Soccer

Bundesliga Matchday 29 betting preview: Gladbach set for liftoff

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

We experienced our first losing Matchday since the Bundesliga returned, falling to 1-2 with our midweek article picks. However, after a profitable first two weeks, it’s hardly the end of the world.

Let’s bounce back on Matchday 29.

Eintracht Frankfurt (+260) at Wolfsburg (-105), Draw (+280)

In a 4-1 trouncing at Leverkusen in midweek, Wolfsburg bounced back from the Dortmund defeat in impressive fashion. Both of their victories since the restart have come on the road, but don’t expect the same sort of fireworks with the club back home on Saturday.

In 14 home matches this season, Wolfsburg have scored just 16 goals and conceded 15. Defensively, they have picked up right where they left off, impressing in tough tests against Dortmund and Leverkusen. A visit from Eintracht will feel like a walk in the park given their struggles away from home.

Eintracht have scored just 13 goals in their 13 away matches this season, including just seven in their last nine. They’re not suddenly going to come to life against a Wolfsburg side that’s incredibly stingy on home soil. Eintracht drew 1-1 at Volkswagen Arena last season and lost the reverse fixture 2-0 earlier this campaign. Expect another tense, low-scoring affair on Saturday.

Pick: Under 2.5, 3 (+102)

Werder Bremen (+190) at Schalke (+140), Draw (+240)

No club in the Bundesliga is in worse form at the moment than Schalke, who were ripped to pieces by rivals Dortmund in the first game back from the hiatus. Schalke followed that 4-0 loss up with a 3-0 defeat at home to Augsburg and a 2-1 loss at relegation-threatened Fortuna Dusseldorf, and have now scored just three goals in their last 10 games overall.

That doesn’t bode well for them against a hungry Bremen side that looks to be turning a corner with four points from their last two matches, as well as a pair of clean sheets. Bremen have been much better on their travels this season and the timing of this visit to Gelsenkirchen couldn’t be much better.

Bremen have won their last three visits to Veltins Arena and are a good bet to make it four on Saturday given the contrasting form of the two sides.

Pick: Bremen PK (+111)

Union Berlin (+500) at Borussia Monchengladbach (-200), Draw (+350)

Gladbach came flying out of the pause with a 3-1 win over Eintracht, but have since hit a snag, losing 3-1 to Leverkusen while being held to a goalless draw with Bremen in midweek. This is a get-right spot for Marco Rose’s side, who have been excellent on home soil this season. They’ve won nine of their last 12 at Borussia-Park, as well as eight in a row at home to clubs outside the top eight of the Bundesliga table.

Conversely, Union have struggled away from home this season, scoring just 14 goals in 14 contests. They’ve been especially bad when visiting clubs in the top eight, losing all six of those contests thus far by a combined 16-3. I have no issue laying -1 here to minimize the juice in what will be a straightforward Gladbach win.

Pick: Gladbach -1 (-108)

Full card:

  • Eintracht/Wolfsburg under 2.5, 3 (+102)
  • Werder Bremen PK (+111)
  • Augsburg/Hertha Berlin over 2.5, 3 (+100)
  • Hoffenheim/Mainz under 3 (+105)
  • Gladbach -1 (-108)
  • Dortmund/Paderborn over 3, 3.5 (-105)

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.