Germany’s Bundesliga Returns from Suspension, FanDuel to Stream Games in Betting Markets

Posted on: May 15, 2020, 09:52h. 

Last updated on: May 16, 2020, 07:03h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More

Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

Soccer fans can rejoice. Starting Saturday, Germany’s Bundesliga – one of the top professional leagues in the world – resumes action with a full slate of games over the weekend.

Six games will take place on Saturday, with five starting at 9:30 a.m. ET. It marks the first action in more than two months after German officials shut the league down after games concluded on March 8 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Each of the 18 teams has at least nine games remaining in their season, with two having 10 games left. Provided there are no more stoppages, play will conclude on June 27.

Bayern Munich currently holds the top spot in the league with 55 points and a goal differential of plus-47. Behind them is a tightly packed group of four, only three of which will earn spots in next year’s European Champions League. Borussia Dortmund is second with 51 points, and RB Leipzig is a point behind. Monchengladbach is fourth at 49 points, with Bayer Leverkusen two points back.

Bundesliga Games Broadcast on Fox and FanDuel

Fox Sports will broadcast all games, with Dortmund vs. Schalke – Saturday’s biggest game – on Fox Sports 1 at 9:30 a.m. ET Saturday. FS1, FS2, and other Fox networks will broadcast other games through the weekend, including the Monday afternoon (2:30 p.m. ET) contest between Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen

However, in addition to the Fox networks, bettors in states where FanDuel offers mobile betting can watch the games through the app on their devices.

The live streaming service is only available in Colorado, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia. FanDuel Director of Publicity Kevin Hennessy tells Casino.org that customers must be logged into accounts and have a positive balance into order to watch the games.

On the daily fantasy side, FanDuel is also debuting a daily fantasy contest for the Bundesliga. The top paid contest is a $25,000 guaranteed game, with $5,000 for the first place finisher.

Dortmund, Bayern Big Favorites

The Dortmund-Schalke matchup appears to be the top game of this week’s slate. For starters, Dortmund is trying to hold off Leipzig while making a move on Bayern, and Schalke is in sixth place and holding the second and final Europa League spot with 37 points. Three teams are within two points of them.

In addition, it’s a rivalry game, but the 156th Ruhr Derby will be unique in that fans will not be allowed in Signal Iduna Park, Germany’s largest stadium. That may definitely have an impact on the game, Dortmund officials said.

It’s strange,” Sporting Director Michael Zorc said. “A derby without spectators hurts your heart, to think about. When our supporters aren’t there, when the South Stand isn’t there, then we need more self-motivation and more self-momentum in order to be successful.”

At FanDuel, host Dortmund is a -200 favorite, with Schalke a +500 underdog on the three-way moneyline (draw is +340).

On Sunday, Bayern Munich will go on the road to face Union Berlin. Berlin isn’t expected to have a home-field advantage, as the Bundesliga’s leaders are -550 favorites, compared to the +1200 offs for Union, the longest straight-up odds of any team at FanDuel.

Road teams are actually favored in four of the nine games this weekend. For Monday’s game, Leverkusen is the -145 favorite at FanDuel, with next-to-last Werder Bremen at +380.