Monaco vs. Shakhtar Donetsk odds, picks, how to watch, live stream: Aug. 25 UEFA Champions League predictions

European soccer insider Martin Green just locked in his best bets for Wednesday's Champions League qualifier on Paramount+

By CBS Sports Staff

Aug 25, 2021 at 9:15 am ET • 2 min read

AS Monaco is off to an extremely poor start in French Ligue 1 play, and the struggles carried over to the first leg of the play-off round of 2021 UEFA Champions League qualifying last week. Monaco, playing at home, fell behind 1-0 in aggregate scoring against Shakhtar Donetsk of the Ukrainian Premier League in the first leg. Now, the French side, which finished third in league play last year, will have to go on the road Wednesday on Paramount+ and dig out of a one-goal hole in the second leg to keep its Champions League hopes alive.

Kick-off for Monaco vs. Shakhtar is set for 3 p.m. ET at OSC Metalist, the home of Shakhtar. Monaco is the +138 favorite (risk $100 to win $138) on the 90-minute money line at Caesars Sportsbook, while Shakhtar is +163 and a draw would return +220. The latest Monaco vs. Shakhtar odds also list the over-under for total goals at 2.5. Wednesday's match will be streamed live on Paramount+ with their must-have Premium plan.

Paramount+ now has levels of membership so you can watch the UEFA Champions League and much more. The Premium Plan is $9.99 per month and you can watch your local CBS live stream (including plenty of sports like SEC on CBS, NFL on CBS, and the PGA Tour), no ads, on demand and the ability to download episodes for offline viewing. Both plans come with a free week to start, so sign up now here.

How to watch Monaco vs. Shakhtar

Date: Wednesday, Aug. 25
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Streaming: Paramount+

Champions League picks for Shakhtar vs. Monaco

Before you tune in to Wednesday's Champions League qualifier, you need to see the UEFA Champions League picks from European soccer insider Martin Green. After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Since then, his European soccer picks have been spot-on. Green has generated over $36,000 for $100 bettors since the 2017-18 season, and he has his finger on the pulse of the game all over the globe.

For Monaco vs. Shakhtar, Green is backing Shakhtar to win in two-way betting at +100. That means he's picking Shakhtar to win in regulation.

Monaco might be the more recognizable name internationally, but Shakhtar is simply in better form right now. It is off to a scorching 4-0-1 start in the Ukrainian Premier League, tied for second place in the league table. The Ukrainian side is also averaging over two goals per game in league play.

It showed no fear in the road victory in the first leg of this matchup. This is nothing new for Shakhtar, which also beat Real Madrid home and away last year in the group stage of the Champions League.

"Its best players will be fresh after they were given a break over the weekend, and they should play with intensity in this match," Green told SportsLine. "Shakhtar is on a four-game winning streak, whereas Monaco is on a three-game losing streak, so Shaktar should be more confident, and it really should be able to get a result."