VfL Bochum vs Arminia Bielefeld Prediction

Right then, let's have a proper look at this scrap between two sides stuck in the middle of the 2. Bundesliga table. Bochum welcome Bielefeld to their patch, and on paper, this looks like a home banker if you ask me.

Bochum have been decent enough lately, winning half of their last 10 games. They've put some proper hammerings on the lower teams too - 3-0 against Greuther Fürth, 2-0 vs Braunschweig, and another 2-0 against Magdeburg. They're keeping clean sheets in half their games, which ain't bad at this level.

Bielefeld, on the other hand, are absolutely shocking on their travels. Zero wins in their last 5 away games, and they're leaking goals like a sieve - 2.4 per game on the road! They've lost 3 of their last 4 league matches and only seem to turn up at home where they beat Karlsruher 4-0 and Elversberg 2-0.

The stats paint a clear picture here. Bochum at home might only win 40% of the time, but Bielefeld away win 0% of the time. That's not a typo - they literally haven't won any of their recent away matches. When you're conceding nearly two and a half goals every time you leave home, you're asking for trouble.

Head-to-head, Bielefeld have historically had the edge, but at Bochum's place, it's much tighter - 2 wins each with a draw from 4 meetings. The last time they played was a 2-2 draw, but that was ages ago.

Both teams score similar amounts (1.6 per game), but with Bielefeld's away defense being so generous, I fancy Bochum to nick this one. The bookies have Bochum at 2.20, which looks about right to me - decent value for a home side against a team that can't buy a win on the road.