Bundesliga 2 Betting
The second tier of German football contains some of the biggest clubs in Germany. Such is the strength of the league, the likes of Hamburg, Hannover and 1. FC Nürnberg are very big teams in Germany, and it isn't that long ago that Hamburg and Hannover were playing European Football. Hamburg, in particular, has a very successful history in German football, so it is clear that the new season will be incredibly competitive. This season, Schalke 04 and Hertha Berlin will return to the second tier of Bundesliga football after their relegation from the first tier last season. These two sides were the favourites in the sportsbook odds at the start of the season, and that was represented at the end of the campaign. With each game that is played throughout the season, you can get an indication as to who the likely contenders will be, and the odds will be updated to show this.
How does Bundesliga 2 work?
Relegation and promotion work slightly differently in the German leagues. The team placed in the third position of the Bundesliga 2 will face the 16th-positioned team in the Bundesliga to determine who goes up or down. Relegation play-offs will also be played between the team sitting in 3rd bottom of Bundesliga 2 and the team finishing in 3rd of the 3. Liga.
The top two teams in the league will gain automatic promotion to the top tier of German football as a reward for their consistent performance throughout the season.
Bundesliga 2 Odds
Outright Betting Odds on Bundesliga 2
When looking to place a bet on the Bundesliga 2, it is important to take into consideration the current state of the teams, as this is a league that is inconsistent with form. Recent years has seen teams such as Schalke 04 and Hertha Berlin fall into Bundesliga 2, a team that had cemented their position in the top flight. This points towards the competitive nature of the German leagues, leaving a lot to predict each week.
In advance of the Bundesliga 2 season getting underway, you can make your predictions on the teams that you believe will succeed. This includes betting selections for the team to win the Bundesliga 2 title or those who will make the playoff positions.
As the relegation battle is different from other leagues in Europe, you can also make your outright predictions for the team that will win the play-off match. This will be a contest between the playoff team from 3. Liga and the team fighting to remain in Bundesliga 2. Before selecting from the Bundesliga 2 odds, view the form of teams in the leagues to get a better idea of who will likely be the favourite going into the match.
Over the course of the season, teams in the Bundesliga 2 will play a total of 34 games. Any teams that finish in the playoff places will also need to play those games. That said, for each matchday in the season, you can browse the outright odds based on individual game results, including over/under, correct score and handicap betting.
When checking the lower half of the table for which teams look destined for relegation, be sure to check out the goal difference column from the previous season and look at how those clubs have set out to fix those problems in the transfer window. If their squad doesn’t look fit for purpose, they’re who you should target when looking at football betting markets.
Bundesliga 2: Live Match Betting Odds
A lot of the time, when bettors are looking to place a bet on the second tier of German football, it is in the form of individual Bundesliga matches. For these games, you can find betting markets involving cards, goals, corners and more! Almost every market you can find for big events, such as the Champions League final, you can find for every game in the Bundesliga 2.
Be sure to check our markets just before the game begins, as you might not be able to see live odds for every market the day before a game in the lower tiers. However, once all the details of the game are finalised, such as line-ups, you should be able to see more in-depth betting markets than previously.
Bundesliga 2 Statistics
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Bottom | Relegated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | FC Heidenheim | Darmstadt 98 | SV Sandhausen | Jahn Regensburg |
| 2021/22 | Schalke 04 | Werder Bremen | FC Ingolstadt | Erzgebirge Aue |
| 2020/21 | VfL Bochum | Greuther Fürth | Würzburger Kickers | Eintracht Braunschweig |
| 2019/20 | Arminia Bielefeld | VfB Stuttgart | Dynamo Dresden | Wehen Wiesbaden |
| 2018/19 | 1. FC Köln | SC Paderborn | MSV Duisburg | 1. FC Magdeburg |
| 2017/18 | Fortuna Düsseldorf | 1. FC Nürnberg | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | Eintracht Braunschweig |
How well do Bundesliga 2 sides fair in the promotion play-off?
| Year | Bundesliga Team | Bundesliga 2 Team | 1st Leg | 2nd Leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | VfB Stuttgart | Hamburg | 3-0 | 3-1 |
| 2021/22 | Hertha BSC | Hamburg | 0-1 | 2-0 |
| 2020/21 | FC Koln | Holstein Kiel | 0-1 | 5-1 |
| 2019/20 | Werder Bremen | 1. FC Heidenheim | 0-0 | 2-2(a) |
| 2018/19 | VFB Stuttgart | Union Berlin | 2-2 | 0-0(a) |
| 2017/18 | VFL Wolfsburg | Holstein Kiel | 3-1 | 1-0 |
Historically, Bundesliga 2 sides have performed relatively poorly in regard to the promotion playoffs. Only two out of the last five playoffs have been won by the second-tier team and they've both been on away goals. Oddly enough, in the last three seasons, the Bundesliga team has failed to score in the opening game and then gone on to dominate in the final game when their backs have been against the wall. It seems to be the fear of dropping down into the second tier that unlocks that extra bit of quality these teams possess.
How well do Bundesliga 2 sides fair in the relegation play-off?
| Year | Bundesliga 2 Team | 3. Liga Team | 1st Leg | 2nd Leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | Arminia Bielefeld | Wehen Wiesbaden | 0-4 | 1-2 |
| 2021/22 | Dynamo Dresden | Kaisersalutern | 0-0 | 0-2 |
| 2020/21 | VfL Osnabruck | FC Ingolstadt | 0-3 | 3-1 |
| 2019/20 | FC Nurnberg | FC Ingolstadt | 2-0 | (a)1-3 |
| 2018/19 | FC Ingolstadt | Wehen Wiesbaden | 2-1 | 2-3(a) |
| 2017/18 | Erzgebirge Aue | Karlsruher SC | 0-0 | 3-1 |
Historically, the relegation play-off has always been a closer affair than the promotion play-off. This could be down to a number of reasons; however, the primary reason for this is due to the financial differences between the leagues, in comparison to the difference between Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, which is vastly larger than that of the comparison between Bundesliga 2 and 3. Liga. Historically, with this game, it may be the best value to bet on the fact that the tie will be decided on away goals, as these games tend to be incredibly well-balanced.
Want to see how the Bundesliga 2 compares to the Bundesliga? Check out our bundesliga betting for more information!
Bet on German Football at Bet UK
Looking to place bets on German Football outside of the Bundesliga 2? Check out our markets for the other competitions below:
