Werder kicked off the season with a 2-2 draw at Arminia; Schalke won 3-0 at home to Hannover, scoring all three from set-pieces with Bordon and Kuranyi causing particular problems.

This match pits the sides who were 2nd and 3rd last season. Werder scored 75 goals last season, the season before it was 76, and 2005/06 they hit 79 goals. They have been far and away the most attacking and entertaining team in the past few years.

Last year, they beat Schalke 5-1 in the corresponding fixture, a result all the more remarkable given it was the Royal Blues only defeat in their last 12 Bundesliga games of 2007/08.

Last year 13 of Werder's 34 league games saw over 3.5 goals and for Schalke this figure was 9 of 34. As such, the bookies are quoting around $1.72 for the Over 2.5 goals market and the Over 3.5 goals market at $2.75.

Match Betting Previews 23-25 August 2008 >>> Premiership: Blackburn v Hull - Liverpool v Middlesbrough - Newcastle v Bolton - Stoke v Aston Villa - Spurs v Sunderland - WBA v Everton - Fulham v Arsenal - Wigan v Chelsea - Man City v West Ham - Portsmouth v Man Utd Bundesliga: Dortmund v Bayern - Werder v Schalke - Stuttgart v Leverkusen Ligue 1: Le Havre v Marseille - Lyon v Grenoble - Bordeaux v Nantes Champions League: Arsenal v Twente - Liverpool v Standard - Atletico v Schalke

This only serves to increase the odds for the Under 2.5 goals market and this is where the great value is. Despite both sides being capable of scoring goals, they often tend to cancel each other out when they meet.

Excluding the 5-1 thrashing at the end of last season, 9 of these sides' last 12 league and cup meetings have seen under 2.5 goals. In this light, the $2.25 on Under 2.5 goals looks like fantastic value.

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Bet: Under 2.5 goals Odds: $2.25 Stake: 8pts Bookies: Stan James

Match Betting Previews 23-25 August 2008 >>> Premiership: Blackburn v Hull - Liverpool v Middlesbrough - Newcastle v Bolton - Stoke v Aston Villa - Spurs v Sunderland - WBA v Everton - Fulham v Arsenal - Wigan v Chelsea - Man City v West Ham - Portsmouth v Man Utd Bundesliga: Dortmund v Bayern - Werder v Schalke - Stuttgart v Leverkusen Ligue 1: Le Havre v Marseille - Lyon v Grenoble - Bordeaux v Nantes Champions League: Arsenal v Twente - Liverpool v Standard - Atletico v Schalke