Introduction
European champions Bayern Munich will usher in a new Bundesliga season when they host Schalke at Allianz Arena next Friday. Hansi Flick’s men have barely had time to gather their breath after clinching a 1-0 victory over PSG in Lisbon on August 23. Yet they must quickly regroup in order to make a strong start to the 2020/21 Bundesliga campaign, which promises to be an exhilarating affair.
Bayern are now bidding to win a ninth consecutive league title. They are on a remarkable 18-game winning streak in all competitions, so it is easy to see why they are the clear favourites to triumph yet again this season. However, they face stern competition from a young and ambitious Dortmund side, while RB Leipzig are improving under the talented Julian Nagelsmann, so Bayern Munich will have to be at their very best.
The race to finish in the top four also looks intriguing. Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen are both strong teams, and Hoffenheim could prove to be intriguing dark horses. Newly promoted teams Arminia Bielefeld and Stuttgart could be in the thick of the relegation battle, along with Augsburg and Mainz, so the Bundesliga should serve up considerable drama and intrigue at both ends of the table.
Bookmakers have opened up a number of exciting outright betting markets on the 2020/21 season. You can find outright odds on the league winner, top four, winner without Bayern Munich, top goalscorer and bottom two finish. We have compiled a detailed preview of each team’s chances of success over the coming campaign, and identified a few interesting futures markets at the leading Bundesliga betting sites.
Who won the Bundesliga last season?
Bayern Munich won their eighth consecutive Bundesliga title last season. Robert Lewandowski was the top goal scorer, with 34 goals, and Bayern ended up finishing 13 points clear of their closest rivals. They are now the clear favourites in the winner odds on the Bundesliga to successfully defend their crown.
How many teams are in the Bundesliga?
There are 18 teams in the Bundesliga, meaning each club plays a total of 34 fixtures over the course of the season. The other top leagues in Europe feature 20 teams, but Germany takes a more streamlined approach. Two teams are relegated and promoted each season.
Will fans be allowed to watch Bundesliga games?
The 2020/21 Bundesliga season will begin with matches played behind closed doors or at a reduced capacity due to the Covid-19 pandemic. All games were played in empty arenas when the 2019/20 campaign resumed, but RB Leipzig will allow 8,500 spectators into their stadium at the start of the new season, while regulations in Berlin permit up to 5,000 supporters to attend.
Which teams were promoted to the Bundesliga?
Arminia Bielefeld and Stuttgatt were promoted to the Bundesliga for the 2020/21 season after finishing first and second respectively in the second tier of German football last term. Heidenheim finished third and went into a play-off against Werder Bremen, who finished third from bottom in the Bundesliga, but Werder Bremen won the tie on away goals, so they will remain in the top flight this season.
Last season's Bundesliga
Outright Odds on the 2020/21 Bundesliga Season
Bayern Munich are the overwhelming favourites to make it nine Bundesliga titles on the bounce this season. They had a mid-season wobble last term, but they have been on fire since sacking Niko Kovac and installing Hansi Flick in the hot seat. They have not tasted defeat since December 7, 2019, when Ramy Benebaini of Borussia Monchengladbach put them to the sword with a 93rd minute penalty.
The odds on Bayern Munich winning the title are probably too low for most bettors to bother with. However, they could be added to a long-term accumulator with the likes of Real Madrid, PSG and Ajax. You can find very attractive odds on teams like Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig if you think they can dethrone Bayern.
There is real value on the top four market and the “without Bayern” market, so you should check out the latest Bundesliga odds. We have scoured the best betting sites for Bundesliga action and found the most appealing prices.
Team | Winner Odds | Top Four Finish Odds |
---|---|---|
Bayern Munich | -600 | -20000 |
Borussia Dortmund | +600 | -2000 |
RB Leipzig | +2000 | -167 |
Borussia Monchengladbach | +5000 | +175 |
Bayer Leverkusen | +6600 | +190 |
Wolfsburg | +15000 | +550 |
Hertha Berlin | +20000 | +600 |
Eintracht Frankfurt | +25000 | +750 |
Hoffenheim | +25000 | +800 |
Schalke | +50000 | +1200 |
Werder Bremen | +100000 | +3300 |
Koln | +100000 | +3300 |
Freiburg | +100000 | +3300 |
Stuttgart | +100000 | +3300 |
Mainz | +100000 | +10000 |
Augsburg | +150000 | +10000 |
Union Berlin | +200000 | +10000 |
Bielefeld | +250000 | +10000 |
These odds were compiled from Bet365, William Hill and 888 Sport, three of the leading sports betting sites for Bundesliga odds. We offer competitive bonuses on each of these sites at ThePlayer.com.
Bundesliga - all info
Bundesliga TV & Streaming Guide
Germans can enjoy a wide range of Bundesliga action by signing up for an account with DAZN. In the UK, Sky Sports has the rights to show Bundesliga games. You can actually watch more Bundesliga matches than Premier League matches if you have a Sky Sports subscription. Bet365 also offers free live streaming of Bundesliga games if you have a funded account or you have placed a bet in the past 24 hours. US soccer fans can head over to ESPN to watch the 2020/21 Bundesliga season.
Will Bayern Munich Make it Nine in a Row?
There was a sense of inevitability about Bayern winning the Champions League last season. They coasted through the group stage with a 100% record, scoring 24 goals in just six games. That included a 7-2 demolition job on Tottenham, who were Champions League runners-up the previous season, and a 6-0 win away at Red Star Belgrade. That then thrashed Chelsea 7-1 on aggregate to tee up a quarter-final clash with Barcelona. The Spanish giants looked a little flat after the restart, but most pundits still expected a close fought encounter. Yet Bayern absolutely mauled them.
They were absolutely ruthless in that game, battering Barca into submission with their pace, energy, industry and invention. Their 8-2 victory is arguably the most impressive triumph in Champions League history. It left them surging with confidence as they swept Lyon aside in the semi-finals and edged a tight final against PSG.
Bayern could be even more formidable in 2020/21. All of their key players remain at the club, and they have spent around €45 million on bringing Leroy Sané back to Germany. He spent last season injured, but he was one of the most devastating attacking talents in the Premier League before that.
Ivan Perisic and Philippe Coutinho have left after their loan deals expired, but they were peripheral figures last season, and Sané’s arrival more than compensates for their departure. Thiago Alcantara is agitating for a move away from the club, and that represents a greater dilemma for Bayern, as he was tremendous last term.
However, Flick has plenty of alternative options in the middle of the park. He has done a terrific job of blending youth and experience to form a well-oiled machine at the club. Flick will continue to place his trust in veterans like Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Thomas Mueller and Robert Lewandowski this season, but the next generation is now ready to seize the mantle.
Joshua Kimmich, David Alaba, Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka and Niklas Süle and Sané are all now at the peak of their powers. They are serial winners, and they can lead the club to glory for many years to come. Bayern wobbled in the early stages of the 2019/20 campaign, but they have been virtually unplayable since Flick took the reins, so it is very difficult to see anyone knocking them off their perch this season.
Bundesliga outrights - winner odds
The Battle Beyond Munich
Can Borussia Dortmund Sustain a Title Challenge?
Borussia Dortmund look like the only team capable of preventing Bayern from winning an unprecedented ninth consecutive Bundesliga title. They have finished runners-up for the past two seasons, and they have a number of extremely talented players within their ranks.
Chief among them is Jadon Sancho, who fired in 17 goals in just 32 games for Dortmund last season. The Bundesliga statistics also showed that he had the most assists of any player apart from Bayern’s Thomas Muller last term, and he is still developing.
He has been a revelation since joining from Man City in 2017, and Man Utd are now trying to sign him for north of €100 million. However, they have been unable to meet Dortmund’s demands thus far, and Sancho looks set to remain at the club in 2020/21.
They also pulled off a significant coup by signing Erling Braut Haaland in January. The Norwegian youngster was Europe’s most coveted striker, and he chose Dortmund over a number of elite clubs. Haaland hit the ground running for Dortmund, scoring 13 goals in 15 games.
They have since snapped up another extremely promising wunderkind in the form of Jude Bellingham. The teenager is tipped as the next big thing, and he chose to follow Sancho to Dortmund in order to further his career.
Dortmund also have plenty of experienced pros to help guide the likes of Bellingham and Haaland. Emre Can and Thomas Meunier joined from Juventus and PSG respectively in the summer, joining Marco Reus, Mats Hummels, Axel Witsel, Julian Brandt and Thomas Delaney in an exceptionally strong squad.
They will certainly give Bayern a run for their money, and outright odds of +600 on Dortmund winning the title look tempting, but they may ultimately lack the consistency to topple the champions. Paddy Power and Betfair are offering -175 in their Borussia Dortmund odds to win the Bundesliga without Bayern Munich, and that does look appealing as a long-term investment.
How Will RB Leipzig Cope Without Timo Werner?
Defensive solidity carried RB Leipzig all the way to the Champions League semi-finals last season. They kept clean sheets home and away in their last 16 clash with Tottenham courtesy of dominant performances from Lukas Klostermann and Dayot Upemecano.
Leipzig were dealt a hammer blow when star striker Timo Werner refused to play in their quarter-final clash with Atletico Madrid in the summer. He had already agreed to join Chelsea in a €50 million deal, and he did not want to risk suffering an injury that might jeopardise the move. Yet Leipzig rallied and pulled off a famous 2-1 victory over the Spanish heavyweights.
They ultimately lost to PSG in the semis, but they can hold their heads high after defying expectations. Leipzig ended up third in the Bundesliga table last season, three points behind Dortmund and 16 below Bayern.
They are an unpopular club in Germany due to their ownership model. Soft drinks giant Red Bull has a controlling stake in the club, and many purists see it as a marketing vehicle, while it also defies the 50+1 tradition, which demands that clubs most own a majority of their own voting rights.
Yet they are now firmly established in the top flight, they have a brilliant young manager in Julian Nagelsmann and they boast a great deal of talent. If they can keep hold of Upemecano, welcome Ibrahima Konaté back to full fitness and bring in more attacking firepower to replace Werner then they should be good for another top-three finish in the Bundesliga table.
Bundesliga outrights - without Bayern
Going to Europe
Can Borussia Monchengladbach Maintain Their Upward Curve?
Borussia Monchengladbach were genuine title contenders for large parts of the 2019/20 season. That was largely a result of their impeccable home form. Our expert tipsters regularly provide betting tips, previews and predictions on Bundesliga games, and tipping Gladbach to win at home was a slam-dunk in the first half of the season.
Borussia-Park’s status as a fortress diminished somewhat after teams were forced to play behind closed doors due to the pandemic. Their title challenge ultimately faded, but Gladbach won their final three games of the season to finish just a point below Leipzig and clinch a Champions League berth. That should shore up their finances, but they will be desperate to welcome fans back to Borussia-Park.
Borussia Monchengladbach have a very solid spine to their team. Yann Sommer is a trustworthy goalkeeper, Matthias Ginter is a rock at the back alongside the talented Nico Elvedi, and Denis Zakaria anchors the midfield impeccably, with Florian Neuhaus and Lars Stindl keeping dictating the tempo of play.
Perhaps their only real weakness is up front. Winger Marcus Thuram was Gladbach’s highest goal scorer with 14 last term, and they hope striker Alassane Pléa manages to avoid injuries this time around. Yet Gladbach should be good for a top four place, and odds of +175 at Bet365 look extremely tempting.
Who Will Score the Goals for Bayer Leverkusen?
Bayer Leverkusen missed out on Champions League qualification by a whisker last season. They have now sold star player Kai Havertz to Chelsea, while prolific forward Kevin Volland has joined. That earned the club around €100 million, but it begs the question: where will the goals come from this season?
Patrik Schick has joined from Roma, but he only managed five goals in 46 league games for the Serie A side, and he did not exactly set the world alight while on loan in Leipzig last term. Havertz was the club’s top scorer for the last two seasons, and they will miss his dynamism in the box, while Volland was a reliable goal scorer too. Leverkusen also have a strong spine, boasting the likes of Jonathan Tah, Kerem Demirbay and Exequiel Palacios, while Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby provide creativity from wide areas, but they may be a little toothless in attack.
They have been handed a tricky schedule in the early stages of the campaign, with fixtures against RB Leipzig and Wolfsburg, so it will be interesting to see how they fare without their best player. Our odds comparison shows that some sportsbooks make Leverkusen the favourites to finish in the top four at Borussia Monchengladbach’s expense, but Gladbach look stronger right now.
Which Teams Will Seize the Europa League Places?
A late run of three straight victories saw Hoffenheim storm up the table and seize sixth place last season. That was an impressive performance after they offloaded €120 million worth of talent in the summer of 2019 and spent less than €50 million of it on reinforcements. Hoffenheim have now appointed 38-year-old Sebastian Hoeness as their manager for the new season and hopes are high among their fans.
Wolfsburg clinched seventh ahead of Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, meaning they too will play in the Europa League this season. Both teams will be largely unchanged for the new campaign, so they should fancy their chances of consolidating their status as top seven clubs. They have some interesting games in the opening weeks of the season, so check out the odds picks from our experts, featuring winner predictions, Asian handicap tips and more, and visit our Bundesliga results page to find out the scores.
Bundesliga outrights - top four
Relegation and Mid-Table
How Will the Relegation Battle Unfold?
Arminia are back in the Bundesliga after an 11-year absence after they won the second division last season. They finished 10 points clear of their closest rivals, Stuttgart, and they were unbeaten in their final 18 games, so they will carry plenty of momentum into the new campaign.
They have signed a few players on free transfers, but a lack of investment in the squad could derail their chances of extending their stay in the top flight. Key players include Ritsu Doan, Mike van der Hoorn and Andreas Volgslammer, and they will need to be on song if Arminia are to beat the drop.
Stuttgart are arguably better placed to avoid relegation, despite finishing below Arminia last season. They have only spent two seasons outside the top tier since 1977, and they should have the financial clout to be competitive this season.
They have already spent more than €10 million to bolster their squad with Waldermar Anton, Gregor Kobel, Wataru Endo and Pascal Stenzel, while Konstantinos Mavropanos has joined on loan from Arsenal, and that level of investment could make all the difference. On the other hand, they have sold Anastasios Donis and Chardac Akolo, so it will be interesting to see how Stuttgart perform this season.
Other relegation candidates include Koln and Werder Bremen. Koln looked dead and buried by mid-December last season, but then they embarked on a remarkable run of eight wins from 10 games. That propelled them up the table, but they did not pick up a single win in nine matches after the lockdown, and they ended up just five points above the drop zone.
Werder Bremen beat the drop by the skin of their teeth. Victory on the last day of the season saw them leapfrog Dusseldorf and Padeborn, who were both relegated automatically. They then went into a relegation playoff with Heidenheim, and scraped through on away goals. However, they should have enough quality to beat the drop again this season.
Arminia Bielefeld are the -110 favourites with William Hill in the Bundesliga relegation odds, and that looks like a pretty attractive set of odds. Union Berlin are next at 9/4, followed by Stuttgart at 11/4, Augsburg at 10/3, Mainz at 7/2 and Freiburg, Koln and Werder Bremen at 5/1.
Who Will Prevail in the Battle of Berlin?
Hertha Berlin suffered the ignominy of finishing level on points with newly promoted upstarts Union Berlin last season. Hertha are an established club, with Bundesliga titles in their history, whereas Union Berlin only reached the top tier in 2019, so it was surprising to see these city rivals so evenly matched.
However, Hertha Berlin look set to pull away in 2020/21. They were abysmal under Jurgen Klinsmann last term, but they roared back to form after sacking him and parachuting in Bruno Labbadia to save the day. Their performance levels tailed off towards the end of the campaign, but they have a talented squad and a fantastic strike partnership featuring Matheus Cunha and Krzystof Piatek.
Lucas Tousart also looks like a fantastic addition to the squad, and they look like dark horses for a top six place next season. BetVictor has +225 on them finishing in the top six, while Unibet and 888 Sport are offering +200, and that looks really tempting. Union Berlin could face a tougher season now that the novelty factor has worn off, stadiums are quieter and rivals have figured them out.
Will Schalke Return to Former Glories?
Seven-time Bundesliga champions Schalke looked back to their best after finishing runners-up in the 2017/18 Bundesliga season. They have since finished 14th and 12th, which is a dismal return for a club of their stature.
Schalke no longer have a team that looks capable of fighting for a top-four place, but the likes of Ozan Kablak, Matija Nastasic and Amine Harit are all good players. They should be challenging in the top half of the table.
Yet they will have to do so without star midfielder Weston McKennie, as the American has joined Juventus on loan for the season. They have not yet spent any money in the transfer window, so Schalke fans could be forgiven for approaching the new campaign with a degree of pessimism.
Relegation outright odds
The Bundesliga History
The Bundesliga is technically fairly young, as it was created in 1963 - with Bayern Munich whooping up 29 league titles since then, slightly more than half. Do you know which other teams have finished first, and when?
Season | Champions | Runners-up |
---|---|---|
1963–64 | 1. FC Köln | Meidericher SV |
1964–65 | Werder Bremen | 1. FC Köln |
1965–66 | TSV 1860 Munich | Borussia Dortmund |
1966–67 | Eintracht Braunschweig | TSV 1860 Munich |
1967–68 | 1. FC Nürnberg | Werder Bremen |
1968–69 | Bayern Munich | Alemannia Aachen |
1969–70 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | Bayern Munich |
1970–71 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | Bayern Munich |
1971–72 | Bayern Munich | Schalke 04 |
1972–73 | Bayern Munich | 1. FC Köln |
1973–74 | Bayern Munich | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
1974–75 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | Hertha BSC |
1975–76 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | Hamburger SV |
1976–77 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | Schalke 04 |
1977–78 | 1. FC Köln | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
1978–79 | Hamburger SV | VfB Stuttgart |
1979–80 | Bayern Munich | Hamburger SV |
1980–81 | Bayern Munich | Hamburger SV |
1981–82 | Hamburger SV | 1. FC Köln |
1982–83 | Hamburger SV | Werder Bremen |
1983–84 | VfB Stuttgart | Hamburger SV |
1984–85 | Bayern Munich | Werder Bremen |
1985–86 | Bayern Munich | Werder Bremen |
1986–87 | Bayern Munich | Hamburger SV |
1987–88 | Werder Bremen | Bayern Munich |
1988–89 | Bayern Munich | 1. FC Köln |
1989–90 | Bayern Munich | 1. FC Köln |
1990–91 | Kaiserslautern | Bayern Munich |
1991–92 | VfB Stuttgart | Borussia Dortmund |
1992–93 | Werder Bremen | Bayern Munich |
1993–94 | Bayern Munich | 1. FC Kaiserslautern |
1994–95 | Borussia Dortmund | Werder Bremen |
1995–96 | Borussia Dortmund | Bayern Munich |
1996–97 | Bayern Munich | Bayer Leverkusen |
1997–98 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | Bayern Munich |
1998–99 | Bayern Munich | Bayer Leverkusen |
1999–2000 | Bayern Munich | Bayer Leverkusen |
2000–01 | Bayern Munich | Schalke 04 |
2001–02 | Borussia Dortmund | Bayer Leverkusen |
2002–03 | Bayern Munich | VfB Stuttgart |
2003–04 | Werder Bremen | Bayern Munich |
2004–05 | Bayern Munich | Schalke 04 |
2005–06 | Bayern Munich | Werder Bremen |
2006–07 | VfB Stuttgart | Schalke 04 |
2007–08 | Bayern Munich | Werder Bremen |
2008–09 | VfL Wolfsburg | Bayern Munich |
2009–10 | Bayern Munich | Schalke 04 |
2010–11 | Borussia Dortmund | Bayer Leverkusen |
2011–12 | Borussia Dortmund | Bayern Munich |
2012–13 | Bayern Munich | Borussia Dortmund |
2013–14 | Bayern Munich | Borussia Dortmund |
2014–15 | Bayern Munich | VfL Wolfsburg |
2015–16 | Bayern Munich | Borussia Dortmund |
2016–17 | Bayern Munich | RB Leipzig |
2017–18 | Bayern Munich | Schalke 04 |
2018–19 | Bayern Munich | Borussia Dortmund |