The Europa League kick-starts this week with 36 of Europe's top sides battling for silverware and a chance to book a ticket to next year's Champions League.

English sides have dominated the competition in recent campaigns, with Tottenham and Aston Villa winning the last two editions, but the latest Europa League winner odds suggest the trophy could be heading to Italy.

With no defending champion in the draw, a fresh winner will be crowned, with Serie A duo Juventus and AC Milan the current favourites to lift the trophy in May's final in Frankfurt.

Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Sunderland will carry English hopes in the third season of the 36-team league phase, but the trio are not the calibre of previous Premier League entrants. With some of England's bigger sides absent, the continent's Champions League regulars will fancy their chances of gatecrashing the party.

A current look at the Europa League winner odds

Below are the latest odds for the 2026-27 Europa League winner.

*Odds correct at time of writing but are subject to change.

Juventus are the outright favourites, closely pursued by Italian rivals AC Milan. Former Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen are the only other side available at single-figure prices, with the market fairly consistent since the fixtures were announced.

It's interesting to find Bournemouth, Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo at double-figure prices given Spain and England's dominance in the Europa League. Of the past 23 winners, 12 were from La Liga and five from the Premier League, meaning 17 of the last 23 winners (74%) have come from one of the two countries.

League phase position will also be important to these prices, with a top-eight finish enough to avoid the February play-off round and two extra games in an already congested season following the World Cup.

Europa League title favourites

Here's a closer look at the three favourites, with Juventus and AC Milan bringing plenty of Champions League experience to this year's competition.

Juventus

The Old Lady have won the Europa League three times since it was introduced as the UEFA Cup in 1971, but it has been over 32 years since they last lifted the trophy.

Once the dominant force in Italian football, Juventus have failed to win Serie A since 2019-20 and find themselves in the Europa League after a second consecutive sixth-placed finish.

Given their stature, Juve still boast a formidable squad worth over £600million and, crucially, the strength in depth to handle a potential 15-game route to the final. They showed that in 2023 by reaching the semi-finals, only to lose to eventual champions Sevilla in extra time.

There is also plenty of ambition to end their slump, with around £138million spent on new recruits over the summer including Lois Openda and Randal Kolo Muani.

Of course, Italian sides have a patchy record in this competition, with Atalanta the only Serie A winner since Parma in 1999, while Juventus have added just two Coppa Italia trophies to their cabinet since 2020.

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AC Milan

AC Milan are a similar price to their division rivals Juventus, and it's a similar story in terms of diminishing returns at San Siro.

The Rossoneri are the second-most successful team in Champions League history with seven titles, but find themselves in Europe's second tier after finishing fifth for the second year on the spin, albeit by a single point.

Like Juventus, they've also reacted by splashing the cash, with £140m spent, making them Serie A's biggest spenders, with Goncalo Ramos their blockbuster addition up front.

They sent Max Allegri packing and took their chances with former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim. That represents a gamble in itself given his record at Old Trafford, failing to win a trophy before being sacked with the lowest Premier League win ratio (31.9%) of any permanent manager in the club's history.

That said, he arrived with a point to prove and does have a good track record in Europe with both Sporting Lisbon and United, leading the latter to the Europa League final in 2025.

He also has a deeper squad than most in the competition with USMNT hero Christian Pulisic now back in contention following his injury at the World Cup. That certainly makes AC look a better prospect than Juventus in my book.

⚽ Back Ruben Amorim to prove the doubters wrong and win the Europa League at 15/2 with BOYLE Sports ⚽

Bayer Leverkusen

They might not have the European legacy of the market leaders, but there's plenty to like about Bayer Leverkusen.

The German heavyweights enter the competition 12th in UEFA's club coefficient rankings which, on paper at least, makes them the strongest side in the entire competition.

Furthermore, they have recent and unfinished business in this competition having lost to Atalanta in the 2024 final. In fact, Leverkusen are the only side out of all 36 teams in this year's competition to have appeared in any of the past eight Europa League finals.

They reached the semi-finals the year before that before two Round of 16 exits from the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich and Arsenal, so no strangers to this format.

Despite a seemingly straightforward opener against NK Celje, there are a few drawbacks - most notably, going through three managers in the space of 12 months is far from ideal. Erik ten Hag lasted three matches, Kasper Hjulmand followed, before Carles Martinez Novell arrived in July on a two-year deal.

There's also been a significant turnover over the summer with several departures, although £134m has been spent on new additions, with Guela Doue and Afonso Moreira the particularly exciting arrivals. Moussa Diaby is also back, having registered 49 goals and 47 assists in a hugely impressive spell at the BayArena.

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Europa League dark horses

Outside of the top three in the betting market sit the dark horses. Sides with more than enough quality to challenge but with a few more unanswered questions.

Bournemouth

The shortest-priced English club in the Europa League market, Bournemouth embark upon their first season in Europe after finishing sixth under Andoni Iraola.

The Spaniard has since departed for Liverpool, but Bournemouth's succession planning appears to have been sound with Marco Rose taking over and deploying a similar system and tactical approach.

That continuity should help, but it looks a tough task to balance the demands of the Premier League with European football - especially with modest squad depth and their energetic, high-pressing style.

That said, the Cherries have the backing of former AC Milan defender Alessandro Costacurta, who has publicly tipped them as the English side to watch: "Keep an eye on the English sides and Bournemouth in particular."

⚽ Can Bournemouth make it a hat-trick for English clubs at 10/1 with bet365? ⚽

Benfica

Marco Silva's side are a wild price at 18/1 given their status as Champions League regulars. Only twice have Benfica missed out on the UCL over the last 16 years, while they've reached the final of the Europa League twice in their last six appearances.

Early indications tell us that firepower won't be an issue with 19 goals scored in their six qualifiers, while they've netted an average of 4.5 goals per game since Silva arrived - something they'll hope continues when they travel to AC Milan in their tournament opener.

There have, however, been a few key departures over the summer with both Amar Dedic and Antonio Silva leaving for the Premier League, which could test a squad over what could be a 17-match run to the final.

Then there's Marco Silva's curious Europa League record - he has failed to win any of his 10 games in the competition as a manager of Olympiacos, Sporting and Estoril.

⚽ Silva can grab gold in the Europa League at 20/1 with BOYLE Sports ⚽

Real Sociedad

Never doubt a Spanish side in this competition, especially one spearheaded by Euro 2024 and World Cup 2026 winner Mikel Oyarzabal.

As mentioned, clubs from Spain have won 12 of the past 23 editions of the Europa League, and Sociedad clearly know how to navigate a knockout tournament having qualified by winning the 2025-26 Copa del Rey.

There's no doubting the quality in their ranks, but the squad isn't overly deep outside the starting XI, while the fact they made just one senior signing over the summer will be of concern.

Manager Pellegrino Matarazzo, who took over after Sergio Francisco was sacked in mid-December, has also only managed four times in European competition, winning once.

The Anoeta Stadium is a difficult place to visit and home form could be crucial if Sociedad are to challenge. They host Bournemouth on Matchday 1 in one of the best ties of the opening round, and if they win there, their 11/1 outright odds could soon shrink.

⚽ More glory for Oyarzabal? Real Sociedad are 12/1 with Betfred ⚽

Who will look to break up the order?

Crystal Palace are here as Conference League winners and have already shown they have the tools to win a European trophy, although two of their starting XI from the final have left, along with manager Oliver Glasner.

Sunderland will be playing in Europe this season for the first time in 53 years. The Black Cats signed a small but promising batch of players over the summer, including Malick Fofana, to join experienced European campaigners Granit Xhaka and Thomas Meunier. They should be capable of making a decent run.

French trio Marseille, Lyon and Rennes are perhaps being overlooked as serious challengers. Then again, there's been a mass exodus of talent from those clubs over the summer due to dwindling television rights, including Mason Greenwood, Fofana and Jeremy Jacquet. Pass.

The best of the rest at bigger prices include Hoffenheim and Celta Vigo, although neither have started their domestic campaigns well.

⚽ Get Sunderland Top 8 Finish in League Stage at 8/11 with bet365 ⚽

My favourite betting picks ahead of the Europa League season

Here are my three best bets for the 2026-27 Europa League.

To reach the final

AC Milan look a good price at 7/2 to reach the final, particularly after a big summer of spending has provided Ruben Amorim with arguably the strongest and deepest squad in the competition.

The Rossoneri also have seven Champions League titles to their name, while Amorim has a proven record in Europe, having enjoyed success with Sporting before leading Manchester United to the Europa League final in 2025.

⚽ Get AC Milan to reach the final at 7/2 with BOYLE Sports ⚽

League phase winner

Bayer Leverkusen look well equipped to top the league phase, with a strong team and quality throughout the squad. They reached the Europa League final on their last appearance, winning all six of their group games along the way, and their fixture list looks favourable this time around.

Trips to Celje, Lech Poznan and Crete should be manageable, while their more difficult opponents are all due at the BayArena.

⚽ Bayer Leverkusen to win the league phase at 11/2 with bet365 ⚽

Top-eight finish in the league phase

Yes, Lyon have lost two of their biggest stars in Malick Fofana and Afonso Moreira, but the core of last season's side remains intact. That is the same core that finished top of the league phase last season, ahead of eventual winners Aston Villa, after finishing sixth the year before. They clearly know how to get into the top eight.

⚽ Get Lyon to finish in the top eight of the league phase at 2/1 with Unibet ⚽

What do previous Europa League winners have in common?

There are no guarantees when picking a Europa League winner, but certain characteristics tend to separate genuine contenders from the rest.

At the top of that list is squad depth. As we've seen with winners Tottenham and Aston Villa, having good strength in depth is crucial to balance domestic duties with European commitments - especially given a finalist could play 17 matches.

It's also useful to find a team prepared to take the competition seriously and view it as a genuine opportunity to reach the Champions League - particularly those from leagues where it's tougher to qualify through their domestic campaign.

Then there is the league phase itself. Finishing inside the top eight not only provides a better platform for a deep run but also removes the February play-off round, while strong home form can prove decisive once the knockout ties begin.

That all makes Bayer Leverkusen a particularly tempting option to win the entire competition.

With a strong squad, a productive transfer window with over £130m spent, an increasingly difficult task to qualify for the UCL via the Bundesliga and an impressive home record at the BayArena - where they've lost just seven of their last 51 Bundesliga matches - Bayer look real value at 9/1 with bet365.

What other boosts and offers could appear during the Europa League season?

It's a mad house on Thursday nights. The busiest night of the week for European football, bookmakers will be offering a huge number of offers and price boosts.

Keep an eye out for boosts on player shots on target, anytime goalscorers and team wins, with bookies likely to target some of the biggest games and most popular markets.

FAQs about the Europa League

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Europa League.

1. How does the league phase work, and how quickly can the odds change?

The 36 teams each play eight fixtures, with the top eight going straight into the last 16. Teams finishing 9th to 24th enter the play-offs, while 25th and below are eliminated. One defeat can quickly alter a team's position and outright odds.

2. Who has won the Europa League the most times?

Sevilla are comfortably the competition's most successful club, winning the UEFA Cup/Europa League seven times. Inter, Liverpool, Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham are the next most successful, with three titles apiece.

3. Do Europa League winners really get a Champions League place?

Yes. The Europa League winners automatically qualify for the league phase of the following season's Champions League, provided they have not already qualified through their domestic competition.

4. How often have the bookies been right with the pre-season favourites?

The recent record is impressive, with Tottenham and Aston Villa both winning after starting as pre-season favourites. But it is far from guaranteed: Liverpool led the 2023/24 market before Atalanta eventually lifted the trophy, while Manchester United were among the favourites in 2024/25 but finished runners-up.

🏆 Read more about the current 2026/27 season

Dean Etheridge

Dean Etheridge is an experienced freelance sports betting writer who specialises in football, cricket, and darts, with a keen focus on the Premier League and Champions League, as well as in-depth coverage of Premier League Darts and major tournaments. He can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game and beyond, delivering expert analysis across a range of sports. He predominantly covers the Premier League and Champions League but can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game. You can follow Dean on LinkedIn (@deanetheridge)

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