Top 3 bets for Tuesday's Champions League & NBA games

What are the big Champions League games tonight?

Manchester City travel to Club Bruges for the early kick-off desperate for a win after their disappointing defeat at PSG last time out. Midfield star Kevin de Bruyne goes back to Belgium for the first time since he left Genk to sign for Chelsea in 2012 knowing Bruges will be no pushovers. They’ve picked up 4 points from their opening 2 games, 1 more than City, who beat RB Leipzig 6-3 before their 2-0 defeat in Paris last month.

Jack Grealish First Goalscorer 8/1

After his rest at the weekend, Grealish is expected to come back into the side for City, who are big favourites to take the three points. The £100m man has already broken his Champions League duck, scoring in that 6-3 win over Leipzig, and we’ve seen money at our industry best price of 8/1 for Grealish to score first tonight. Don’t forget, any FGS bet is covered by Spreadex’s First Goalscorer Insurance which refunds stakes up to £25 as a free bet if your pick doesn’t get the first goal but does get the last.

The pick of the later games sees Liverpool travel to Madrid to take on Spanish champions Atletico. Jurgen Klopp’s side have been in imperious form so far this season, and have scored at least three goals in all six of their away games. Mo Salah has scored in 9 of the 10 games he’s played this season, and in 8 straight, but all of the Reds’ frontline look to be at the top of their game, Roberto Firmino grabbing a hat-trick at the weekend and Sadio Mane scoring in each of the last three. Atletico are joint 2^nd in La Liga, three points behind surprise leaders Real Sociedad, and beat Barcelona 2-0 in their last game.

Total Goal Minutes 126-136

We’ve seen interest in the overs in plenty of markets as punters predict goals tonight. While it’s true Liverpool have been brilliant this season and look like scoring a hatful in every game, Atletico are a notoriously good defensive outfit. They’ve only conceded 7 goals in their 10 games this season, so the difference should be noticeable after the Reds scored 5 and could have had 10 at Watford on Saturday. Which team will be able to force their will on this game, free-scoring Liverpool or defensive Atletico?

When does the NBA basketball season start?

Tonight! Well, the early hours of tomorrow morning, but basketball is back! Just three months after the Milwaukee Bucks won their first title in 50 years, their title defence starts on opening night with a game against title favourites Brooklyn. The Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the leader of he Bucks and undoubtedly the reason their won the title, comes up against Kevin Durant and James Harden on opening night, but not Kyrie Irving, who is not with the team as he has so far refused the Covid vaccination. Even without perennial All-Star Irving, the Nets are still favourites for the title, currently 9/4 with Spreadex. The Bucks are 3^rd favourites at 15/2, with LeBron James’s 15/4 Lakers in between. LA are also in action tonight after the season opener, taking on the 4^th favourites, the Golden State Warriors (11/1).

Milwaukee Bucks v Brooklyn Nets Total Points 232-236

The Bucks and Nets are both offensive juggernauts, but will they be able to click straight back into the their title-winning form after three months off? Meanwhile Brooklyn are still dealing with the absence of their starting point guard, Kyrie Irving. Of course they have the Beard, James Harden, to run the offense, but taking Kyrie out of there, and the whole ‘will he, won’t he’ play that has dominated the off season, could see Brooklyn start a little rusty. There are so many great offensive players on show that it would be brave to bet against them, but punters expecting a slow start will be selling at 232 and hoping players struggle for their shots tonight.