Bundesliga Matchday 23 Odds: Title Contenders Meet
Bayern Knock Down Union Berlin
Title Contenders Meet in Dortmund vs Leipzig
The Bundesliga title race has never been this close since the league switched to three points for a win in the 1990s. Bayern Munich are, of course, the favorites especially after defeating contenders Union Berlin on Sunday. Still, Borussia Dortmund are right there with them, with the Bavarians only leading on goal difference. RB Leipzig can also flex their title credentials this Friday as they head to Dortmund in a massive match. We’ll take a look at Bayern, Dortmund, Union, Leipzig and more as we preview the Bundesliga Matchday 23 odds.
Matches of the Week
Borussia Dortmund vs RB Leipzig
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This is the first time in Borussia Dortmund’s history they’ve started off a calendar year with nine straight wins. Dortmund eked out a 1-0 win over Hoffenheim on Saturday as Julian Brandt scored for a fourth consecutive league game. He scored an unorthodox goal on Saturday off of a Marco Reus free kick with his back.
Brandt will go for five in five as Dortmund host a battle-tested RB Leipzig on Friday. Leipzig started last week by drawing 1-1 with Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16. Then, they defeated fellow UCL Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 on Sunday.
Timo Werner registered a goal and an assist for Leipzig and he’s looked rejuvenated since returning from Chelsea. For a third match in a row, Leipzig face a current Champions League club on Friday. Leipzig are ½-goal underdogs but do come in at -145 ATS odds.
Leipzig have, in fact, won the last three meetings and show +200 odds to do so once again. Leipzig are in fourth place in the Bundesliga standings, four points behind Bayern Munich and Dortmund. A win here would thrust them right into the title conversation. Still, Dortmund are +125 ATS and moneyline home favorites.
Dortmund have two attackers with injuries: Karim Adeyemi and Youssoufa Moukoko. Meanwhile, Leipzig’s Konrad Laimer is suspended for this match, while Dani Olmo, Emil Forsberg, Abdou Diallo and Lukas Klostermann are nursing injuries. Leipzig’s leading scorer, Christopher Nkunku, is healthy now after a long term injury, though. Even with him and Dortmund’s Sebastien Haller back, under three goals display -135 odds. Bettors can also find a draw at +280 odds for Friday’s crucial contest.
Wolfsburg vs Eintracht Frankfurt
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Wolfsburg goalkeeper Koen Casteels was excellent in last Saturday’s 2-0 away win over FC Koln. Casteels made a few massive saves to keep a second shutout in the last three matches. It was also Die Wolfe’s first win in February and they remained in seventh place in the Bundesliga.
Wolfsburg will return to the Volkswagen Arena on Sunday as they host sixth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt. The Bundesliga Matchday 23 odds currently price Wolfsburg as slight +150 favorites. In this pick’em, Die Wolfe show -120 odds to cover and Frankfurt pk comes in at even odds.
Neither side has been able to put together a string of consistent results lately and Frankfurt are also on the brink of elimination in the Champions League. Star Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani will miss the second leg vs. Napoli with a suspension but he’s available here. In six February matches, in all competitions, Kolo Muani scored five goals and he’s a constant threat.
Meanwhile, Wolfsburg have averaged just one goal per game in their last five Bundesliga matches. Over 2½ goals sit at -115 odds but none of the last three meetings have finished with more than two.
Wolfsburg won the reverse fixture, 1-0, and are unbeaten in the last three matchups. Frankfurt still show reasonable odds to get their fifth road win of the season. They display +175 moneyline odds, while a draw is priced at +255. While Kolo Muani is the Bundesliga’s assist leader, Wolfsburg’s Casteels is the league’s joint-leader in shutouts. It’ll be a challenge for him and Wolfsburg to keep Frankfurt’s explosive offense out of the back of the net here, though.
Other Important Matches
Borussia Monchengladbach vs SC Freiburg
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Vincenzo Grifo scored a brilliant first half free kick for SC Freiburg that careened off the post and in on Sunday. Unfortunately, Freiburg couldn’t capitalize and come away with a win. They drew 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen and dropped out of the top four, for now. Freiburg now head on the road to Borussia Monchengladbach looking for all three points.
After defeating Bayern Munich, Gladbach got smashed 4-0 by Mainz. Gladbach’s form at home has been a stark contrast to their poor performances on the road. They’ve managed a 7-1-3 record at Borussia-Park and are just 1-4-6 on the road in the Bundesliga. As hosts this weekend, Borussia Monchengladbach are +135 favorites.
In another pick’em, Gladbach show -130 odds to cover and Freiburg pk comes in at +110 odds. This has been a draw heavy fixture lately, with three in the last five meetings. Another draw currently displays +260 odds and the last meeting finished completely scoreless.
However, the previous four meetings all finished with three or more goals. So, it’s not too big of a surprise that over 2½ goals show -120 odds for the match. Gladbach have also conceded 10 goals in their last three matches. Even so, Freiburg are +190 moneyline underdogs for Saturday’s match.
Union Berlin vs Koln
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Union Berlin’s title hopes took a hit on Sunday when they lost 3-0 to Bayern Munich last Sunday. Granted, they were on just two days of rest from a Europa League triumph over Dutch giants Ajax. Now in third place, Union Berlin take on an FC Koln side that’s lost consecutive matches.
Heading into Saturday, Union Berlin are ½-goal favorites. The Bundesliga Matchday 23 odds price them at just above an implied 50 percent chance of winning the match. Union come in at -105 ATS and moneyline odds.
Oddsmakers see Koln as more likely to cover the spread, at -115 odds, but they’ve been highly inconsistent this season. In fact, they’ve scored in just one of their last four Bundesliga matches. Plus, Union Berlin have never lost to Koln in seven previous Bundesliga meetings. The hosts enter Saturday with a 6-1-0 record vs. Koln in the German top flight.
The last two meetings have finished in 1-0 Union Berlin wins and Koln sit at just +325 odds to win this one. Plus, Union are unbeaten at home this season and Koln have just one win in 11 road matches. A draw displays +235 odds for the match and over two goals come in at -135 odds.
Stuttgart vs Bayern Munich
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Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich bounced back from a loss to Borussia Monchengladbach by thrashing Union Berlin, 3-0. Bayern led 3-0 at halftime and cruised to a 13th victory of the season.
Bayern’s Kingsley Coman has impressively scored in his last three Bundesliga matches. In incredibly positive news for the Bavarians, Sadio Mane also returned from a long-term injury in the match vs. Union and came on as a sub. Bayern now head to Stuttgart on Saturday and are 1½-goal road favorites. Bayern Munich sit at +105 odds to cover the spread and are -230 road favorites.
All four of Stuttgart’s wins this season have come at home but they’re still just 4-3-4 there. Recent Bundesliga fixtures and odds have not been kind to Stuttgart and this match is no exception. They do show -125 odds to cover the spread but are +550 moneyline underdogs.
While Bayern have lost just one of their last 21 matches vs. Stuttgart, they have drawn the last two. Punters can take a third straight draw at +425 odds. Bayern will certainly be confident of getting on the scoresheet in this match. Stuttgart haven’t kept a Bundesliga clean sheet since August but under 3½ goals display -135 odds for the match.
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