German 2.Bundesliga
2025-10-24 - Schalke 04 vs SV Darmstadt 98
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football; Germany: 2. Bundesliga
Veltins Arena – Gelsenkirchen
Friday, 17th October 2025 - kickoff 18:30 CET
Schalke 04
Schalke 04 caught many by surprise this season, and it doesn’t look like they are stopping. After a difficult last season when they struggled near the bottom, this time around, they play like true Bundesliga contenders.
Schalke 04 amazingly won 7 of their 9 league games, including each of their last four! Their team atmosphere and unity are strong right now, so they look like a decent bet. Last week, they showed another dominant performance against their rivals from the top, Hannover 96, beating them comfortably 0-3 away.
Besides winning, Schalke 04 also currently boasts the best defense in the 2.Bundesliga, allowing just five goals in all their season matches so far.
SV Darmstadt 98
SV Darmstadt 98 are also Bundesliga contenders, unbeaten in five consecutive 2.Bundesliga matches. They won three in a row and drew their last two against Holstein Kiel (1-1) and Magdeburg (0-0).
Their last week’s goalless draw against bottom Magdeburg was a big setback, so we should expect SV Darmstadt 98 to push harder in this game. However, they will be without their regular Spanish right-back, Sergio López, who was red-carded last week.
SV Darmstadt 98 was excellent at home, but not so good in their road matches so far. They showed mixed displays, winning twice, losing once and drawing once in their four away games so far.
The Betting Verdict
SV Darmstadt 98 has the better record of four wins in the last six duels against Schalke 04, including winning 2-0 in their most recent duel last February.
Now I think Schalke 04 has much better chances to win, considering their exceptional form, but SV Darmstadt 98 is a tough opponent.
Interestingly, there were a whopping 23 goals scored in the most recent four head-to-head duels between the sides, which is a market I would rather focus on in this fixture.
Both teams to score looks like a realistic bet and my main bet recommendation, but you can also try with Schalke 04 to win this game at valuable odds.
The Pick :
Schalke 04 2-1 SV Darmstadt 98
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
Take both teams to score: YES at odds of 1.57 at Bet365
