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A wildly unnecessary stoppage-time goal denied us a 3-0 weekend in our Bundesliga picks, so we settled for another 2-1 finish. Either way, that’s consecutive weeks of profits since the return of Germany’s top flight.

And we get double the fun this week with Matchday 28 on Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of the typical weekend slate for Matchday 29.

Here are our best bets for the weekday action in the Bundesliga.

Bayern Munich (-118) at Borussia Dortmund (+260), Draw (+333)

Der Klassiker will have a strange feel to it without 80,000 screaming supporters at Signal Iduna Park, but it won’t diminish the magnitude and intensity of the derby. Just four points separate Bundesliga leaders Bayern from second-place Dortmund, and with seven matches remaining, a Die Roten victory would all but secure them the title.

Playing in an empty stadium mitigates the advantage Dortmund get from hosting this match, but that’s baked into this line. Bayern would be around +130 if this was played in front of supporters, but moving it to -118 is an overcorrection.

Dortmund have been close to unstoppable in 2020 since signing Erling Haaland, with the forward prodigy completely transforming their attack. Since January, they’ve won nine of 10 league matches, scoring 33 goals in the process. But it’s not just the attack that’s been unstoppable, as manager Lucien Favre has his side playing some flawless football at both ends. Dortmund have conceded just one goal during a span of six successive Bundesliga victories.

With the sort of form Dortmund are in, this side will be beaming with confidence ahead of a visit from Bayern, who are in the midst of their own terrific run of form, winning six league matches in a row and 12 of their last 13.

However, Bayern have won just one of their five fixtures this season against the top five clubs, and they are winless away from home in those, drawing 1-1 at RB Leipzig and losing 2-1 at Monchengladbach. Against a Dortmund side in impeccable form, they’re not about to break that trend.

Pick: Dortmund +0.5 (+103)

Koln (+180) at Hoffenheim (+130), Draw (+260)

No side in the Bundesliga has conceded more goals on home soil this season that Hoffenheim, who have allowed a staggering 34 in just 14 matches at Rhein-Neckar-Arena. They’ve conceded in nine straight at home – 26 total allowed – and have typically struggled against clubs in the bottom half of the table when required to force the issue as opposed to sitting back and countering.

Meanwhile, despite registering just the solitary goal in their 1-1 draw at Paderborn, Hoffenheim’s attack came to life with 17 shots on Saturday. They should have no issue getting after a Koln defense that ships goals in bunches and has conceded four times since the return, against two of the league’s lower-scoring sides.

Thanks to that leaky defense, Koln typically play an exciting brand of football away from home, with their 13 matches this term producing a total of 48 goals. They’ve scored in five successive matches away from home, scoring once at Dortmund and Gladbach, and a combined 11 against Eintracht Frankfurt, Hertha Berlin, and Paderborn. They should comfortably add to that tally, with this match set to fly over the total.

Pick: Over 3 (-110)

Paderborn (+290) at Augsburg (-105), Draw (+275)

Augsburg have been playing some excellent football since the restart. They were unlucky to lose to Wolfsburg in the first match back before rebounding superbly to beat Schalke 3-0 on Sunday. Now they return home, where they’ve been outstanding against clubs in the bottom half of the table this season, posting a 5-1-0 record in those matches and outscoring their opponents 14-4.

Paderborn have managed to hold on for a pair of draws in their two matches back, but they hardly looked impressive in a scoreless affair with Fortuna Dusseldorf and rode their luck to steal a point in a 1-1 result at home to Hoffenheim. Their form has been far from inspiring and it’s not about to get any better against an Augsburg side that will be entering with a ton of confidence.

Pick: Augsburg (-105)

Full card:

• Dortmund +0.5 (+103)
• Leverkusen/Wolfsburg u3 (-103)
• Monchengladbach (-135)
• Hoffenheim/Koln o3 (-110)
• Augsburg (-105)
• Fortuna/Schalke u2.5 (-110)

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.

Few things are more exciting in sports than an incredible comeback. There’s nothing quite like overcoming the odds and pulling out a victory from the jaws of defeat. So, how much do you know about the best come-from-behind wins in sports history? Find out by taking our quiz below.

Countless controversies litter soccer’s diverse history, which makes sense within a global sport that sees climactic outcomes decided by microscopic margins. While conceding that an abundance of worthy incidents didn’t make the cut, here’s a look at the 15 most controversial moments in soccer history.

15. Tempers flare at Stamford Bridge (2009)

With each dubious call in favor of the visitors by referee Tom Henning Ovrebo during the 2009 Champions League semifinal second-leg contest between Chelsea and Barcelona, Stamford Bridge seethed a little more. So too did the players. Andres Iniesta’s injury-time goal dashed Chelsea hopes – and overshadowed Michael Essien’s ethereal strike – but not before Ovrebo denied the Blues another penalty claim in the dying seconds. An irate Didier Drogba was restrained and later banned, while Ovrebo, who required a police escort to leave, admitted “It was not my best day, really.”

14. Suarez’s forbidden feats (2010, 2014)

A mischief-maker of the highest degree with a knack for diving and stamping, Uruguay striker Luis Suarez denied Ghana a last-minute match-winner in the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup with a handball. Suarez called it the “save of the tournament,” Asamoah Gyan missed the ensuing spot-kick, and Uruguay advanced on penalties. Then, at the 2014 tourney in Brazil, Suarez bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder and promptly received a four-month ban. It was the third time Suarez had been punished for snacking on an opponent. His inclusion on this list is a lifetime achievement award of sorts.

13. Ronaldo’s World Cup sickness scare (1998)

It can’t be undersold just how big Ronaldo’s cachet was at the 1998 World Cup. On the heels of a 34-goal term with Inter, he bagged four more in guiding Brazil to the final against host France. Ronaldo then suffered a convulsive fit in the buildup that required neurological and cardiac tests, was left off the team sheet 72 minutes before the match, and yet was somehow named to the starting XI just a half-hour later amid rumors of division in Mario Zagallo’s camp. There are an untold number of versions of the story that only enhance the mythology, but in the end, Ronaldo was below par, Zinedine Zidane was not, and France won.

12. Lampard’s ghost goal (2010)

Goal-line technology exists in large part because of Frank Lampard. Not because of the former England man, per se, but rather due to his ghost goal versus Germany at the last-16 stage of the 2010 World Cup. In the end, the Three Lions weren’t slain by the Uruguayan officiating crew, but by the gulf in talent between the two sides that allowed Thomas Muller’s countless fertile forays on the counter in a commanding 4-1 German victory. “It changed the game for the better,” Lampard would amiably say after goal-line technology was approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in 2012.

11. Hurst’s dubious World Cup winner (1966)

One generation had Lampard; the other had Geoff Hurst’s equivocal second goal for England against West Germany in the 1966 final at Wembley. With the score knotted 2-2 in extra time, Hurst spun swiftly and fired an authoritative shot that struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced down toward the goal line. Referee Gottfried Dienst consulted his lineman before awarding the goal and Hurst would complete his hat-trick late as England won its solitary World Cup. It all happened in a flash, years before unambiguous video replay became the barometer.

10. Maradona’s failed drug test (1994)

Diego Maradona’s fourth and final World Cup in 1994 ended following two group-stage tilts against Greece and Nigeria when the Argentine icon tested positive for the stimulant ephedrine. It was the latest twist in a celebrated and conflicted career that last saw the diminutive world-beater banned 15 months for cocaine in March 1991. In one fell swoop, Argentina’s tournament hopes were fundamentally crippled, with Maradona’s final goal and indelible celebration versus Greece marking the end of a fabled international tenancy for the troubled star.

9. The ‘Disgrace of Gijon’ (1982)

West Germany and Austria headed into the final match of first-round group play at the 1982 World Cup in Spain knowing a West Germany win by one or two goals would seal progression for both European sides at the expense of Algeria, who’d played the previous day. A furious opening 10-minute spell from the West Germans saw Horst Hrubesch score before both sides appeared to ease off in concert. Despite widespread indignation that prompted match-fixing claims, FIFA said there was no wrongdoing. Soon after, the rule book was altered so that group-stage finales would be held simultaneously.

8. South Korea’s shady semis run (2002)

Co-host South Korea’s shock semifinal run at the 2002 World Cup was a fanciful voyage marred by heinous refereeing. First, it was Byron Moreno of Ecuador who disallowed an Italian goal and sent off Francesco Totti to ensure South Korea’s safe passage to the quarterfinals. In South Korea’s next match against Spain, Egyptian ref Gamal Al-Ghandour waved off two La Roja tallies that had somehow escaped the gaze of an ornery linesman. South Korea got bounced in the following round by Germany, and convicted heroin smuggler Moreno and Al-Ghandour both retired shortly after amid match-fixing claims.

7. Terry-Bridge fiasco (2011)

A British media empire fueled by scandal combusted in late 2009 when Chelsea and England captain John Terry allegedly slept with former club and country teammate Wayne Bridge’s ex, Vanessa Perroncel. Court documents denied the dalliance, but the defamation was no less inflammatory. Terry lost the England captaincy and his reputation as one of sport’s most repellent characters was cemented, Bridge quit an “untenable and potentially divisive” international career, and Perroncel, the mother of Bridge’s son, was ridiculed. Finally, there was the memorable non-handshake.

6. Calciopoli scandal (2006)

Serie A sides Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio, and others were implicated in the Calciopoli scandal that was uncovered in May 2006 and shook Italian football to its core. It came to light following investigations into Italian football agency GEA World over doping claims that unearthed conversations between referee designators and top Serie A executives. Juventus sporting director Luciano Moggi had orchestrated favorable referee appointments, and the club was stripped of the 2004-05 title, downgraded to last place for the following campaign, and relegated to Serie B.

5. Qatar named World Cup host (2010)

Ethical ne’er-do-well FIFA added to a famed reputation for jobbery in selecting Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup. A nonexistent soccer history, an arid local climate, startling costs, and Qatar’s blighted human-rights record were among the abundance of concerns raised after the Middle Eastern nation’s bid was awarded in 2010 amid widespread allegations of bribery. Additionally, the systematic abuse of migrant laborers building the infrastructure has been deemed “serious exploitation” by Amnesty International; 34 stadium workers have died in the six years since construction began.

4. Henry’s handball vs. Ireland (2009)

Even with a retrospective admission of guilt, Thierry Henry was labeled a cheat for handling the ball on William Gallas’ extra-time playoff match-winner that booked France a spot at the 2010 World Cup while cruelly crushing Ireland’s hopes. The Irish government’s and the Football Association of Ireland’s petitions for a replay or passageway into the quadrennial showcase as an unprecedented 33rd team were denied, and the FIFA Executive Committee held an emergency meeting to explore the inclusion of technology for scrutinizing such incidents. Now we have VAR, which is not without its faults.

3. Zidane’s headbutt (2006)

Perhaps it’s fitting that Zidane’s sparse noggin was lowered into Marco Materazzi’s chest with the panache that typified a celebrated tenure rife with virtuoso performances. It was entirely unexpected, but when Zidane headbutted the shit-talking Italy defender with the 2006 World Cup final deadlocked at 1-1 in extra time, he already knew it would be his final match. As the incomparable talent marched off the pitch and past the trophy, the curtains drew on an exceptional career capped by a shocking final act and accompanied by the call, “He leaves football in disgrace.”

2. Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ (1986)

The stage was set at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Two storied opponents were facing off in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals with the Falklands War freshly in the rearview. Maradona has credited divine aid for his seminal “Hand of God” finish, though it was pluckiness alone that saw the Argentine deity leap to challenge Three Lions ‘keeper Peter Shilton before fisting the ball into the back of England’s net. Four minutes later, with England agitated, Maradona scored arguably the best solo goal in World Cup history.

1. Escobar’s fateful own goal (1994)

Just days after Colombia was eliminated from the 1994 World Cup, captain Andres Escobar was shot to death at a Medellin nightclub car park. It was suspected retaliation for Escobar’s own goal against the United States that helped seal the tournament front-runner’s exit. In shocking the sporting world, the murder highlighted the inherent and precarious connection between sport and criminal activity in a city and a country that were spiraling even further out of control following the 1993 death of drug trafficker Pablo Escobar. Andres Escobar paid the ultimate price for those societal failings.

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

With each passing week, we are graced with more football as leagues across Europe return from hiatus.

The Bundesliga resumed last weekend – you can find the betting preview for Germany’s top flight here – and a few more leagues make their triumphant return this weekend, giving us plenty of options to chose from on the betting front.

Of course, as more leagues make their way back, it can be overwhelming to comb through all the fixtures in search of the best bets, so I took care of that for you. Here are the best bets for this weekend’s matches across Europe.

Armenia

Lori (+275) at Shirak (-120), Draw (+250)

Don’t expect many goals when these sides meet on Saturday. Shirak have conceded just seven in eight home matches this season, while Lori have scored just five and conceded nine in their eight away from home. The last two meetings between these sides at Gyumri City Stadium produced a total of two goals, and a similarly low output should be expected here.

Pick: Under 2, 2.5 (-105)

Noah (+100) at Alashkert (+100), Draw (+230)

Noah are just 2-2-4 away from home this season, with those two wins and two draws coming against the bottom four clubs in the standings. They’re 0-4 against clubs ahead of them in the table, as Alashkert are. The home side has been really strong on its grounds this campaign. Look for Alashkert to make it five successive home wins over Noah on Sunday.

Pick: Alashkert (+100)

Belarus

Rukh Brest (+200) at Slutsk (+140), Draw (+220)

Rukh Brest are at their best when they can sit back and defend without having to force the issue themselves. They will be able to do just that in this spot, with the onus on Slutsk to attack as the visitors let the game come to them. Rukh Brest will make it incredibly difficult on the hosts to break them down, as they have done on a consistent basis this season, conceding just three goals in their five away matches.

Pick: Under 2, 2.5 (-110)

Estonia

FC Flora Tallinn (-154) at JK Trans Narva (+350), Draw (+300)

Trans will welcome the defending champions to town on Sunday, and you should expect them to park the bus for 90 minutes. The home side will hope to sit back and grind out a result against a Flora team that conceded just 10 goals in 18 away matches last term. Flora’s attack sputtered last weekend during a 0-0 draw in their first game back, and while they picked up where they left off on the defensive side, it will take time for them to find their rhythm on the front foot.

The last four meetings between these sides have produced a total of four goals, and we won’t see more than one or two on Sunday.

Pick: Under 3 (+110)

Faroe Islands

Skala IF (+2300) at B36 Torshavn (-1250), Draw (+950)

I’m all-in on the under here. Goals were incredibly scarce when Skala were on the road last season, as they allowed just 13 in 13 matches while scoring 17, with six of those 17 coming against the last-place club.

Don’t expect them to score many here against B36, who, excluding matches against the first-place team, allowed just nine goals in 12 home matches last season. The last two meetings between these sides in Torshavn last season each ended in 1-0 victories for B36, with another tense affair in the cards Saturday.

Pick: Under 3.5 (-115)

Hungary

Debrecen (+650) at Ferencvarosi (-260), Draw (+380)

Expect proceedings to be a bit stale in the first game back following the hiatus in Hungary’s top flight, as both attacks will require some time to round into form. Ferencvarosi have kept five straight clean sheets at home, and nine in 12 league matches on home soil this term. They’ll hold Debrecen in check here and grind out a timid encounter.

Pick: Under 3 (-125)

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.