Bundesliga Betting Report Features Bayern Munich
Can Bayern Bounce Back from Werder Bremen Loss?
It has been 10 months since Bayern Munich sacked Julian Nagelsmann, who had led them to the title the prior season, with the club’s board concerned about their treble ambitions. Over the next few weeks, soccer betting fans saw Bayern lose to Freiburg in the DFB-Pokal and Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League, and entering the League’s final matchday in second place.
Thomas Tuchel looked set to miss out on the title to his former side, only for BVB to throw away a golden opportunity to win their first title in 11 years, securing a last-second draw against Mainz, which would have been good enough for the championship…had Bayern not edged Cologne 2-1. It may have been too close for comfort, but it was good enough for bettors who see Bayern as one of the best soccer bets in the league.
Bayern has not missed out on the league title since 2011-12, but today, their domestic dominance is in a precarious position. For just the third time in the past decade, Bayern finds itself needing to make up ground at the halfway point. In 2018-19, they trailed BVB by six only to end up winning the title on the final day. The following year, they trailed Gladbach by two points and Leipzig by four, with Hansi Flick taking charge in November and guiding them to a treble.
Today, Bayern sits seven points behind Leverkusen, seven above Stuttgart, and eight above Leipzig and Dortmund, with a game in hand on each top-half side, and, for the first time in a while, our sportsbook is starting to lose faith in the Rekordmeister, with Bayern coming in at -150 to win the title in comparison to Bayer Leverkusen (Even).
After kicking off December with a 5-1 humiliation at Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern responded with four straight wins and three clean sheets, opening 2024 with a 3-0 victory against Hoffenheim. However, Tuchel’s side would fall behind at the hour mark, with Werder Bremen conceding 22 shots and seven on target but holding on for their first win against Bayern since September 2008. It was Bayern’s third loss of the season, having previously lost to third-tier Saarbrucken in the DFB-Pokal, and it is yet another reason why bettors are starting to back Leverkusen to come away with their first-ever league title.
Bayern Munich has won 19 of the last 25 Bundesliga titles, growing accustomed to skating by thanks to their superior individual quality and Borussia Dortmund’s uncanny tendency to crumble in high-pressure scenarios. It’s safe to say that a bit of complacency has crept in at the Allianz Arena. However, they’re no longer up against BVB, but a Bayer Leverkusen side looking to win their first-ever championship under Xabi Alonso. Leverkusen is the only unbeaten team in Europe’s top five leagues, and they have not suffered a defeat in all competitions this season.
The only team with a perfect record in the UEFA Europa League, Leverkusen finds itself at +550 in our soccer betting lines to win the Europa League, pushing for their first European silverware in 36 years. In addition, they are the overwhelming favorites to come away with the DFB-Pokal at +150.
Die Werkself will face off against Stuttgart in the quarterfinals, the only other Bundesliga team remaining in the competition alongside Gladbach. Moreover, they have shown that they have what it takes to “win ugly” and come away with results by the scruff of their neck, drawing 2-2 at Bayern in September and opening 2024 with a 1-0 win at Augsburg.
There’s simply no quit in this Leverkusen side: even with top scorer Victor Boniface unavailable due to injury until April and key players like Edmond Tapsoba away at AFCON, they continue to deliver the goods.
Alonso’s side will be without several key players, including their starting back three in Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah and Odilon Koussounou, Amine Adli, and Exequiel Palacios as they get set to host Gladbach in the upcoming Rhine Derby on Saturday. Leverkusen has not lost to Gladbach since 2019, winning six of their last seven, and we’re backing them to pick up their 16th league win in 19 matches in our Bundesliga betting picks.
Questions Of The Day
Is Bayer Leverkusen a reliable pick to win the Bundesliga title?
Bayern Munich find themselves in dire straits at the moment and Bayer Leverkusen could take advantage by winning their first-ever league title.
Who is a reliable addition to your Bundesliga player prop bets?
With Boniface unavailable, the onus will be on Leverkusen’s 20-year-old maestro Florian Wirtz to step up and lead them to victory against Gladbach.
