Stuttgart vs. FC Koln Betting – Bundesliga, October 23, 2020

The German Bundesliga continues with Matchday 5, so I bring you the best Stuttgart vs. FC Koln betting pick for the opening clash Friday, October 23, with the kick-off at 2:30 PM ET.

It’s still early in the season, and FC Koln will try to bounce back from a shaky start. On the other side, Stuttgart will search for its first win at home this season, so excitements are guaranteed Friday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Arena. 

Although Stuttgart earned just a point in its first two outings at home, the Reds won both road contests and sit at the fifth spot of the Bundesliga standings with seven points and a 9:5 goal difference.

The Billy Goats, on the other side, are 16^th in the league with just a point and a 4:8 goal difference. The bookies expect to see a tight battle between Koln and Stuttgart, but the hosts are still slight favorites due to their solid form.

Stuttgart is undefeated since the opening round, tallying a couple of wins and a draw in the process. After a 1-1 home draw against Bayer Leverkusen, the Reds upset Hertha on the road this past weekend and earned a big 2-0 victory.

They had the ball in possession for only 38 percent of the time and took nine shots fewer than Hertha (16-7), but the Reds were clinical in front of the opponents’ goalie.

Stuttgart finished the previous season as the second-best team in the 2. Bundesliga, so the newcomers are certainly happy with their displays. They have a lot of young and talented players including forwards Sasa Kalajdzic and Silas Wamangituka who combined for six goals this season.

On the other side, FC Koln snapped a three-game skid last weekend, earning their first point of the season in a 1-1 home draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. It was another poor performance by the Billy Goats, who should be happy with the outcome as Eintracht was a better team on the pitch.

Koln’s defense allowed 16 shots and a lot of dangerous scoring opportunities. The Billy Goats will have to improve on both sides of the ball while still missing their best player Jonas Hector due to a neck injury.

These two foes haven’t met each other since the 2017-18 Bundesliga season when Stuttgart beat FC Koln twice, 2-1 at home and 3-2 on the road. Things have changed since then, for sure, but I’m backing the Reds to extend their winning streak.

Stuttgart has been playing in a better form than FC Koln lately. After a couple of road victories, they will be fired up to finally grab one on the home field.

The visitors have some serious problems, especially on the defensive end. The Billy Goats have lost five of their previous six Bundesliga contests on the road along with one draw while conceding 16 goals in that span.

On the other hand, FC Koln has scored in each but one of its previous 11 showings away from home, so the Billy Goats are certainly capable of finding the net against the Reds. Hereof, the hosts should need more than one goal to win, and if you’re satisfied with -120 odds, bet on Stuttgart to score two or more goals.