Both Teams To Drive Home Goals At The Mercedes-Benz Arena

Backing both Stuttgart and Hertha to score in the match that bookmakers are finding the toughest to call is the best way to attack this weekend’s German Bundesliga program.

One can appreciate why bookmakers are finding it difficult to split Stuttgart and Hertha in match betting: Stuttgart has lost half a dozen German Bundesliga games in succession straddling the winter break, while Hertha has lost three of its four matches following the Christmas and New Year shut down. And beating Hamburg does not really count for much.

But one cannot fathom why Bet365 and BetVictor are offering odds of 1.67 about both Stuttgart and Hertha scoring a goal and, also, it is somewhat perplexing that the latter firm is quoting odds of 1.90 about over two and a half goals in the German Bundesliga game at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Both teams have scored in each of Stuttgart’s last seven German Bundesliga matches and, if one wants to look only at its home league games this season, the statistics are eight out of 10. Hertha’s numbers are not as supportive of the suggested both-sides-to-score play as those of Stuttgart but, nonetheless, there is enough to keep going with it.

With regards to over two and a half goals, 15 of Stuttgart’s 21 German Bundesliga matches have gone over the most common line, including each of its last four games. Hertha’s German Bundesliga matches are the second lowest scoring of all the division’s teams, averaging 2.76 goals. But, even so, 10 of Hertha’s 21 German Bundesliga games have gone over two and a half goals, including each of its last three matches. Over two and a half goals in a German Bundesliga game is worth investigating whenever the odds are not far off even money because the competition is all about goals, goals, goals.

Dortmund flogged Hamburg in September and a similar outcome would not surprise one when the two sides meet in the port city on Saturday because Hamburg is in a world of pain.

Hamburg slumped to a club record seventh consecutive German Bundesliga defeat in a row when they lost 2-4 at bottom team Braunschweig last weekend. It was the result that broke the camel’s back and saw Hamburg sack Bert van Marwijk to make way for Mirko Slomka. But between Van Marwijk going and Slomka coming, Hamburg received the bad news that captain Rafael van der Vaart had joined its lengthy injury list.

The reverse German Bundesliga fixture between Dortmund and Hamburg resulted in a 6-2 win for BVB and, given the manner in which both sides have been playing in recent weeks, it would be a shock to witness anything other than an away victory for Jurgen Klopp’s team. Dortmund has returned following its winter break with four wins and one draw across all competitions, whereas Hamburg has lost five matches on the spin. And Hamburg has not just lost those games, it has been smashed by a cumulative score of 2-18.

Dortmund is trading at odds of 1.36 with Sky Bet to beat Hamburg, while BVB are available at odds of 1.91 with Boylesports and Paddy Power to win by more than one goal. But perhaps the pick of the odds is BetVictor’s 2.80 about Dortmund winning to nil. The absence of Van der Vaart is not going to help Hamburg in its bid to score a goal, let alone avoid defeat.

Finally, Schalke beat Mainz 1-0 on the road in round five of the German Bundesliga season and it is attractively quoted at odds of 1.70 with Betfred to complete the double in the opening match of the 22nd round.

It is not as though Mainz is in bad form but more of a case that Schalke appears worth following, particularly at home, versus pretty much any German Bundesliga side except Bayern Munchen. Schalke won away to Leverkusen last weekend to make it 12 German Bundesliga points out of possible 12 since the resumption, while it welcomes Mainz to Gelsenkirchen having won each of its last five home games in the league.