Football betting tips: Bundesliga
2pts Over 2.5 goals at 23/20 (William Hill)
Bayern Munich's display over two legs of their thrilling Champions League encounter with Real Madrid once again highlights what the rest of Germany is up against.
Vincent Kompany's champions netted six across 180 minutes against a fellow club with a decorated European history. That allowing them to win both games.
Those games in midweek have an impact on the Friday schedule in the Bundesliga. You don't get those featuring in the elite club competitions given the first slot of the weekend.
Next up is a battle between two sides hoping to retain top-flight status next season, although you imagine the latter are almost there given the minimal games left.
Köln hold a five-point advantage over St. Pauli heading into this one, the side who occupy that final relegation spot. Anything other than a home win should see the Billy Goats safe for another campaign.
And their involvement in this one means it does have the potential to be entertaining, even with the significant impact it may have on the table.
St. Pauli vs Köln
- Kick-off: Friday, 19:30 BST
- TV: BBC iPlayer, Bundesliga YouTube
- Live odds, form and stats
It's worth the timely reminder that the Bundesliga is typically a high-scoring league. Every single one of the 18 teams involved have seen more games go over 2.5 goals than under.
Now here's the balancing act. St. Pauli have been on the lower end of this scale, Köln not so much. Do we trust the involvement of the visitors more for the potential for goals than the hosts?
At a best price of 23/20 and odds-against across the board, I'm willing to side with OVER 2.5 GOALS.
St. Pauli's position in this table has been affected by their away form. At home, their fans are seeing action. They sit eighth for contests with three or more scored.
A late sucker punch of an equaliser saw St. Pauli stealing a point when these sides last met but it should be a bit more of an open game given the situation of both teams.
Four of St. Pauli's six against fellow bottom half sides have seen this land as a winning bet. The same can be said for three of Köln's six on the road, although both teams have scored in five of them.
That is a shade of odds-on but this feels like a game that should see a winner one way or the other.
Here's hoping the Bundesliga lives up to its reputation once again.
Odds correct at 00:30 BST (17/04/26)
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