Can Rapid Vienna end their losing streak against Linz?
This weekend, Austria’s top division kicks off the new season. Among others, SK Rapid Vienna and FC Blau-Weiß Linz will face each other. In terms of odds, the winner of this match seems to be a foregone conclusion, as we are offered maximum odds of only 1.53 for a home win, while an away win would return six times our stake.
However, if we look at the previous season, it is not immediately clear why the German bookmakers’ odds for a Rapid Vienna vs. BW Linz tip are so clearly in favor of a home win. In the past season, the two clubs were neighbors in the table and thus almost neck and neck.
In our Rapid Vienna vs. BW Linz prediction, we therefore want to look at the reasons for the clear division of roles and first take a look at the home and away records of the two teams. The bookmakers’ approach is immediately clear, as the Viennese are difficult to beat at home and were one of the best home teams in the Austrian Bundesliga last season with 32 points from 16 home games.
In addition, Linz struggled away from home, picking up just 14 points on the road last season. This point therefore goes clearly to the home team, confirming the trend among the major bookmakers.
However, we would still advise against betting on Rapid Vienna to win against BW Linz for the following reasons. The Green-Whites lost three extremely important players in the summer: Guido Burgstaller, Isak Jansson, and Dion Drena Beljo. The trio collected 58 points last season and played a key role in qualifying for the UEFA Conference League.
It seems almost impossible to compensate for these departures. However, this does not change the fact that the home team’s squad (€44.40 million) is better equipped individually than the away team’s selection (€10.58 million). Therefore, the best odds, currently at Interwetten, are also 1.53.
Rapid Vienna – BW Linz Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
Rapid Vienna has a better individual squad and is also relatively strong at home. However, we do not consider Peter Stöger’s team to be the clear favorite. This is primarily due to the H2H comparison between the two teams, as the home side has now gone four games without a win against Linz.
We therefore believe that the Rapid Vienna vs. BW Linz betting odds should be a little closer. However, the bookmakers are probably looking more at the overall record. With 41 wins in 87 games (50.57%), this is relatively clear in favor of the Viennese. By comparison, BWL has only 22 wins and thus a win rate of just 25.29 percent. For us, however, this is rather irrelevant.
Rapid Vienna – BW Linz Tip
We recommend betting on Rapid Vienna vs. BW Linz with a handicap of +2 for a win by the away team. The home team is favored for good reason, but they lost some quality players over the summer. This was particularly evident in the offensive against regional league team Wacker Innsbruck (1-0) in the cup match.
In addition, Peter Stöger’s team has been waiting for a win against Linz for four games and would have preferred a different opponent to start the season. For this reason, we expect a very close result and even believe the away team is capable of getting a point. However, based on the individual quality, we are backing a narrow home win.
If this betting tip is a little too risky for you, we recommend the Rapid Vienna vs. BW Linz odds for “both teams to score – no.” The home side has lost a lot of offensive power due to the departures of several players. In addition, Linz is not particularly dangerous on the road, scoring only 15 goals in 16 away games last season.
Furthermore, the last meeting between the two teams ended in a goalless draw. You can find the best odds for this tip at Bet365. There you will not only find the highest odds, but also interesting bonus offers.
