Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea Prediction, Odds, and Best Bets for Champions League Week 1

Cem Yolbulan | Sep 17, 2025

IMAGO/Latin Sport Images

The Champions League is back and we immediately have several fixtures featuring elite teams, including Liverpool-Atletico Madrid, and Man City-Napoli, but the juiciest of them all will take place in Germany between Bayern Munich and Chelsea on Wednesday. 

Chelsea is back on the biggest stage of European soccer after a one-year hiatus. They won the UEFA Conference League last year, followed by their impressive FIFA Club World Cup win over the summer. They have the momentum behind their back in terms of their European record under manager Enzo Maresca, but their start to the Premier League season has had its ups and downs. They have eight points in four games and are coming off a draw against Brentford over the weekend, where they only managed to create 1.25 expected goals (xG). 

To make matters worse, they are going up against the red-hot Bayern Munich. The reigning German champions have scored 14 goals in three wins in three Bundesliga games, creating 8.5 xG and only allowing 1.6 xG. In his second season in charge, Vincent Kompany has built a dominant side that is hoping to win the Champions League after six years. 

With one of the toughest fixtures in the League Stage of the tournament where they will travel to PSG and Arsenal, the Germans can’t afford to drop any points at home, immediately raising the stakes of their Champions League season opener. 

Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea Odds and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. 

Moneyline:

Bayern Munich: -150
Draw: +310
Chelsea: +390

Spread: 

Bayern Munich -1.5 Goals: +174
Chelsea +1.5 Goals: -225

Total Goals: 

Over 2.5: -194
Under 2.5: -156

Over 3.5: +130
Under 3.5: -160

Both Teams to Score:

Yes: -192
No: +150

Double Chance: 

Chelsea or Draw: +115

Half-Time Result:

Bayern Munich: +105
Draw: +145
Chelsea: +360

Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2025
• Time: 3:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
• How to Watch (TV): Paramount+, Amazon Prime

Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea Prediction and Pick

Chelsea has certainly shown significant improvement and intriguing flashes over the past year. Maresca has proven himself as the right manager for this club and has a chance to build something special if mercurial owner Todd Boehly lets him. Yet, the Blues are still in early stages of their long-term plan; they are young (expected to have an average age of 24.4 in their starting XI vs. Bayern) and relatively inexperienced at the Champions League level. 

Bayern, however, is closer to being a final product. They largely kept their roster from last season and only broke the bank for Luis Diaz from Liverpool, and brought in center-back Jonathan Tah from Leverkusen. They are significantly older (projected average age 28.3) and more experienced than Chelsea. With one of the biggest home-field advantages in Europe, Bayern turns into a different beast at Allianz Arena. Kompany’s side will play a high-intensity, possession-based soccer from the first whistle of the game, hoping not to allow young Chelsea to gain confidence as the game progresses. 

At the same time, the London side has plenty of stylistic advantages. Against Bayern’s ball-dominant, high-defensive line approach, Chelsea possesses lethal counterattacking ability. Pedro Neto and Bynoe-Gittens, on either side of Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro, provide the necessary speed and athleticism to give Bayern serious headaches. 

As good as the reigning Bundesliga champs are at getting on the scoreboard, they can be vulnerable defensively. Even though their defense has looked good in domestic competition so far, dealing with the pace and dynamism of an elite Premier League side is a totally different ball game. 

Bayern deploys ball-playing fullbacks Konrad Laimer and Josip Stanisic, who have some defensive question marks. Dayot Upamecano, as the leader of the defensive line, is famous for his inconsistencies and potential for clumsy mistakes. Kompany’s obsession with the ball and playing a modern, attacking style, which prioritizes technique over physical intensity, can leave them overmatched defensively. If Chelsea can take advantage of this, they can create plenty of goal-scoring opportunities. 

Yet, it’s hard to pick against Bayern at home. They are a well-oiled machine that is working to their near-optimal capacity. Chelsea can put up a fight, but Bayern should be able to take care of business.

Pick: Bayern Munich to Win & Both Teams to Score (+165)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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