Champions League Betting: Everything you need to know ahead of the final gameweek

Jamie Pacheco fills us in on who's already through, who can progress, who's fancied to win and why Robert Lewandowski isn't a shoo-in for top goalscorer.

Favourites (almost) all through

As is usually the case, the cream has risen to the top when it comes to the pre-tournament favourites. Five games has proven once again to be enough when it comes to almost all of Europe's strongest teams guaranteeing qualification to the Last 16.

Manchester City (4.10 favourites on the outright winner market), Barcelona (7.20), Bayern Munich (9.20), (Juventus (15.00) and PSG (9.40) are among the jollies who have made sure they top the group, meaning they get a theoretically easier opponent in the next round.

Real Madrid (18.00) are sure of going through as well, as are Tottenham, who might be a more dangerous prospect than one would think at 25.00. Few know this tournament like Jose Mourinho.

Liverpool and Inter still with work to do

The only two teams who could conceivably win it who aren't yet through are Liverpool and Inter Milan. Inter, one of the teams Mourinho won it with, are second in Group F, tied on seven points with Dortmund.

The bad news for Inter (75.00) is that they play Barcelona in their last match, albeit at home. Avoiding defeat, a surprisingly short 1/8 chance, would see them through. Barcelona by the way, not under any pressure, look a huge price at 4/1 to win the match. If they can't avoid defeat, Inter still have the safety net of Dortmund needing to win and even then, it might be not enough for the Germans.
They'll need at least a three-goal swing in terms of goal difference on top of all that.

Liverpool (8.60) are top of Group E and a win at Red Bull Salzburg, a 4/5 chance, would mean that's where they finish. A draw and they're through anyway but they'd be overtaken by Napoli into first place, if the Italians were to win.

But a Liverpool defeat by two goals or more would see Salzburg leap-frog them and if Napoli secured a win or draw of their own, they'd join the Austrians in going through at Liverpool's expense.

Plenty to play for in Group H

We've discussed Inter v Barcelona already and arguably the biggest games other than that one are those in Group H, where all of Chelsea, Valencia and Ajax are still in with a chance.

Lille can't even qualify for the Europa League but their match against Chelsea could prove very significant. Defeat for the French and Chelsea are guaranteed to go through. If that one ends a draw, Chelsea progress provided Valencia lose to Ajax.

The Dutch just need to draw at home to Valencia but would also go through if they lost and Frank Lampard's men failed to beat Lille.

Valencia are 18/5 to beat Ajax and that's their best route to qualifying to the next stage because the only other one is to draw and hope Chelsea don't win. So very much advantage Chelsea and Ajax here.

English and Spanish sides holding strong

Ten of the last 12 Champions League finalists have been English (three) or Spanish (seven). And it would be no surprise if there was more of the same with Man City and Spurs through and Liverpool and Chelsea highly likely to join them, as we've seen already, to make it four English teams in the Last 16.

Valencia have work to do but it's not inconceivable that they join Atletico Madrid (strong favourites in Group D) alongside Barcelona and Real Madrid in progressing, to also make it four Spanish sides still in with a shout of going all the way.

It would be no surprise if another all-English, all-Spanish or English-Spanish final happened when the final comes around on May 30 in Istanbul.

Not done and dusted just yet for Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski is currently on an obscene 10 goals for the campaign, having scored in each of his five games in the competition so far, including netting four last time out at Red Star Belgrade. But that's not enough reason for the Sportsbook to chalk him up at just 1/25 to be this season's top goalscorer. He's a far more reasonable 1.20 on the Exchange.

But It's perfectly possible Bayern draw a tough opponent like Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid or Chelsea in the next round, go out to them and that the goal-hungry Pole doesn't add to his tally. That would certainly open the door for the likes of Harry Kane (22.00 on the Exchange) who has six goals and would be a safe bet to keep on scoring if Spurs make it through to say, the semis.

The England skipper is certainly a more attractive prospect than Lionel Messi, who is the same price as him but only has three goals at this stage. Erling Haland (22.00) has probably seen his transfer value quadruple on the back of his eight goals so far but with a Group Stage exit looming, he's probably run his race.