Crème de la Crème of the HBL: Kiel welcomes SCM

The HBL is back – and with a Bundesliga thriller! The record champions from Kiel will host league leaders SC Magdeburg in the first Bundesliga match of this calendar year. Both clubs are in impressive form. Kiel in particular: The Zebras have won each of their last seven Bundesliga games since the 33:36 defeat against Hannover.

Nevertheless, six points still separate the record champions from the top of the table. The championship is currently only a pipe dream, even if a comeback is still mathematically possible. However, the Zebras go into Wednesday evening’s top match as favorites. Odds of 1.91.

for a Kiel vs. SC Magdeburg bet on the hosts.

The last time the two clubs met, SCM prevailed 34:31 against the Kiel handball team. It was SC Magdeburg’s first Bundesliga win against Kiel since October 2021

Betting fans who are also leaning towards a Magdeburg win on matchday 20 of the HBL can currently get odds of up to 2.40 for a THW Kiel vs. It would be Kiel’s second home defeat of the current Bundesliga season. So far, the Zebras have only lost the home game against Melsungen in the 2023/24 HBL season

THW Kiel – statistics & current form

The Zebras are in the fast lane in the HBL. Since the defeat against the “Recken”, THW Kiel has not lost any of its last seven league games. Among other things, they also managed to get revenge against TSV Hannover-Burgdorf. In the last Bundesliga match before the winter break, the Kiel handball team swept TSV out of their own arena with a 34:20 victory.

It was the 14th Bundesliga game in a row in which Kiel scored 30+ goals. It is quite possible that this scoring rate will also be underpinned against SC Magdeburg. The H2h of the two elite teams also speaks for this. THW have scored at least 30 goals per game in their last four Bundesliga encounters.

The Zebras will also benefit from home advantage. They have won their last five competitive matches at the Wunderino Arena, including two home games in the Champions League. The record champions now head into the showdown against SC Magdeburg with a broad chest

Next offensive spectacle for the Kiel handball team?

Although some of Kiel’s players shone at the recent European Championship, THW coach Filip Jicha will not be making any major changes to the playing system. “Skippy”, as youngster Elias Ellefsen á Skipagotu is also known, is also hoping for more playing minutes. Skippy” delivered strong performances at the European Handball Championship and was a factor in the Faroese team’s success.

Ellefsen can certainly be a secret weapon against the visitors’ strong defense. However, Kiel’s squad is already full of top-class players. The Zebras are also the only team in the HBL to have a European champion in their ranks in keeper Samir Bellahcene.

Kiel’s opponents have only lost once in the current Bundesliga season. If the Zebras inflict the next defeat on the league leaders in the current HBL season, there are odds of 1.91 on Kiel v SC Magdeburg for a bet on the German record champions from Kiel

SC Magdeburg – Statistics & current form

SC Magdeburg have not had the best start to the season in the German Handball League. In the first eight Bundesliga games, SCM went winless twice, including a defeat against Füchse Berlin. Since then, however, the Magdeburg handball team has been brimming with confidence and has consequently taken the lead in the table.

Like record champions Kiel, SCM have also shone on the international stage. In the Champions League, Magdeburg are in second place after ten match days and are the second strongest team in Group B behind FC Barcelona. In contrast to the Zebras, SCM already resumed play last week.

SC Magdeburg beat Rhein-Neckar Löwen 34:24 in the DHB Cup to advance to the semi-finals. It was the fifth win in a row for the Magdeburg handball team in all competitions. In each of these five matches, the SCM scored at least 30 goals per game. A high-scoring match against THW Kiel is therefore almost inevitable

With concentrated offensive power to the coup?

Although head coach Bennet Wiegert’s team dominated their opponents and even notched up two clear victories against the RNL, the Magdeburgers are classified as underdogs in Kiel. Surprising, because the H2h in the Handball Bundesliga speaks in favor of the SCM.

Magdeburg have not lost a single league game in Kiel’s arena since September 2017. In the last four league encounters in Kiel, the record is 2-2-0 in favor of SCM. The last time Magdeburg visited Kiel, the two clubs drew 34:34.

It is not out of the question that the 68-goal mark will be broken this time either. Both teams have been in excellent form offensively of late. However, Magdeburg also impressed in defense. Statistically speaking, SCM have the best defense in the Bundesliga. On average, only 27 goals were conceded per match

THW Kiel – SC Magdeburg head-to-head comparison / H2H record

The two clubs meet for the 72nd time. The Kiel handball team leads the H2H against SCM with a record of 43-7-21. However, the record champions from Kiel are winless in their last three head-to-head meetings and have even lost two – one defeat in extra time of the 2023 DHB Cup – against SCM.

In the first half of the current season, Magdeburg prevailed against the Zebras with a 34:31 victory. It was the third Bundesliga clash in a row in which the 60-goal mark between the two clubs was broken. Betting on a high-scoring Bundesliga match is also obvious this time

THW Kiel – SC Magdeburg betting tip

SC Magdeburg started the year 2024 with a clear victory in the DHB Cup against Rhein-Neckar Löwen. Last year’s Champions League winners not only dominated offensively, but also impressed once again with their aggressive defense. Only 24 goals were conceded against Rhein-Neckar.

They now aim to build on this against the record champions from Kiel. The Magdeburg handball team will approach the top match on matchday 20 of the German Handball League as slight underdogs. This assessment by the bookmakers is mainly due to the Zebras’ form curve. After all, Kiel have won each of their last seven Bundesliga matches

Both clubs are in top form. It is therefore risky to place a bet on the 1X2 market. Instead, we opt for the betting option Over 61.5 goals in the match. For our THW Kiel vs SC Magdeburg betting tip on a high-scoring encounter, we are using five units. The best odds are offered by Bet365