Despite not having lost in their last eight Bundesliga matches, Schalke 04 still is in the relegation zone. That could change with a victory over Bayer Leverkusen, a team that’s aiming to finish in the top six in order to qualify for a UEFA competition and has won three games in a row.
As expected, the Black and Reds come in as the soccer betting favorites, but the Royal Blues have been considerably better when playing at home.
Schalke 04: Refusing to Lose
Prior to the international break, Schalke 04 went 2-6-0 in their last eight Bundesliga matches. Believe it or not, they managed to snatch a point from Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin, who are in first and third place, respectively.
Most recently, they drew 1-1 to Augsburg thanks to Marius Butler, who scored from the penalty spot in stoppage time. The Royal Blues should have won since they played with one more player pretty much the entire second half.
Anyway, as if not losing wasn’t enough, Schalke 04 finished with a clean sheet in five of their last eight games. They’ve allowed fewer goals than Werder Bremen, the team sitting in 11th place. The problems have been on the other side since we’re talking about the team with the fewest goals in the whole league.
Nevertheless, they’ve been considerably better when playing at home, where they scored two goals in each of their last two matches. Plus, three of their four victories were at home, making them a tempting online gambling underdog, especially at +310. That price means you have the chance to win $310 for every $100 wagered on them.
Bayer Leverkusen: Highly Motivated
So, Bayer Leverkusen isn’t in the title race, but if they keep playing and winning as they did in their last three matches, there’s a good chance they’ll end up in the top four and would qualify for the Champions League.
Prior to the international break, the Black and Reds forgot about the soccer lines and ended up defeating Bayern Munich 2-1 with Exequiel Palacios as Man of the Match after scoring a brace. They showed a lot of character since Bayern Munich was up only 22 minutes into the game. The defense also deserves a lot of credit as the visitors won possession and finished with more shots on goal.
Keep in mind that the Black and Reds have scored at least two goals in their last three matches – five if we include the two games against Ferencvaros for the Round of 16 of the Europa League. That’s right, Leverkusen is also playing and winning in the UEL They’ll face Union Saint-Gilloise in the quarterfinals.
That’s basically why they’re offering a -115 price in the sportsbook to win straight up despite being 5-2-5 when playing on the road.
Schalke vs Leverkusen Head-to-Head
- Previous Matches: 90
- Schalke 04 Victories: 26 (129 goals)
- Bayer Leverkusen Victories: 37 (141 goals)
- Draws: 27
Bayer Leverkusen was also a huge betting online favorite for the first meeting between the two and they didn’t disappoint. The Black and Reds crushed the Royal Blues 4-0 led by Moussa Diaby and Jeremie Frimpong. Diaby finished with one goal and two assists while Frimpong scored a brace.
The Black and Reds won five of the last 10 meetings between the two while the Royal Blues won two. One more thing: The total has gone over in six of their last 10 encounters. According to the Las Vegas odds, the total for Saturday’s clash is set at 2½ goals with the over offering a -115 price.
Schalke vs Leverkusen Match Information
- Match: Schalke 04 vs Bayer Leverkusen
- Date/Time: Saturday, April 1, 9:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen
- Schalke 04 vs Bayer Leverkusen Stream: fuboTV
Schalke vs Leverkusen Betting Lines
Schalke vs Leverkusen Picks and Prediction
Besides being highly motivated, Bayer Leverkusen has had some extra time to prepare for this match, meaning they shouldn’t have too much trouble honoring the soccer odds. That being said, I do expect Schalke 04 to put up a good fight, not enough for them to keep the non-losing streak alive, but to contribute for the total to go over.
The Bayer Leverkusen are listed at -115 in our Vegas soccer lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Leverkusen, you have a chance to win $87. Schalke 04 is +310, offering a chance to win $310 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Bayer Leverkusen a 53.49% chance to win, with Schalke 04 at 24.39%.
