Bayer Leverkusen is the host team for a visiting VFB Stuttgart squad. Both have come far in this German Cup tournament, however, they will be hoping for a victory. A win will seal their entry into the semi-finals. And while Leverkusen may end up as Bundesliga champions, adding silverware for either side would of course be a great accomplishment!
However, this is one of the more intriguing matchups! While Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich are competing for the league title, Stuttgart is not far behind. Although the title is out of hands at this point (10-point gap to Bayern) they are still a respectable third. Also, they are coming off of a bigger test, having beaten Borussia Dortmund to get to this point in the tournament.
Although, at the moment Bayer Leverkusen holds the series advantage heading into today. They have one 43 times, while Stuttgart has only beaten them 23 times. Additionally, the game has ended in a draw 22 times. However, their last engagement ended in a 1-1 tie. Is this game positioned to go into a penalty shootout?
Bayer Leverkusen vs VFB Stuttgart Odds and Details
| Team | Spread | Total | MoneyLine | Draw |
| Bayer Leverkusen | -0.5 -165 |
O2.5 -180 |
-155 | +330 |
| VFB Stuttgart | +0.5 +120 |
U2.5 +140 |
+370 | |
| **Odds Courtesy Of DraftKings Sportsbook** | ||||
- Fixture: VFB Stuttgart @ Bayer Leverkusen
- Date And Time: February 6, 2024 @ 2:45 p.m. EST
- Location: BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany
- Weather: Cloudy, 52 ° F
Key Stats
Bayer Leverkusen
Goals Scored: 52
Goals Conceded: 14
Shots On Goal: 142
Saves: 62
Clean Sheets: 10
Unfortunately for Bayer Leverkusen, Victor Boniface will be out with a groin injury. Patrik Schick is expected to start ahead of him for the game. However, Nathan Tella is coming off of a brace and will be looking to have the same output against Stuttgart! Additionally, Odilon Koussounou is still with the Ivory Coast national team. But the team is receiving a returning player in Edmond Tapsoba, as he has finished his AFCON campaign with Burkina Faso.
Regardless of who can play, this is a quality team! Xabi Alonso has done well since taking over and he will have this team ready. This team is controlled by the skipper Granit Xhaka and he will look to continue his form. Additionally, the last game saw a little magic from Florian Wirtz as he is always dangerous from either a winger or outside midfield position.
VFB Stuttgart
Goals Scored: 46
Goals Conceded: 26
Shots On Goal: 132
Saves: 51
Clean Sheets: 6
VFB Stuttgart had a nice display against Dortmund to get to this point. However, they will likely be without Serhou Guirassy, as he just returned from AFCON. Furthermore, he appears to be ailing from a combination of fatigue and sickness, as his status for the game is unknown at this time. But if he is unable to go, Deniz Undav has led the team in goals and will look to threaten the Bayer Leverkusen defense. Additionally, Chris Fuhrich is a more than capable goal-scorer and will help pick up the slack.
Stuttgart is organized in the back, as they are a hard team to break down. However, they will not be afraid when facing Leverkusen. However, they can be at times sloppy and careless in possession. Of course, it’s a fine line to toe. On the one hand, you want to be aggressive, but this could also mean getting exposed on the counter. Regardless of the approach, they will be eager to advance to spoil the home team’s atmosphere.
Game Prediction
Ultimately, I think Bayer Leverkusen has more quality in midfield and will be able to have more dominant possession. Especially when pressing, if they can win the ball up high, they are a more dangerous team than Stuttgart. However, this will not likely mean a high-scoring game. Both sides are solid in defense, but again here I would have to give the slight edge to Leverkusen.
While there is a good chance that this game goes into a penalty shoot-out, I think it will end in regulation. Especially with the influx of roster rotations from AFCON play, one side will likely find a way to win, without having the game be decided by PKs. Therefore I am leaning toward Bayer Leverkusen MoneyLine. The line is too high to pick them to advance at -300, which is why I am thinking of going on this route. Also, the under is too logical to pass up. Just to cover my basis, I am parlaying the under and the home team at -0.5. A likely scenario is a 1-1 draw at 90 minutes based on history, but again, it won’t surprise me if they win 1-0 as well.
Final Pick
Parlay: Under 2.5 with Bayer Leverkusen -0.5
About the Author
Gabriel is a lifelong sports fan. Pick a sport, and he’ll enjoy talking about it with you! From football to soccer, combat sports, and volleyball! For more great content, check us out on X @TotalApexSports. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel, where we do several shows daily. You can follow Gabriel on Twitter @BigTenGabriel to enjoy all of his great content. Make sure you follow us on NewsBreak as well.
