German Bundesliga
2026-04-17 - St.Pauli vs Koln
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football; Germany: Bundesliga
Millerntor Stadion – Hamburg
Friday, 17th April 2026 - kickoff 20:30 CET
St.Pauli
St.Pauli’s run of five winless Bundesliga games (three losses, two draws) saw them drop to third from the bottom. They are three points behind the safe zone with five matches left, and this is a must-win match for them.
St.Pauli lost 0-5 to Bayern Munich last week, an expected result, and they showed nothing in that game. Now their next two against direct rivals Köln and Heidenheim will likely decide their destiny, whether they remain in the Bundesliga or drop out.
So far, four of St.Pauli’s six wins have come at home, so they tend to be more comfortable in front of their fans.
The most worrying thing about St.Pauli is their extremely weak attack. They are the worst-scoring side in the German Bundesliga, netting only 25 goals in 29 matches.
Köln
Köln are in revival, going unbeaten in four straight Bundesliga games for the first time this season. They played three straight draws before beating Werder Bremen 3-1 last week, but are far from safe.
In theory, Köln needs to win twice in the last five games to be perfectly safe, but four points could also be enough depending on other games. Still a lot to play for, with many calculations to make with five games remaining.
Köln have scored twice or more in each of their last three games, so their attack is clicking well. Also, all of their last three matches ended with 3+ goals.
The weakest part of Köln is away performances – winless in six, they drew three and lost three of their last six trips.
The Betting Verdict
The first duel ended in a 1-1 draw, and I predict another tight and low-scoring game.
St.Pauli are under bigger pressure sitting in the drop zone, while Köln could be satisfied with a point from this hot trip. In any case, I don’t expect either side to rush things.
I lean slightly towards St.Pauli because of the pressure, plus they've been decent at home so far, and Köln are poor travellers overall.
For added safety, we will use the draw as a backup, so take St.Pauli on a double chance bet in this match.
The Pick :
St.Pauli 1-1 Köln
BEST BETTING TIP :
Take St.Pauli to win or draw (1X) at odds of 1.50 at Cloudbet
