Last but not least, the Bundesliga begins on Friday with Bayern Munich hosting Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena, and Racing Post's Jack Ogalbe is on hand to provide his punting pointers for 2026/27.
Bayern won a record-extending 35th league title in 2025/26, then lifted the DFB-Pokal for the 21st time, another record. On Saturday, they returned from a limited pre-season by beating Der Klassiker rivals Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the Super Cup.
Little suggests Vincent Kompany's side won't dominate again but their development under the Belgian in the UEFA Champions League will be intriguing.
Other storylines worth following are Elversberg, from a town of 13,000, making their Bundesliga debut, while Schalke are also back in the big time.
Bundesliga Tips and Predictions
Outright Prediction: Bayern Munich (1/8)
Alternative Tip: Hoffenheim Top 4 Finish (4/1)
Dark Horse Tip: Stuttgart to Win Outright Without Bayern Munich (14/1)
Opening Weekend Fixtures
Bayern Munich v VFB Stuttgart (Friday, 19:30)
Cologne v Hoffenheim (Saturday, 14:30)
Elversberg v Bayer Leverkusen (Saturday, 14:30)
Mainz v Paderborn (Saturday, 14:30)
RB Leipzig v Borussia Mönchengladbach (Saturday, 14:30)
Union Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt (Saturday, 14:30)
Borussia Dortmund v Hamburg (Saturday, 17:30)
SC Freiburg v Werder Bremen (Sunday 14:30)
Augsburg v Schalke (Sunday, 16:30)
Champions Bayern kick off the Bundesliga against Stuttgart, who they beat 3-0 in May's DFB-Pokal final.
Five matches kick off at 14:30 on Saturday, including Elversberg's first-ever top-flight fixture, with Bayer Leverkusen visiting the Ursapharm-Arena. Borussia Dortmund then host Hamburg in the late match.
On Sunday, Freiburg host Werder Bremen and Augsburg take on returning Schalke.
Bundesliga Favourites
Bayern Munich lead the betting and are heavy odds-on at 1/8. Borussia Dortmund are next in the prices, at 10/1, followed by RB Leipzig at 14/1 and Bayer Leverkusen at 16/1.
Then there's a huge drop-off, with Stuttgart at 66/1 and Hoffenheim at 80/1.
Top Goalscorer Favourites
Harry Kane has won the Bundesliga's last top scorer award - known as the "Kicker-Torjägerkanone", which translates as "Kicker goal hunter cannon" and is sponsored by Kicker magazine - in all three seasons he has been in Germany.
Another success for the England captain would see him surpass Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Ulf Kirsten. He is odds-on at 2/5 to do so, but will still trail former Bayern Munich forwards Robert Lewandowski and Gerd Muller, both of whom were top scorers on seven occasions.
Borussia Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy is joint second in the market at the time of writing alongside Stuttgart's Deniz Undav, both at 8/1, with Bayer Leverkusen's Patrik Schick fourth at 10/1.
Of the next six contenders, five are from Bayern – Luis Diaz, Michael Olise, Lennart Karl, Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry. The other player priced under 50/1 is Eintracht Frankfurt's Jonathan Burkhardt at 33/1.
Data-Led Bundesliga Predictions & Analytics
When diving deeper into potential outcomes, advanced metrics like xGF (expected goals for) and clean sheet percentage give a more predictive edge than headline form.
Here’s what the data tells us about the leading contenders:
Harry Kane averaged 1.51 Goals and Assists per 90 minutes last season
Stuttgart finish fourth last season but had the second highest percentage of shots on target (39.9) behind Bayern
Gregor Kobel of Borussia Dortmund had a 76.2% save percentage in 2025/26
Kobel had a clean sheet percentage of 44.1, behind Bayern’s Jonas Urbig (54.4)
Hamburg finished 13th in their first season back in the Bundesliga and had the highest number of red cards (8) and second most yellow cards (78)
Bundesliga Outright Prediction
The Bundesliga is among the most competitive divisions in Europe…unless you're talking about the title race. Borussia Dortmund came close in 2022/23, before Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten season saw them win the competition for the first time the following year.
However, that remains the only occasion since 2012 that Bayern Munich have not topped the standings and that is not expected to change for 2026/27, as they are odds-on to defend the crown they won by 16 points last season.
Their rivals' hopes may hinge on Bayern being distracted by their quest for a seventh UEFA Champions League success, but Borussia Dortmund have lost Julian Brandt and Karim Adeyemi, while Nico Schlotterbeck will not play until October due to an ankle injury.
Der BVB's recruitment has focused on youth and an incoming at RB Leipzig is another of the league's main talking points, with Martin Demchelis appointed, but only after failing to save Mallorca from La Liga relegation last season.
They have also lost Yan Diomande, while Bayer Leverkusen are also under new management, with Carles Martinez Novell arriving after a decent spell at Toulouse.
Bayer have sold Kerim Alajbegovic after buying him back from Salzburg and Alejandro Grimaldo has joined Atletico Madrid.
While their primary rivals look to be going backwards, Bayern Munich have added well with left-back Nathaniel Brown, while the forward trio of Kane, Diaz and Olise can continue to improve.
Alternative Tip
It has been 20 months since Hoffenheim's Andrej Kramaric gave an explosive post-match interview in which he criticised the club, insisting "something's changed" after their 5-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in January 2025.
Things are now different, but for the better. The Kraichgauers' board chose to stick with Christian Ilzer, who had taken over in November 2024, and he guided the club to fifth last season.
Bazoumana Toure has joined Newcastle for a reported €50m, and Grischa Promel will also be missed after producing 10 goal involvements last season before joining Stuttgart on a free transfer.
However, the squad looks sensibly reinforced, with new faces in most positions providing the depth needed to compete in both the Bundesliga and Europa League.
Crucially, after previous upheaval, Kramaric, Ilzer and everyone else at the club appear settled and a first UEFA Champions League finish since placing third in 2017/18 feels a real possibility.
Dark Horses to Watch
Stability could also suit Stuttgart, and with Bayern so heavily fancied for the title, the Swabians may enjoy another under-the-radar season.
They finished fourth in 2025/26 and reached the cup final, and Sebastian Hoeness looks like the right coach for the right team at the right time.
Promel and Leo Sauer are smart attacking additions, while Undav and Ermedin Demirovic have proved capable of rotating in for each other and playing together when necessary.
The two teams that finished directly above them, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, may take time to settle after busy summers, while Bayer Leverkusen’s new coach offers another unknown.
Stuttgart are a great price to finish second, while the 6/1 on Eintracht Frankfurt to be in the top four could also be worth considering.
Die Adler were a disappointing eighth-place team last season, but that means they do not have to worry about European football, and the returning Adi Hutter can focus on domestic matters.
Hutter has a strong player pool, led by striker Burkhardt and improved by the arrival of midfielder Raphael Onyedika from Club Brugge. Playing fewer games can only be a plus, and it is worth remembering that most of this squad finished third in 2024/25.
Who Wins the Bundesliga?
There is little to suggest anything other than another Bayern Munich title. Not only are they improving as a team, but Vincent Kompany is also evolving as a coach.
UEFA Champions League glory has to be their goal, but is unlikely to come at the expense of domestic success.
Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen have the resources to enjoy decent campaigns, but with questions hanging over all three, others could benefit.
Read more football betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
