Bochum – Schalke Tips Free Betting Tips
Bochum and Schalke, the last two Bundesliga qualifiers, could feel that this clash is decisive in their bid for relegation, but alarm bells will be ringing for the home side, who have failed to score in their last three league games (P3). As a result, they urgently need to turn these poor results around if they are to fulfill the prediction made in January by coach Thomas Letsch, who said they would “at least drop two teams below them”.
If they are not to fall behind, regaining the level that saw them win five consecutive home league games just before and after the World Cup break is essential, although that will be no easy task against a Schalke side they have beaten only once in the last four times they have met at this venue (E1, P2). Still, Bochum can take momentum from knowing that they have not lost at their home stadium to an opponent that started this matchday in the bottom half of the table this season (G3, E1).
However, Schalke will surely not be an easy opponent after their 2-1 win over Stuttgart, which saw them start the second half of the Bundesliga standing campaign unbeaten in five games (G1, E4) for the first time since 2013/14, a season in which they finished third. They are now close behind second-bottom, their opponents, and a win in this clash would see them move off the bottom of the table for the first time since the end of October.
As escaping the red zone is increasingly a realistic goal, visiting fans could believe they will see their team win a top-flight away game for the first time since November 2019 (E12, P26). For this, they first need to find a way to beat the opposing defense after two consecutive 0-0 Bundesliga draws away to Union Berlin and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Players to watch: Philipp Hofmann opened the scoring for Bochum in their last two league wins and scored against Schalke in September (P 3-1). The first to score on the day was Schalke’s Dominick Drexler, who did the same against Stuttgart on Saturday.
Key fact: Bochum are the only Bundesliga team not to have scored a goal from the penalty spot this season.
OVER 2.5 GOALS Odds: 2.00
The odds presented in the prediction may vary at the time of verification.
