Bochum vs Stuttgart prediction 20.01.2024

• Competition: Bundesliga
• Date: Saturday, 20th January 2024
• Kickoff: 14:30 UTC / 15:30 CET
• Venue: Vonovia Ruhrstadion (Bochum)

After being promoted from Bundesliga 2 in the 2020/21 season, Bochum found themselves in the lower half of the league table for the next two years, finishing at 13th and 14th place. However, they still achieved their primary objective of avoiding relegation. This year seems to be following a similar pattern, with Bochum once again in the lower half of the league table, but with a safe distance from the relegation zone. At present, Bochum holds the 14th position with 17 points, six points clear of the danger zone.

Stuttgart enters this season following a dismal one where they ended up in 16th place and were forced to compete in the relegation play-out. Fortunately, they defeated HSV and ensured their survival. Unexpectedly, the Reds have performed brilliantly this year, maintaining a position in the top three for most of the season. However, they are about to face a difficult time as several of their crucial players have departed for the ongoing Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Bochum vs Stuttgart pick: Bochum to win or draw

Although Bochum is at the bottom of the league’s table, they have shown considerable reliability in home games. They lost just one out of eight home Bundesliga games, which was against Borussia Monchengladbach.

Stuttgart has been performing excellently all season, however, their momentum seems to be waning with only one win in their last four games. Their schedule has been challenging, but this poor run is concerning nonetheless. Additionally, there’s a significant discrepancy in Stuttgart’s home and away performances. To illustrate, they have a 78% win rate at MHPArena in Stuttgart as compared to a considerably lower 50% win rate when playing away.

Given Stuttgart’s poor performance in away games, the lack of key players, and Bochum’s strong home game record, we predict that Bochum will likely gain at least one point in the match at Vonovia Ruhrstadion.