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Germany’s DFB Pokal will feature two teams from the Bundesliga taking their chance to grab some silverware for their club. Hosts VfL Bochum and the visiting Borussia Dortmund will contend for a chance to reach the quarter-finals. It’s time to continue our DFB Pokal odds series with a Bochum-Dortmund prediction and pick.
Bochum enters the match acquiring 19 points from their opening 19 matches in the Bundesliga. The Blues look to gain momentum, having earned two wins and two losses in 2023. The home team sits at the 15th spot of the table and hopes to continue its momentum by grabbing its second win for the month of February.
Borussia Dortmund is also building up their winning ways. They have played seven club-friendly games, acquiring defeats versus Vietnam and Fiorentina. They have built their momentum from this, grabbing four wins in the top flight against Augsburg, Mainz, Leverkusen, and Freiburg.
Here are the Bochum-Dortmund soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
DFB Pokal Odds: Bochum-Dortmund Odds
VfL Bochum: +350
Borussia Dortmund: -155
Draw: +300
Over 2.5 Goals: -180
Under 2.5 Goals: +128
How to Watch Bochum vs. Dortmund
TV: DAZN
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 2:45 PM ET / 11:45 AM PT
*Watch soccer LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Bochum Can Beat Dortmund
Die Unabsteigbaren has made it to the last eight of the DFB Pokal on three occasions since the 2011-12 season, with their 2-1 defeat to Freiburg in the previous season a particularly painful loss as Roland Sallai delivered the decisive blow against the Blues in extra time.
After safely surviving relegation in their first season back in Germany’s top football flight, Bochum looked likely to return to the second division after picking up just one point from their first eight games. Managerial changes and tactical turnarounds by Thomas Letsch dramatically improved the Blues’ fortune.
The 54-year-old oversaw his fifth straight home win in the league with a convincing 5-2 over Hoffenheim on Saturday, helping Bochum move three points clear of the relegation candidates Stuttgart, Hertha, and Schalke.
Letsch and his players should have real belief of beating any team at Vonovia Ruhrstadion on current form. Compared to winning the Bundesliga silverware, The DFB Pokal seems like a secondary priority for Bochum, but potentially beating Borussia Dortmund at home will provide them a huge morale boost.
The Undescendables will play without the services of Michael Esser, Cristian Gamboa, and Paul Grave, as they are still in the treatment table. Philipp Hoffman will look to add another tally in his goal-scoring, while Takuma Asano and Christopher Antwi-Adjei will accompany him in the wings.
Why Dortmund Can Beat Bochum
With their current third-place standing in the Bundesliga, BVB will aim to take the DFB Pokal silverware in a serious manner. Since the conclusion of the World Cup, Dortmund have returned in menacing form, winning all four of their league games to pose a challenge against Bayern Munich and Union Berlin for title contention.
BVB took advantage of Kiliann Sildillia’s early exit for Freiburg at Signal Iduna Park, as they thrashed their rivals 5-1 on Saturday. Sebastien Haller scored his first goal for Die Borussen after his recovery from testicular cancer, while Giovanni Reyna scored his third goal in four matches from the substitutes’ bench.
After beating RB Leipzig in the final of the DFB-Pokal last 2021, Edin Terzic will take opportunity of this contest to lift more silverware for the Yellow and Blacks, in addition to the club’s wishes of hoisting the Bundesliga and Champions League trophies.
Dortmund bolstered the squad in the January transfer window by signing young Belgian forward Julien Duranville from RSC Anderlecht and Norwegian right-back Julian Ryerson from Union Berlin. The club’s short trip to North Rhine-Westphalia will also see the absences of Abdoulaye Kamara and Mateu Morey, while Meunier and Ryerson are doubtful to appear in this fixture. Gio Reyna will join Karim Adeyemi in the starting XI, while Mats Hummels, Youssoufa Moukoko, and Donyell Malen might also be slotted as starters. Edin Terzic will also avail the services of Julian Brandt and Jude Bellingham, who each have nine and eight goal contributions in 16 and 18 starts for BVB, respectively.
In eight head-to-head encounters between the two sides, Borussia Dortmund have been victorious four times, drew one game, and lost thrice.
Final Bochum-Dortmund Prediction & Pick
Dortmund cruised to an easy win against Bochum last time out and they will look to repeat that result here. Bookmakers and viewers will agree that Edin Terzic’s side is better in paper and on the pitch. Bochum will try to give a good fight but Dortmund’s hot streak will likely continue in this fixture.
Final Bochum-Dortmund Prediction & Pick: Borussia Dortmund (-155)