Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke Odds & Pick: Ruhr Derby Bundesliga Matchday 26
- Nine fixtures are to go ahead behind closed doors in Germany’s Bundesliga
- Borussia Dortmund in second place and have won seven of last eight games
- See all odds and best bets for Bundesliga Matchday 26 between Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke 04 below
Borussia Dortmund will continue their title challenge in Germany’s Bundesliga when they face out-of-form Schalke 04 at home on Saturday.
Second-placed Dortmund have won their last four matches while Schalke have not claimed a victory in their past seven league fixtures.
It means Dortmund are priced as wide -250 favorites to win at their Signal Iduna Park home while Schalke are rated at +540.
The draw is priced at +400 and with Dortmund so heavily fancied, it looks the best value on offer – with the chance that the odd circumstances behind closed doors may produce a surprise.
Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke 04 Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borussia Dortmund | -1, -1½ (-120) | (-250) | Ov3, 3½ (-118) |
| Schalke 04 | +1, +1½ (+100) | +540 | Un3,3½ (-102) |
| Draw | N/A | (+400) | N/A |
Odds taken Mar. 12
The meeting of Dortmund and Schalke 04 is known as the Ruhr Derby as both clubs are based just 20 miles apart in Germany’s Ruhr Valley industrial heartland. They match plays on Saturday, March 14, at Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund at 10:30 am EST.
This weekend’s game will be played behind closed doors in common with the rest of German football as part of the reaction to the spread of the Coronavirus.
This will have a particularly marked effect on this fixture because the match is traditionally one of the Bundesliga’s most vociferous and intense derby clashes.
Dortmund have 51 points and are four points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.
Tumble from Third Place
In sixth place with 37 points, Schalke have slipped from being third at the end of November.
After being as low as sixth in late November, Dortmund have climbed to become the main challengers to Bayern’s leadership after winning seven of their last eight games.
Following a run of wins in January against Augsburg, FC Koln and Union Berlin – scoring five goals in each game – Dortmund’s sole recent-slip-up was a 4-3 defeat away at Bayer Leverkusen on February 8.
ℹ️ Saturday's #Revierderby will be played behind closed doors. #S04 | #BVBS04
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) March 10, 2020
Since then, Dortmund have secured a 4-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt and a 2-0 victory against Werder Bremen
There has been a slowing up of the goal-scoring exploits of the Norwegian striker Erling Braut Haaland.
That was followed by a 1-0 win against Freiburg and an important 2-1 away win against Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend.
Bundesliga Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke 04 Statistics
| 15 | Wins | 9 |
| 4 | Losses | 6 |
| 4 | Draws | 10 |
| 68 | Goals | 33 |
| 33 | Goals Against | 36 |
| 10 | Clean Sheets | 7 |
| 25 | Yellow Cards | 42 |
| 1 | Red Cards | 1 |
However, there has been a slowing up of the goal-scoring exploits of the team’s new Norwegian striker Erling Braut Haaland.
He has scored 11 times since his arrival in December from Red Bull Salzburg.
But he did not hit the target in the two most recent Bundesliga wins. Nor in the 2-0 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain which cost Dortmund their place in the Champions League at the round of 16 stage on Wednesday.
Still, Dortmund’s squad brims with other notable young talents such as the English forward Jadon Sancho and Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi while they also have the experience of Marco Reus, Mats Hummels and Axel Witsel.
Powerful Loan Signing
The recent addition of powerful midfielder Emre Can on loan from Juventus has also enhanced their capabilities.
There was a 0-0 draw when Schalke played at home against Dortmund last October.
Next Up: The Derby ✊ pic.twitter.com/V03NZs8qZS
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) March 12, 2020
Schalke last won on January 17 when they secured a 2-0 home victory against Borussia Monchengladbach.
Then came their slump which began with a 5-0 thrashing at Bayern Munich.
A run of three straight draws followed against Hertha Berlin, SC Paderborn and Mainz.
The rot stopped slightly for Schalke with a 1-1 draw at home against Hoffenheim last weekend.
But then there was another 5-0 hammering by Red Bull Leipzig and a depressing 3-0 defeat away at FC Koln.
The rot stopped slightly for Schalke with a 1-1 draw at home against Hoffenheim last weekend.
League’s Best Home Form
Dortmund have the best home record in the Bundesliga. They are undefeated on their own patch while they have won nine times and drawn three times.
Schalke are the 10th best team on the road with four wins, four draws and four defeats.
Man United receive Jadon Sancho transfer boost from Borussia Dortmund #mufc https://t.co/M7jH2RZH1k
— Man United News (@ManUtdMEN) March 12, 2020
When it comes to goal-scoring, Dortmund’s league tally of 68 is more than twice the 33 bagged by Schalke.
Dortmund also have a better defensive record – having conceded 33 goals to the 33 goals allowed in by Schalke.
Pick: Draw +400
John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
