Juventus vs. Real Madrid: Champions League Betting Odds, Preview, Pick

Juventus played a solid match at Real Madrid in Champions League action, but came away empty-handed in a 2-1 loss on Oct. 23.

On Tuesday, they are slight betting favorites at home and need to win to stay alive in the annual competition of soccer's top squads.

Real Madrid, with nine points, will advance to the knockout stage with a win while Juve is in third place with only two points in three matches. They sit behind Galatasaray (four points), which faces FC Copenhagen (one point) on the road in the other Group B match Tuesday night.

Oddsmakers monitored by OddsShark.com have the Italian side as the favorite at +180 with Real at +180 and the draw line at +275.

The big key in this match is the Real offense vs. the Juve defense. Since their loss to Real Madrid, Juventus has three straight Serie A wins, scoring seven goals and not giving up any.

On the other side of the coin, the explosive Real offense has scored 10 games in their last two La Liga matches.

Real superstar Cristiano Ronaldo scored the two goals in the 2-1 win over Juve and has five goals in his last two matches. He, along with Angel di Maria and Gareth Bale, will present the Juve defense with a formidable task.

Juventus' three straight wins have all been clean sheets, but their streak includes only one team in the top 10 in the Serie A table (Genoa).

The Juventus defense has been in form, but how much will they miss Giorgio Chiellini? He is sitting out this match with a red-card suspension. Fellow defender Stephan Lichtsteiner is out with an injury.

Juve must play like they did in Madrid, thwarting the Real offensive chances. It is also crucial that they look for counter-attacks since Real will be on the attack from the opening whistle.

Real Madrid’s offense has been en fuego, but the same cannot be said about its defense, which has conceded seven goals in its last three matches. The Juve duo of Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal, who have 11 combined goals in the Serie A season, must play well and pressure the struggling Real defense.

Another key point will be the Juve midfield, which has to play solid defense and also set up their wingers up front.

Juventus already has two draws in three Champions League matches, and a third draw or a loss will put them behind the 8-ball in advancing the knockout stage.

This is especially true if Galatasaray beats FC Copenhagen and they are favored, according to OddsShark.com.

Prediction: Juventus 2-1 (according to the Juventus vs. Real Madrid matchup report)