Bundesliga odds, picks: Predicting who will win Germany’s top domestic soccer league in 2021-22 season

Will anyone be able to break Bayern Munich’s ridiculous Bundesliga run this season? The German giants are going for a 10th straight league title, this time under first-year manager Julian Nagelsmann. Here’s a look at Bundesliga odds for the 2021-22 seasons courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

The favorite

Bayern Munich (-550)

Even with David Alaba and Jerome Boateng out, Bayern Munich have the most loaded roster in the Bundesliga. Robert Lewandowski, arguably the world’s best striker, returns to headline a dynamic attack featuring Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller and Kingsley Coman. German nationals Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich man the midfield and the backline remains solid with Alphonso Davies and newcomer Dayot Upamecano.

Nagelsmann, the first-year manager who joins Bayern with Upamecano from RB Leipzig, will have his hands full managing a squad of veterans. There could be some discomfort as he decides his rotations and first team, but there’s a reason the club brought him on. Unless there’s a massive amount of injuries or Nagelsmann’s tactics cause internal strife, Bayern is the clear favorite.

The other contenders

Borussia Dortmund (+650)

Dortmund has come closest to knocking Bayern Munich off its Bundesliga pedestal and will be expected to challenge the club once again. Jadon Sancho is gone but Erling Haaland, Marco Reus, Thorgan Hazard and Axel Witsel remain. USMNT’s Gio Reyna is emerging as a star and should continue to shine alongside Haaland.

The club came within two points of Bayern Munich in 2018-19 and has essentially been in an arms race ever since, but hasn’t been able to catch the favorite yet. Sancho’s departure creates a big hole, but Reyna should be able to fill the void. If Haaland can take another leap forward, Dortmund will be a true threat to Bayern’s dominance.

RB Leipzig (+1600)

Leipzig will have to recover after losing Upamecano and Nagelsmann, but the foundation is there for continued success. American manager Jesse Marsch takes over and has plenty of young talent at his disposal. Tyler Adams figures to be a factor in midfield, as does Emil Forsberg. Yussuf Poulsen, Dani Olmo, Marcel Sabitzer and Dominik Szoboszlai round out an intriguing core.

The biggest concern for Leipzig will be consistency. Mistakes are natural for a young team with a new manager, even if the talent level is high. Bayern Munich is rarely going to make mistakes in the domestic campaign. While Leipzig has invested a lot in the team and will be in the mix early, it’ll be tough to see the squad matching Bayern’s consistency over a full season.

Bayer Leverkusen (+6500)

We’re getting into longshots here at +6500, but Leverkusen always finds a way into the Bundesliga conversation. Despite losing Kai Havertz and Leon Bailey in back-to-back seasons, this squad still has some interesting names and could create some magic early in the season.

Patrik Schick, the Czech Republic sensation from Euro 2020, headlines Leverkusen’s 2021-22 squad. Odilon Kossounou is a big transfer from Club Brugge and should shore up the defense. Brazil’s Paulinho and Finland’s Joel Pohjanpalo will be keys to success for Leverkusen this year.

Borussia Monchengladbach (+6500)

Gladbach is another fringe contender. The club had tremendous success in the 1970s, but has failed to re-create that magic lately. This roster is loaded with international talent, including Yann Sommer, Stefan Lainer, Matthias Ginter and Denis Zakaria. Marcus Thuram remains a dynamic forward.

This team is not as bad as the odds suggest, but it is not complete enough to go head-to-head with Bayern Munich or even Borussia Dortmund for that matter. The experience will keep Gladbach consistent, but the talent level isn’t enough.

Best bet to win league: Bayern Munich (-550)

Dortmund, RB Leipzig and one of the longshots will make this race tight early in the season but Bayern Munich is too good and too deep to miss out on a 10th straight title. The squad has played together for so many years that it’s unlikely Nagelsmann’s unconventional tactics unravel a loaded unit. Lewandowski is still far back from Gerd Muller’s Bundesliga goals record, but the forward just came off a career-high 41 goals and appears to be getting better with age.

Best bet for top goalscorer: Erling Haaland (+225)

Lewandowski is the favorite at -175, but Haaland offers great value in the category. He’s going to be the primary striker again on one of the top teams in the league and can build on a 27-goal campaign from a season ago. Lewandowski did just pump in 41 goals, but he was averaging 28.3 goals per season over the three previous years. There’s a chance the Bayern striker drops off a bit, leaving the door open for the Dortmund phenom.

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