Trent Reinsmith
The 2022-23 season of the European Handball Federation (EHF) kicks off on September 14, 2022. This year marks the 63rd edition of the handball tournament and the 30th incarnation under the current EHF Champions League setup. The season concludes in June 2023 with the FINAL4 event at the Lanxess Arena, in Cologne, Germany.
Last year’s FINAL4 teams were Barcelona, Lomza Vive Kielce, THW Kiel and Telekom Veszprem. Barcelona defeated Lomza Vive Kielce in the final, while THW Kiel bested Telekom Veszprem for third place. With the win, Barcelona captured a record 11th overall title.
Sixteen teams start the season divided into Group A and Group B. The tournament starts with a double round-robin format with home and away games. After the Group stage, the top teams move on to the playoff rounds.
Before we look at where Barcelona FC could finish and who else will be in the mix for the 2023 EHF Champions League Title, check out our sportsbooks guide to get started on making the best handball bets and while you’re at it, take a look at the best sports betting apps and mobile options.
European Handball Federation (EHF) Champions League 2023 picks
| To Win 2022-23 EHF Champions League |  |
| FC Barcelona | +150 |
| VIVE Kiel | +500 |
| Paris Handball | +600 |
| SC Magdeburg | +700 |
| THW Kiel | +700 |
| Veszprem | +800 |
| Aalborg Handold | +1200 |
| Pick Szeged | +1500 |
| Wisla Plock | +2500 |
| Nantes | +2500 |
| CSM Bucuresti | +3500 |
| RK Zagreb | +12500 |
| COG | +15000 |
| FC Porto | +15000 |
| Elverum | +50000 |
FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona has been the dominant force since the EHF switched to the Champions League set up in 1993-94. The team has won 11 titles during that time, including last year and in 2020-21. The lowest the team has finished since 2018-19 is third.
Dika Mem is the player to watch for Barcelona. He fell four goals short of winning the Champions League best scorer award, which went to his teammate, Aleix Gomez, but he still managed a career high 100 goals.
VIVE Kiel
VIVE Kiel had the most wins in Group B in 2021-22 with 10 and they had an excellent showing in the playoffs, making it the Finals against Barcelona. The team’s second place finish was their best since 2015-16 when they won the Champions League. The last time they won the league, the team failed to make it to the Final Four in the following year. Kiel will look to avoid that fate in 2022-23.
Alex Dujshebaev is the player to watch for Kiel along with newcomer Nedim Remili.
Paris Handball
Paris was the No. 3 team in Group B in 2021-22. They did not make it past the quarterfinals of the playoffs. The team has never won the Champions League, but they were the runner-up in 2016-17 and finished in third place in 2017-18, 2019-20 and 2020-21. With that, the club’s failure to at least keep pace with it’s recent performances had to be a letdown in 2021-22.
The team is hanging some of its hopes on 36-year-old goalkeeper, Andreas Palicka, who joins the team after not playing in the Champions League for the past three years. Palicka helped the Swedish team win gold at the EHF Euro last year.
Our Pick
With how well they have played over the years, especially over the past two years, it’s incredibly difficult to pick against Barcelona.
Pick: FC Barcelona to win the 2022-23 EHF Champions League.
See below a list of reliable sportsbooks and choose the best one for you.
