Stuttgart and Hamburger meet in the Bundesliga relegation/promotion playoffs! Catch the Bundesliga odds series here, featuring our Stuttgart-Hamburger prediction, odds, pick, and guide on how to watch.
Stuttgart finished the Bundesliga with a 7-12-15 record, occupying the 16th spot in Germany's top flight. Stuttgart went ahead of FC Schalke 04 and Hertha Berlin, who are now relegated to the second division.
Hamburger SV ended the 2. Bundesliga with a 20-6-8 record, which puts the team in third place. Hamburger has a chance to be promoted alongside FC Heidenheim and Darmstadt 98, who both finished with 67 points.
Here are the Stuttgart-Hamburger soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Bundesliga Odds: Stuttgart-Hamburger Odds
Vfb Stuttgart: -170
Hamburger SV: +380
Draw: +300
Over 2.5 Goals: -180
Under 2.5 Goals: +128
How to Watch Stuttgart vs. Hamburger
TV: N/A
Stream: ESPN+, Onefootball
Time: 2:45 PM ET / 11:45 AM PT
*Watch soccer LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Stuttgart Can Beat Hamburger
Stuttgart dropped to third from bottom in the top flight after a 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim on the final day. VFL Bochum secured a 3-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen to secure 14th place while FC Augsburg was fortunate to stay in 15th place despite a 2-0 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach.
Given Die Schwaben were propping up the rest of the table when Sebastian Hoeneß was brought in to replace Bruno Labbadia as head coach with eight games remaining, it is a lifeline they can probably just about live with. Stuttgart has only lost once since and is unbeaten in four home matches under the former Bayern Munich reserves boss. Stuttgart only has seven wins and 12 draws in 34 Bundesliga matches, where they scored 45 goals and earned 33 points.
Stuttgart will be also looking to find inspiration in their deep run in the DFB Pokal. Stuttgart battled Dynamo Dresden, Arminia Bielefeld, Paderborn, and Nurnberg before losing to Eintracht Frankfurt in the semifinals. With the first leg to be hosted at home, Stuttgart will be trying to build from their 5-6-6 home record at the Mercedes Benz Arena, where they have scored 23 goals yet hold a +1 goal differential.
The personnel concerns ahead of the play-off first leg for Stuttgart are Thomas Kastanaras and Dan-Axel Zagadou. Fabian Bredlow is also in a doubtful status.
Serhou Guirassy has scored five times on Hoeneß's management, making it 11 league goals since his return to German football, and will lead the line a day after making his loan deal from Rennes permanent. Tiago Tomas, who has three goals and three assists, could be rotated into the attack. Wataru Endo, Chris Fuhrich, and Silas Katompa Mvumpa will also be looking to add to each of their five-goal tallies. Borna Sosa remains the top assist-maker for Stuttgart with seven.
Why Hamburger Can Beat Stuttgart
The Dinosaurs looked destined for automatic promotion on the final matchday of the Bundesliga 2 season, having beaten Sandhausen 1-0 to go second, with Heidenheim trailing in their game at Jahn Regensburg. However, two injury-time Heidenheim goals dashed those HSV hopes long after the full-time whistle in Sandhausen, dropping them back to third.
The Dinos, who have been fighting it out in the second tier since being relegated for the first time in 2018, are contesting their second straight playoff. They won the first leg away to Hertha Berlin 1-0 this time last year, before suffering a decisive 2-0 loss at the Volksparkstadion.
HSV finished third in the 2 Bundesliga with a 20-6-8 record, leading the league with 70 goals. Hamburger also made 52 assists and had a +25 goal differential after tallying 14.9 total shots, 5.3 corner kicks, and 2.1 goals per game on 58.6% ball possession. The Dinosaurs have the best road record in the league, posting a 9-3-5 tally and scoring 32 away goals.
Head coach Tim Walter – also a former Bayern reserves boss – will be putting his best XI on the field without several key players. Noah Katterbach, Laszlo Benes, Andras Nemeth, and Omar Megeed are out as they are dealing with their injuries, while Mario Vuskovic remains suspended for his doping ban.
Robert Glatzel will be key to the Red Shorts' prospects of securing a promotion at this time, after scoring a team-leading 19 goals across the regular Bundesliga 2 campaign. HSV can also count on midfielder Ludovit Reis and forward Bakery Jatta, who have combined for 13 goals and seven assists. Ransford Yeboah Konigsdorffer has eight goals in the league while Jean-Luc Dompe leads the team with 10 assists.
The return leg at HSV's Volksparkstadion is on Monday, 5 June. HSV will be trying to match their averages of 16.0 tackles, 7.9 interceptions, 16.5 clearances, and 3.3 goalkeeper saves which led to 10 clean sheets to make this match competitive.
Final Stuttgart-Hamburger Prediction & Pick
Stuttgart does have a decent record when playing at home, but the HSV has been hungry for promotion and will be looking to pull an upset. A high-scoring game is expected but HSV will impose their dominant road record.
Final Stuttgart-Hamburger Prediction & Pick: Hamburger SV (+380), Over 2.5 goals (-180)
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