a respectable expected-goals figure (1.80 xG against 1.88 for the Gunners) and firing 12 shots to London’s 11. The Black Cats should have scored at least twice, but Enzo Le Fée‘s missed penalty undid all their work. The team also failed badly on discipline: six yellow cards, one of which led to a sending-off, buried any chance of a late comeback.
AZ Alkmaar dropped their first points of the current Eredivisie campaign against Willem II (1:1). Lyroy Echteld‘s side dominated throughout, but dreadful wastefulness in the final third and a single defensive error cost them all three points, and the Alkmaar club are no longer the outright leaders in the Netherlands, having been drawn level on points by PSV.
Financial resources, the level of competition and the intensity of the football set Premier League clubs apart from teams in any other European league — all the more so when the comparison is with the Eredivisie, which is a solid division but sits outside the top five. The main question concerns the hosts’ motivation and how much priority they place on this European competition. I am convinced that at the Stadium of Light the hosts can secure themselves a comfortable result ahead of the away leg.
Prediction: Sunderland to win – odds of 1.62
Sturm vs Rennes Prediction
This is a meeting of two teams fighting for the top places at home and, crucially, in excellent form right now. The Austrians beat a direct title rival at home at the weekend, but lost their first-choice striker to injury.
The French are enjoying the best start in their history in Ligue 1. Their coach rotates regularly, giving playing time to virtually everyone in the squad, and eases newcomers into the first team carefully and without rushing. The veterans, sensing the competition, are performing strongly and refusing to let rivals take their place on the pitch. There are questions about the defending, but Rennes compensate for mistakes at the back with superb attacking play.
The Austrians have barely lost at home in 2026, and the French have rarely dropped points this season. Both teams attack well and score consistently. I think in this European tie the two sides will trade goals and fail to find a winner. Rennes look the stronger side, but nobody has abolished the home-crowd factor.
Prediction: Sturm not to lose & both teams to score at odds of 2.65
Across the six selections the pricing runs from 1.62 on a straight home win to 2.65 on a combined not-to-lose and both-teams-to-score call, with three goals-based markets clustered between 1.65 and 1.73. If you are weighing up singles against a combination of the shorter prices, a free bet calculator is the quickest way to see what these odds would return.
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FAQ
How many picks are included for 16 September?
There are six selections, one for each featured Europa League opening-round tie. They cover Ararat-Armenia vs Sparta Prague, Anderlecht vs Lyon, Milan vs Benfica, Olympiacos vs Jagiellonia, Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar and Sturm vs Rennes.
Which selection carries the shortest odds?
The shortest price is 1.62 on a Sunderland win at the Stadium of Light. The longest is 2.65 on Sturm not to lose combined with both teams to score.
Where can I find Europa League betting tips for the opening matchday?
All six calls for 16 September are laid out above, each with the market, the price and the reasoning behind it. Three of them are goals markets priced between 1.65 and 1.73.
Which analysts made these calls?
Sports Data Managers Oleksandr Halian and Oleksandr Vaskov contributed two picks each, and TipsGG Sports & Esports Expert Oleksii Svyrydov added the other two. Their expert football predictions cover the Milan vs Benfica and Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar ties among the six.
Are there alternative bets on any of the matches?
Yes, two fixtures carry a second option: both teams to score at 1.68 in Ararat-Armenia vs Sparta Prague, and Sikan to score at 2.88 in Anderlecht vs Lyon.