Bundesliga Predictions: Will Bayer Leverkusen Win the Title?
A Harry Kane treble helped Bayern destroy Mainz, with the champions now 10 points behind Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga standings. Kane is the favorite to win the top scorer award according to the latest soccer player props.
Leverkusen Unstoppable
Xabi Alonso doesn’t yet dare speak of winning the Bundesliga, but his team is playing like a champion inexorably closing in on the German title.
Bayer Leverkusen passed its latest test Sunday with a mature performance in a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg, three days after returning from Baku, Azerbaijan, where it came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Qarabag in the Europa League.
Leverkusen is unbeaten in 36 games across all competitions this season, a German record.
While capable of big wins like the 3-0 victory over Bayern Munich last month, Leverkusen overcame Wolfsburg with patience for its 21st win in the league.
Leverkusen has the best defense in the Bundesliga with just 16 goals conceded in 25 games, while only Bayern has scored more, and we will continue to include them in our soccer picks and parlays.
Bayern Munich Won’t Go Down Without a Fight
Do not let Bayern Munich’s gap on leaders Leverkusen and all the doom amid their recent flurry of defeats deceive you.
Bayern Munich remains one of the best teams in Europe and they started to prove their value at the most important time of the season. They are second favorites to win the German title this term, priced at +800 according to the latest soccer odds.
Ten points are probably too many, but the Bavarian giants won’t go down without a fight. Mainz was the latest side to find this out to their cost, arriving at the Allianz Arena with a bold approach but getting blown away by a blistering display of attacking might in an 8-1 drubbing.
Harry Kane Re-Writing History
Harry Kane’s fourth Bundesliga hat trick this season puts him one shy of the record for most hat tricks in a Bundesliga season, held by Mario Gomez (2010-11) and Robert Lewandowski (2020-21).
Kane is also the first player to score four hat tricks in a debut Bundesliga season. Robert Lewandowski holds the record for most goals in a single season, with 41 goals scored in the 2020–21 campaign.
With nine rounds to go, Harry Kane needs 12 goals to overpass Lewandowski. At this pace, we definitely expect him to do it, making him one of the best soccer bets today to score in every game.
Dortmund vs RB Leipzig for Champions League Spots
Leverkusen and Bayern are favorites to finish as the top two. Behind them, surprise package Stuttgart is six points clear of Borussia Dortmund, with last season’s runners-up currently engaged in a closely fought battle with RB Leipzig in fifth.
Dortmund combined well from the outset as they looked to respond to Leipzig beating Darmstadt 2-0 earlier in the afternoon to reclaim their top-four spot.
Dortmund has a difficult program in the final nine weeks of the season, with games against Bayern Munich, Leverkusen, and Stuttgart. We expect RB Leipzig to finish fourth and qualify in the Champions League groups.
The 2023-24 Relegation Battle
Two Bundesliga teams will go down automatically, another will get a shot at redemption via the relegation play-off.
Promoted Darmstadt is in real danger of an immediate return to Bundesliga 2. With just 13 points to their name after 25 rounds, they need a miracle to remain in the top-flight league, sitting 12 points behind the first salvation spot.
FC Koln and Mainz will probably fight for the playoff spot as we don’t expect them to close the gap on 15th-placed Bochum.
Questions Of The Day
What’s the longest unbeaten strike in the Bundesliga?
Bayer Leverkusen’s 25-game unbeaten streak to start the Bundesliga season is the second-longest in league history behind 2013-14 Bayern Munich’s 28-game unbeaten start
Their 31-5-0 record in all competitions is tied for the third-longest unbeaten start by a team from Europe’s top 5 leagues in the last 60 seasons.
Who will Bayern Munich get to replace Thomas Tuchel?
Xabi Alonso is the No. 1 target, according to multiple
Bayern has also kept an eye on Zinedine Zidane, whose biggest advantage over Alonso might be that he has already won major trophies with an equally large club in Real Madrid.
