Odds & Picks 2. Bundesliga Matchday 26: Can Darmstadt Extend Ten-Match Undefeated Run?

• German soccer returns this weekend with matches in each of the top two divisions. Eight matches will take place in the 2. Bundesliga (second division)
• Hannover vs SG Dynamo Dresden has been postponed due to positive coronavirus tests for Dresden
• Read on for odds for all eight matches taking place this weekend plus our best bets

Not only did the German Bundesliga get approval to return to play, but so too did the 2. Bundesliga (the German second division).

The top match of the weekend likely looks to be between fifth-place Greuther Furth with 36 points, hosting third-place Hamburg with 44 points. But seven other matches will also take place across Saturday and Sunday and we’re looking at the top bets to make in the 2. Bundesliga this weekend.

2. Bundesliga Matchday 26 Odds

All odds taken May 13 

Pick 1: Karlsruher SC vs Darmstadt

Sixth-place Darmstadt travel to 17th Karlsruher at 7:00 am EST on Saturday.

Betting UNDERS in German soccer is rarely a wise choice, but if there was to be a game to do so, this one may qualify. Though Darmstadt is flying high in the table they are only just over the goal-per-game mark in both goals scored and allowed. (31/31) in 25 matches.

On their 12 travels they have scored just 13 times while allowing 17, with a balanced 4-4-4 record away from Merck-Stadion am Bollenfalltor stadium. They’ve been near unbeatable though lately having gone undefeated in five-straight on the road and only losing one in eight. Across all league matches they are undefeated in ten. Further, they have lost just once in 13 matches and have a 7-9-2 (WDL) record in their past 18. In short, Darmstadt rarely loses, but they also lead the league in draws with 12.

https://twitter.com/sv98_en/status/1259094803410812929?s=20

Their opponents, Karlsruher, have done plenty of losing this season, ranking 17th in the 2. Bundesliga with a 5-9-11 record. KSC has just one win in their past nine matches and two in their past 19. In that 19-game stretch, they oddly had a run of seven-straight draws and another run of five-straight losses. At home, they’ve scored just twice in their past five.

These sides have little recent head-to-head history. Karlsruher did win 1-0 away from home in the DFB-Pokal in October, with the teams drawing 1-1 in the league earlier that same month. The other results date back several years so lack much relevance, but for what it’s worth, none of the past eight dating back to 2000 have gone OVER 2.5.

Darmstadt at +170 odds looks like amazing value. An UNDER bet at -125 could also be in play. With the propensity for close matches and draws with these teams, Darmstadt “Draw No Bet” at -115 looks the safest play.

Pick: Darmstadt – Draw No Bet (-115) 

Pick 2: St Pauli vs Nurnberg

Two teams separated by just one point in the table meet at 7:30 am EST on Sunday morning.

St. Pauli, 7-9-9 with 30 points sit 11th in the table, while visitors Nurnberg at 7-8-10 have 29 points in 14th.

Pauli were strong prior to the stoppage with two draws and two wins in their past four, while Nurnberg were struggling with just one win in their past four.

But playing away from home has been the better proposition for Nurnberg bettors as Der Club have the eighth-best road record in the league with 15 points. They’ve scored 20 goals while conceding 22 in 12 road matches.

Season resumption: German Football League release new fixture list. #BoysInBrown begin with home game versus @1_fc_nuernberg. 👇🏻 #fcsp | #fcspfcnhttps://t.co/DsesJUgj6g

— FC St. Pauli English (@fcstpauli_EN) May 7, 2020

Getting a result won’t be easy as St. Pauli are strong at Millerntor-Stadion with a 6-4-3 record. They’ve scored 20 goals compared to only allowing 12.

However little seems to separate these teams historically in their long history. Back in 2015 Nurnberg were 4-0 winners on the road, but since, only one of six recent matches have been decided by more than a single goal. All six of those finished with totals UNDER 2.5 and three matches had less than two goals scored. Earlier this season the teams shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw in Nurnberg, and this fixture last season ended 0-0 in St. Pauli.

Each of these teams are well out of any sort of playoff race, but each are only slightly above the relegation zone. I expect a tight match where each will be happy with a point.

Pick: Draw (+225)

Pick 3: Two-Game Parlay

I had another preview all written up for Hannover vs Dynamo Dresden, but with the recent news that Dresden have been moved to quarantine for 14 days after three players tested positive for the coronavirus, that match has been removed from the card.

So instead, let’s bet on some goals in a couple games both taking place on Saturday at 7:00 am EST.

ooof, not a good start. Sounds like Dynamo Dresden is already out of Matchday 26 in the #Bundesliga2 due to two players testing positive with coronavirus https://t.co/x8sWx8P9Cp

— Ryan Métivier (@ryanmetivier) May 9, 2020

Bochum vs Heidenheim (BTTS)

Bochum sits 15th in the table, just three points above the relegation zone. Their play had picked up in the weeks leading up to the stoppage with two draws and a win coming against sides ranked 18th, 13th and sixth.

No team has seen more combined goals in their games this season than Die Unabsteigbaren. They’ve scored 40 goals, while allowing 45, all this in just 25 matches. Oddly, their last match was a 0-0 draw, albeit vs Darmstadt, who as mentioned above, generally play to low-scoring matches. Bochum’s second-to-last match was a 4-4 draw with Sandhausen. The 0-0 was just the third time all season they kept a clean sheet. But, they’ve scored at least one goal in 21/25 matches.

Working hard in small groups again this morning 💪 #meinVfL pic.twitter.com/KbQzbcssou

— VfL Bochum 1848 (@VfLBochum1848EN) April 30, 2020

Their opponents, Heidenheim have had a much more productive season, sitting fourth in the table and just three points away from the promotion playoffs. They entered the stoppage in strong form with just one loss in the last six matches.

Heidenheim road matches have been relatively low-scoring of late with the UNDER 2.5 cashing in seven of nine recent matches. They’ve also kept clean sheets in three of five but were also shut out in the other two. However, when these teams met in October the result was a five-goal thriller, a 3-2 road win for Bochum. It was the second 3-2 result in the past three meetings between the two.

Jahn Regensburg vs Holstein Kiel (BTTS)

The tenth-place side Jahn Regensburg (32 points) host seventh-place Holstein Kiel (34 points) in a match with little separating the two. Both teams obviously have similar records and each score and concede a similar amount of goals (36GF/42GA) for Regensburg and 38GF/38GA) Holstein Kiel.

Both teams were also not in their best forms when the league stopped. Regensburg had dropped three straight and five of six, while Kiel had two losses and a draw in their past three.

For Regensburg, they were outscored 14-3 in those six matches. However, on their home pitch they had only failed to score once in their past 16 matches.

The Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 season will resume from May 16th. In both leagues, the season will continue with the 26th matchday. The other matchdays will follow in the order originally scheduled.

ℹ️ https://t.co/7HVf6EwmkN pic.twitter.com/8NffqkFsaN

— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) May 7, 2020

Holstein Kiel has the second-best road record in the league, but plenty of goals are usually seen on their travels as they’ve scored 23 and allowed 21 in 13 matches. Overall, both teams have scored in 13 of their past 15 matches either home or away.

Back in October, it was Jahn Regensburg who took a 2-1 away victory through an 85′ minute winner by Andreas Albers, after the teams traded goals in the opening 30 minutes of play.

Pick: Both Games – Both Teams to Score Parlay (+152)