The wait is finally over! Top-flight football is returning to Europe after its coronavirus-induced hiatus. The German Bundesliga is the first league to resume play, and the first games will be played behind closed doors this weekend. The matches are likely to break TV viewership records as millions of football-starved fans are sure to tune in to get their fix of professional football.
This peaked interest in the Bundesliga comes with a caveat, however. Hungry for betting-action, many fans who normally prefer La Liga, Serie A, or the Premier League will be tempted to make bets on Bundesliga matches, despite not having much knowledge of the teams. Which is why our football betting team picked out a selection of the best games and researched the betting atmosphere surrounding them.
This is also the first time in a while when online sports betting site 22Bet can offer proper money betting lines for a major European football league, and the abundance of odds is no surprise, but more on that further on.
In this article, we will take a look at the RasenBallsport Leipzig – SC Freiburg game, which will take place on Saturday, May 16 at 2:30 PM GMT.
Read on to find out how these teams stack up and which of them is more likely to earn three points after returning from its COVID-19 hiatus.
RB Leipzig: An Elite Team Ready to Make a Run for the Title
As of today, RB Leipzig are sitting in third place with 50 points and a respectable record of 14 wins, 8 draws, and 3 losses. Being only one point away from second place Borussia Dortmund and only five points away from first place Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig have a legitimate chance of winning it all this year. But to do that, they absolutely must beat SC Freiburg on Saturday. This will put them just 2 points away from Bayern Munich, who won’t play until Sunday.
Prior to COVID-19, RB were in great shape. When the league went on hiatus, they were on a five-game lossless streak, having won two games and drawn three.
On the other hand, RB Leipzig are only one point ahead of Borussia Mönchengladbach and only three points ahead of fifth-place Bayer Leverkusen. If they fall behind these two teams and fall out of the top four, they will not be able to participate in next year’s Champions League and will have to settle for playing in the second-tier Europa League. Which is something the club certainly wants to avoid.
With their eyes set on a Bundesliga title, it’ll be interesting to see RB Leipzig’s return to play. Will they be actual title contenders and a real risk to Bayern Munich? Or will they fail to qualify for the Champions league? Only time will tell, but we’ll have our first answers this Saturday.
Freiburg: An Exciting Team Ready to Make a Splash
Finding themselves in eight position, Freiburg are just one point behind Schalke 04 and an opportunity to secure a Europa League spot next season. Freiburg is one of the most exciting Bundesliga teams to watch. Their games are usually very close, which is shown by their -1 goal differential. So far, they have won 9 matches, drawn 10, and lost 6, which translates to 36 points.
Before they went on hiatus, Freiburg were on a patchy run. Their last four games ended in one victory, one draw, and two losses.
Perhaps this period of rest was exactly what they needed to get out of their rut. Freiburg fans certainly hope this is the case. Upsetting RB Leipzig would certainly improve their odds of earning a Europa League spot. And it would also send a clear message to the rest of the Bundesliga.
RB Leipzig vs Freiburg Prediction (16 May, 2020)
It’s hard to say which team is in better shape now. As the game will be played without fans, RB Leipzig will not have the benefit of a true homefield advantage, which will certainly improve Freiburg’s chances. Despite this, RB Leipzig’s title hopes are sure to provide additional motivation for the team. This makes them the more likely outfit to win this game in the eyes of many fans, which is reflected in the betting odds.
Bundesliga Odds
As of now, bettors can make a wager on RB Leipzig at 29/100. A draw is chalked up at 223/5. And Freiburg fans have the opportunity to get a hearty 865/100 if they put their money where their mouth is and their team upsets the favorites. Other betting options include both teams to score at 19/20 and no teams to score at 3/4. Make sure to check out the rest of the odds and bet here.
