German Bundesliga
2026-09-20 - SC Paderborn vs TSG Hoffenheim
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football; Germany: Bundesliga
Home Deluxe Arena - Paderborn
Sunday, 20th September 2026 - kickoff 19:30 CET
SC Paderborn
SC Paderborn are still waiting for their first Bundesliga goal after three games. They opened with a 0-0 draw at Mainz, then lost 0-1 at home to SC Freiburg and another 3-0 defeat away against Borussia Dortmund. Interestingly, they have registered 33 attempts at goal without finding the net.
The lack of goals has overshadowed some decent defensive work. SC Paderborn kept Mainz scoreless on the opening weekend and held SC Freiburg to a single goal before Borussia Dortmund eventually broke them down twice in the second half. The bigger problem remains their inability to turn possession and chances into goals.
Ralf Kettemann's side also have some absences to manage. Timur Gayret, Nyamekye Awortwie-Grant, Lasse Eickel and Sven Michel were among the players listed as unavailable ahead of the Dortmund game, while the predicted line-up continues to feature Marvin Pieringer and Rayan Philippe in attack.
TSG Hoffenheim
TSG Hoffenheim have three points from their opening three Bundesliga games, with a 3-2 defeat at Köln followed by a 2-3 home loss to Borussia Dortmund and a 2-1 win over VfB Stuttgart last weekend. Adam Hlozek supplied both goals against VfB Stuttgart, so he is in good form.
The attack has offered considerably more than SC Paderborn's so far. TSG Hoffenheim have scored six times in three Bundesliga games, although they have also conceded seven. Hlozek has already found the net twice, while Adam Daghim and Tim Lemperle have added more pace and movement around the Czech forward.
TSG Hoffenheim now have to respond quickly after Thursday's Europa League trip to OFI Crete ended in a disappointing 2-0 defeat. Christian Ilzer's side missed several good chances in Greece, so this is a good chance to bounce back against a team that has yet to score.
The historical record also strongly favors TSG Hoffenheim. They are unbeaten in all six of their Bundesliga meetings with SC Paderborn, winning four and drawing two. The most recent meeting finished 1-1 in the 2019/20 season.
The Betting Verdict
I like TSG Hoffenheim here. SC Paderborn have looked organized enough to stay in games, but they have not scored in three matches and now face a TSG Hoffenheim side that has already found the net six times and is looking to bounce back from a European defeat.
The away win is around 1.60-1.67, which isn't great, but still solid for me. The Europa League defeat adds some doubt, but TSG Hoffenheim have more attacking quality and should have enough to get through a SC Paderborn side still searching for its first goal.
My top bet is TSG Hoffenheim to win. I can see SC Paderborn making this uncomfortable for a while, but I expect the visitors to leave with the points. My score pick is 0-2.
The Statistics :
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Pick :
SC Paderborn 0-2 TSG Hoffenheim
BEST BETTING TIP :
Take TSG Hoffenheim to win at odds of 1.67 with Bet365
