German Bundesliga
2026-09-20 - Schalke 04 vs SV Elversberg
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football; Germany: Bundesliga
Veltins Arena – Gelsenkirchen
Sunday, 20th September 2026 - kickoff 17:30 CET
Schalke 04
Schalke 04 have four points from their opening three Bundesliga games. They lost 3-0 away against Augsburg before holding Bayern Munich to a goalless draw at home, then picked up their first win of the season with a 1-3 away victory at Union Berlin. Robin Gosens, Adil Aouchiche and Maximilian Wöber got the goals in Berlin.
Defensive organization has been the main feature of Schalke 04's start. They kept German champions Bayern Munich scoreless at the Veltins-Arena and then looked much more dangerous in transition against Union Berlin, with Miron Muslić's side showing they can hurt teams when they get space to attack.
Schalke 04 will have to cope without Dejan Ljubičić, who picked up a knee injury during the win at Union Berlin. Emil Hojlund is also out, while Adrian Gantenbein and Bryan Lasme remain doubtful.
SV Elversberg
SV Elversberg have made an excellent start to their first Bundesliga season. They beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 on the opening weekend, came from 3-1 down to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-4 away and then pushed Bayern Munich hard before losing 1-2.
Maurice Krattenmacher has quickly become one of the main stories of their promotion campaign. The 22-year-old scored twice in the comeback against Borussia Mönchengladbach and then equalized against Bayern Munich, taking his Bundesliga tally to three goals. David Mokwa, Lukas Petkov and Francis Onyeka have also helped give Vincent Wagner plenty of attacking options.
The defensive side remains less convincing, though. SV Elversberg have conceded seven goals in three matches and have yet to keep a clean sheet.
Luis Seifert is out with an ankle injury, while Tom Zimmerschied remains a doubt over his match fitness.
The Betting Verdict
I like the look of goals here. SV Elversberg have scored eight in three games but conceded seven, while Schalke 04 have looked much more open when they attack compared with their cautious approach against Bayern Munich.
Over 2.5 goals is around 1.50, which is just enough for me. Schalke 04 have home advantage and should create chances, but SV Elversberg have already shown they can score against strong Bundesliga opposition.
My top bet is Over 2.5 Goals. I can see both sides finding the net, with 2-2 my pick.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Schalke 04 2-2 SV Elversberg
BEST BETTING TIP :
Take Over 2.5 Goals at odds of 1.50 with Cloudbet
