Schalke vs Borussia Monchengladbach Bundesliga Matchday 18 Odds & Pick

• The Bundesliga returns on Friday, with a huge clash between Borussia Monchengladbach and FC Schalke
• Monchengladbach is currently in second place, while Schalke is just five points behind in fifth
• Get the odds, pick, and betting preview for Friday’s match below

After a month-long break, Germany’s top flight is back at it this weekend with Matchday 18 featuring numerous tantalizing matchups. One of the most crucial fixtures will feature FC Schalke playing host to Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday, January 17, kick-off at 2:30 pm EST.

Both sides are surprisingly in the top five of the Bundesliga as the race for a top-four finish continues to remain tight. Monchengladbach is currently just two points back from league leaders RB Leipzig, while Dortmund and Bayern Munich separate fifth-place Schalke and their Matchday 18 counterparts.

These two teams previously met on Matchday 1 back on August 17th, playing to a 0-0 draw in Monchengladbach.

FC Schalke vs Borussia Monchengladbach Odds

Odds taken Jan 15

As you can see, the odds don’t exactly favor any side by much. Given their places in the Bundesliga table and their similarities in many different areas this season, Friday’s match profiles to be a very close one.

Both Sides Looking to Get Off to Positive Start

With just under a month off from league football, both Schalke and Monchengladbach will be looking to kick off 2020 in a positive manner. Schalke was in respectable form before the break, going 2-2-1 in their last five matches. Monchengladbach however, were playing some wonderful football before Christmas, going 3-1-1 in the previous five fixtures they played.

Schalke have had their ups and downs this term, but there’s no doubt they will be happy with sitting in fifth place at the moment. They have bagged 1.7 goals per match, which is fifth in the Bundesliga while conceding just 22 tallies in 17 matches.

It's matchweek 🙌

0️⃣4️⃣ days to go… #S04 #S04BMG pic.twitter.com/vUTgK9Kntg

— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) January 13, 2020

Frenchman Amine Harit has led the way for David Wagner’s side, netting six times and assisting another four goals. The 22-year old has been one of their mainstays in the middle of the pitch, featuring in the starting XI in all 17 Bundesliga fixtures so far.  German Suat Serdar has also done his fair share of scoring, bagging six goals in 14 appearances.

Monchengladbach has really impressed this season, currently sitting ahead of German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in second place. Marco Rose’s squad has lost just twice in domestic play since the beginning of November, including a crucial victory over Bayern on December 7th. They have scored a fourth-best 33 goals while also conceding just 18 goals this season, which is tied with Wolfsburg for the least amount of goals allowed in Germany.

Two of their strikers in Marcus Thuram and Breel Embolo have played a huge part in their success, both netting six times apiece this season. Thuram has also snagged five assists, while fellow attacker Alassane Plea has scored five times and assisted just as many goals. They are proving to be a well-oiled machine, featuring a solid backline and a clinical attack who can create havoc amongst the best in the Bundesliga.

FC Schalke vs Borussia Monchengladbach Stats

A Draw Between is Best Bet

Although Monchengladbach has been in great form, they haven’t played very well away from home. They have suffered just four defeats this term and three of them have come on the road. Schalke however, is 4-4-1 at Veltins Arena. I don’t believe it will be a scoreless draw like the last match between these two sides, but there is a chance that they will play to a tie, with both teams scoring a goal each. Schalke has drawn six matches this term and four of them have been at home, so this type of result is definitely possible on Friday.

Pick: Draw 1-1