TOM LOVEYS (@ValueBetMethods) has found a selection from Sunday's Bundesliga action that was too good to ignore.
Hoffenheim v Schalke | Sunday 14.30 | BT Sport
One of Sunday's clashes in the Bundesliga sees Hoffenheim take on struggling Schalke who sit down the bottom of the league and are only kept off the foot by Werder Bremen's terrible goal difference.
The side from Gelsenkirchen took the lead in midweek against Koln, yet the Billy Goats stormed back to win 3-1, heaping more misery on a side that is normally a top-half European team.
Hoffenheim, with their reputation as a free-flowing scoring and conceding side, sit in 11th with four draws from four games. They'll be disappointed to have conceded a 92nd-minute equaliser away at Darmstadt in midweek and will be keen and confident to get their first win against a Schalke side lacking any sort of confidence.
With Hoffenheim registering seven wins and eight draws from their last 20 games at the Rhein-Neckar Arena, it may be difficult for Schalke to get anything on Sunday afternoon.
The Royal Blues under new coach Markus Weinzierl have only scored the one goal this season and surely he must be scratching his head as to his team's appalling start this season; the visitors are 8/5 to get their first three points of the season here.
Schalke have lost 11 of their last 20 on their travels but will take heart from last season's clash where they walked away convincing 4-1 winners. In fact, their head-to-head record is reasonable and whilst I think that Hoffenheim at 7/4 could represent some value, I'm wary of a Schalke backlash – surely they have to kick into life sometime?
So whilst I won't put you off that, I'll offer up an alternative that may oblige by 45 minutes….Hoffenheim to score in the first-half.
Hoffe are strong starters having scored in 13/20 home games in the first-half – they'll be keen to attack a Schalke side, that if they concede early may buckle under the pressure.
It's something which has obliged in the last last head-to-head clashes at the Rhein-Neckar and at a price of evens (Betfair) may be a different angle to take. Hoffenheim's coach,
Niko Kovac will be looking for Mark Uth to increase his tally of three goals already this season whilst the firepower is also boosted with Sandro Wagner and Andrej Kramaric.
Best Bets
Hoffenheim v Schalke – Hoffenheim to score in the first-Half (1/1 Betfair)
