RB Leipzig (1 wins, 2 losses, 2 draws) welcomes Borussia Dortmund (4-1-0) to Red Bull Arena Leipzig with Saturday’s kickoff set for 8:30 a.m. ET. Below, we preview the RB Leipzig vs. Borussia Dortmund odds and lines, and make our best Bundesliga bets, picks and predictions.
Few would have believed that through 5 matches Dortmund would be sitting atop the league — while also having a loss. However, league-favorite Bayern Munich has drawn 2 matches.
Dortmund had scored 8 goals and allowed 4 in the first few weeks of the season. They’re also coming off a 3-0 UEFA Champions League win Tuesday over Copenhagen. Borussia is led in scoring by M Marco Reus, who has 2 goals and 2 assist in 5 matches.
RB Leipzig also qualified for the Champions League, however, it didn’t go as flawlessly. They lost 4-1 to Shakhtar Donetsk and have won just 1 of their first 5 league matches.
Leipzig is led by 24-year-old French F Christopher Nkunku, who has 4 goals. He led the team last season with 20 goals and 13 assists in 34 matches (31 starts). Leipzig is 1-0-1 at home this season.
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RB Leipzig vs. Borussia Dortmund odds, lines, picks and predictions
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday 2:11 p.m. ET.
- Money line: RB Leipzig +135 (bet $100 to win $135) | Borussia Dortmund +175 (bet $100 to win $175) | Draw +275
- Over/Under: 3.5 (O: +133 | U: -170)
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Prediction
Borussia Dortmund 3, RB Leipzig 1
Money line (ML)
BET BORUSSIA DORTMUND (+175).
My favorite play in this match is to back the road side.
After all, Leipzig has been playing horrible soccer as of late, allowing 4 goals in their last 2 matches. They also kicked off the season with a 5-3 loss to Bayern Munich in the DFL-Supercup.
Similarly, while it has one hiccup, Dortmund has been dominant, winning 3 straight and allowing under 1 expected goal in each of those. Their defense, led by veteran D Mats Hummels, has been impressive, having yet to allow over 1.5 expected goals in any competition.
Dortmund is undefeated on the road as well, so they are familiar with being able to succeed in tough environments. Combine it all, and the value on Dortmund is too great not to play.
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Over/Under (O/U)
LEAN OVER 3.5 (+133).
Dortmund has gone over this in just 2 of 5 matches in Bundesliga play, but it’s less about their ability to score and more about Leipzig’s recent bout of incompetence.
Leipzig has allowed 8 goals in their last 2 games. They have had 8 matches throughout all competitions and in 3 of them at least 4 goals have been scored by their opponent. In 5 of 8, their opponent has tallied at least 2.
Against a Dortmund side with a terrific midfield and speed up top, they should be able to break through with ease, much like Shakhtar did in the Champions League.
Also, while Dortmund’s defense has been great, Leipzig has scored at least once in 7 of their 8 matches, so they should be able to get on the board.
Couple that with Dortmund having played lacking offensive sides, and we should see a high-scoring match on Saturday.
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