Augsburg and Hertha to star in a rare Bundesliga bore

Augsburg and Hertha have been two of the least entertaining German Bundesliga teams this season, hence why one is keen on backing under two and a half goals at odds of 1.87 with Bwin when they meet in the 31st competition round.

The German Bundesliga is one of Europe’s highest scoring leagues, so much so that the goals-per-game average of every one of its 18 teams is above two and a half goals. However, Augsburg and Hertha are among the bottom three on that particular statistic. Augsburg’s 30 German Bundesliga matches have averaged 2.87 goals and Hertha’s 30 top-flight games had a mean of 2.67 goals. With regards to two and a half goals, Augsburg’s German Bundesliga record is 11 under and 19 over, while Hertha’s numbers are 15 for both. It is worth noting that 10 of Augsburg’s 30 German Bundesliga matches have featured three goals so it could easily have under data that would support the suggested play strongly.

Hertha hosted Augsburg in Berlin on the final day of November and the German Bundesliga game was a drab one in which the away side did not manage a shot on target and the home team did not turn its possession dominance into a win.

Augsburg stunned Bayern Munchen two weeks ago but that win came from out of nowhere since it had picked up just one point from its previous four German Bundesliga matches. And Augsburg did not build on its 1-0 home defeat of the German Bundesliga champion, losing 0-2 at Hoffenheim next time out.

Hertha is in awful form, without a win in its last eight German Bundesliga games, including three consecutive away defeats. The German Bundesliga cannot end soon enough for Saturday’s combatants and that, too, points towards a relatively low-key match between two mid-table teams.

One thinks that there may be goals in two other German Bundesliga games, with bets on both sides to score in the matches between Bremen and Hoffenheim and Hamburg and Wolfsburg rounding out the weekend’s premium plays.

Bremen and Hoffenheim have two of the three worst defensive records in the German Bundesliga, with the former having let in 58 goals in its 30 games and the latter having conceded a league-high 63 goals. And then there is Hoffenheim’s German Bundesliga scoring record – 66 goals – that is remarkable for a team ninth on the ladder. Only Bayern Munchen and Dortmund have scored more German Bundesliga goals than Hoffenheim, which is 10 goals clear of the next best.

Several bookmakers, including Ladbrokes and Stan James, are offering odds of 1.36 that both Bremen and Hoffenheim score in their German Bundesliga clash. One prefers that to a bet on over two and a half goals because Bremen’s over/under record in the German Bundesliga stands at 14-16. But at least Bremen has scored in six of its last seven German Bundesliga matches and each of its last half a dozen home games in the competition. The reverse German Bundesliga fixture in November ended in a 4-4 draw.

Now for the German Bundesliga match between Hamburg and Wolfsburg. Neither Hamburg nor Wolfsburg has taken part in a German Bundesliga goalless draw, with all bar one of the latter’s 30 games featuring at least two goals. That is an excellent starting point for a both-sides-to-score bet.

Hamburg’s 30 German Bundesliga matches have averaged 3.60 goals, a mean only exceeded by Hoffenheim’s 4.30. And the Volkswagen-backed Wolfsburg have been fun to watch as well, with its 30 top-flight games averaging 3.27 goals.

The reverse German Bundesliga fixture five months ago resulted in a 1-1 draw and the portents are for an open rematch given what is at stake. It is a German Bundesliga match that Hamburg must think that it has to win to remain in the top flight, while Wolfsburg is breathing down the neck of fourth-placed Leverkusen and a place in the UEFA Champions League. Both teams should be going for broke. Take 1.55 with Bwin on both teams to score.