German Cup - DFB Pokal Predictions & Betting tips

Find our free DFB Pokal prediction on who will lift the trophy as well as our expert predictions on all the German Cup football matches (2026-2027). Lots of information for your sports betting!

DFB Pokal presentation and predictions

The DFB Pokal, also known as the German Cup, is a knockout competition involving 64 teams, including Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bayern Munich are by far the most successful team in the history of the DFB Pokal (21 titles), followed by Werder Bremen with 6 titles. In recent years, the trophy has been shared between five teams: Bayern, then BVB, Leipzig twice in succession, Bayer Leverkusen, and most recently, Stuttgart and Bayern. 

As you will have gathered, it's no longer a competition that is dominated by Bayern Munich these days! Do you think you know who will win the DFB Pokal next? Then get your bets ready!

Bet on the DFB Pokal with Bet365

DFB Pokal prediction: who will win the 2026-27 German Cup title?

Bayern Munich will be out to defend their DFB Pokal crown this season but will face stiff competition. They have the record  of 21-time wins of this competition and dominate the clubs competitions,but teams like Leverkusen, Frankfurt and Leipzig will all be feeling like this could be their year as well. 

It was hard to stop this Bayern Munich team in domestic competitions this season. There's considerable firepower in this Bayern team and they're performing like one of the best attacking teams in Europe at the moment. With Michael Olise ascending to superstar status, Luis Diaz slotting in seamlessly on the left, Harry Kane smashing in the goals up top and Serge Gnabry experiencing something of a renaissance, opponents are left confounded on how to stop them. 

Bayern were considerable favourites to lift their first DFB Pokal since 2020 and they confirmed their statut of favorite by winning the final 3-0 against Stuttgart. We think they will go again next year. Our 2026-27 DFB Pokal prediction: Bayern Munich to be champions!

DFB Pokal 2026-27: odds on the favourites

• Bayern Munich - 2.10
• Borussia Dortmund - 5.50
• Bayer Leverkusen - 7.50
• RB Leipzig - 7.50
• VfB Stuttgart - 13.00
• Eintracht Frankfurt - 18.00
• Freiburg - 34.00
• Mainz - 50.00
• TSG Hoffenheim - 60.00
• Augsburg - 70.00
• Borussia Mönchengladbach - 70.00
• Hambourg - 70.00
• Werder Bremen - 70.00
• FC Koln- 80.00
• Schalke 04 - 80.00

Odds taken from Bet365

Beginners Guide - how does the German Football Cup work?

The DFB Pokal brings together a total of 64 teams, who compete over several months in knockout matches. All the clubs in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga take part (as well as the four best 3. Liga teams), and some dream of making history by winning the cup against teams with far greater resources.

A draw takes place before each round, so there's always a chance of upsets as teams from the lower leagues try to outwit the 'big boys'. In this way, you can easily find interesting bets to play on the German Cup, whether on the favourites or the underdogs.

This tournament runs from August to May, and the winner qualifies for the German Supercup (DFL Supercup) as well as the UEFA Europa League, unless the winner has already qualified for the UEFA Champions League via the Bundesliga.

The final has been held at Berlin's Olympic Stadium every season since 1985, and this year will be no different. Previously, cup finals were replayed in the event of a draw, but the DFB (German Football Association) decided to change the format by organising a penalty shoot-out after extra time instead.

This change was extended to all cup matches in 1991, and this is the format that will be used for the 2026-27 German Cup. The rules of the DFB Pokal are simple: in the event of a draw at the end of the 90 minutes, extra time and a penalty shoot-out will follow.

Main dates to remember:

• First round: August 21–24 and September 1–2
• Second round: October 27–28
• Round of 16: December 1–2
• Quarterfinals: February 2, 3, 9, and 10
• Semifinals: April 20–21
• Final: May 29, 2027

How to make good predictions on every German Cup match?

To make good predictions on the German Cup (DFB Pokal) or any other football prediction, an in-depth analysis is necessary. Certain factors will be of vital importance, and that's why our experts would like to share their top tips with you. This should ensure that you improve your chances for success in this rather popular competition in Europe and around the world.

Here are a few tips to help you improve your cup predictions:

• Analyse each club's performances in the league
• Look at each team's record in the German Cup
• Take into account the calendar of the teams taking part in the DFB Pokal
• Beware of odds that are too low in the German Cup

Below, you'll find details of each of these tips for making the best German Cup predictions.

Analyse each club's league performances

First of all, the first thing to do before placing a bet on the German Cup is to assess the chances of each team taking part. With this in mind, analysing their performances in the league can prove very effective. Teams that are successful in the Bundesliga or in their respective divisions are often in better shape and have more confidence to succeed in the cup too. 

However, bear in mind that some Bundesliga teams may be more focused on staying up or on European competitions, which may influence their priorities in the German Cup. The depth of a team's squad also comes into play and is an important factor. A team with a solid starting XI may perform very well in the league, but risk turning over the team in the German Cup and having problems if the level of the substitutes is a notch lower.

So make sure you understand the potential of each squad. For example, a club like Bayern Munich will certainly have more depth and quality on the bench than a second-division club that relies on its first-team regulars to make the difference.

Look at teams' German Cup records

The history of clubs in the tournament is also an indicator of whether or not a team is paying close attention to the German Cup. Clubs who have won the competition in the past or who have reached advanced stages are more likely to make the cup a goal than a good position in the league table.

As you can see, some clubs are better prepared for cup matches than others. Teams like Eintracht Frankfurt, Freiburg and Stuttgart, for example, can easily be underestimated, but they are used to shining in this competition. Of course, it's best to look at the record of recent years, which is more relevant than results from 40 or 50 years ago. Logic that works regardless of the competition.

Take into account the schedule of teams taking part in the DFB Pokal

When analysing the German Cup matches, you can also take into account the calendar of the participating teams. The DFB Pokal is an event that spans several months and is played in addition to the league and European cups throughout the year. This means the potential for a congested fixture list, which can have negative effects on team performance. This is especially true if there is an important match, such as a derby, immediately before or after the cup tie.

Teams that play a large number of games in a short space of time can also accumulate fatigue, which can lead to a drop in player fitness or injuries. Therefore, be sure to check the schedule of each team competing in the German Cup and understand how they manage their squad according to their priorities.

Beware of odds that are too low in the German Cup

Finally, beware of odds that are too low on the favourites in the DFB Pokal. Teams from lower divisions will often give their all when they come up against more prestigious opponents, meaning that upsets are far from rare in the German Cup. In the last two editions, for example, a club from the second division reached the final, which surprised many.

In general, avoid betting on unattractive odds in the DFB Pokal, as the risk is always there. For this type of cup competition, you can instead try smaller bet sizes on the higher odds or handicap bets if you gather information that could point towards an underdog victory.

What not to do for your DFB Pokal predictions

When it comes to sports betting, committing a few mistakes can wind up costing you dearly. Thanks to their experience in the field, SportyTrader's tipsters have identified some of the most common habits to avoid in order to improve your bottom line when betting on the DFB Pokal:

• Betting too far in advance without having any information about the match
• Risking high stakes on German Cup bets
• Not comparing DFB Pokal odds between different bookmakers
• Trying to combine German Cup bets with numerous other bets
• Increasing your bet amount in order to chase losses
• Playing the bookmakers' boosted odds without analysing the matches
• Ignoring what is at stake for the competing teams in a German Cup match

By avoiding these mistakes and following the advice given above, you will be able to make more reliable predictions on the DFB Pokal.

DFB Pokal: statistics you need to know

Want to maximise your results in the German Cup? If so, it's worth taking a look at the various data and statistics relating to this competition.

Here are some figures and statistics from the recently completed 2025-26 edition of the competition that will help you to form more reliable opinions on each DFB Pokal match. Use these in addition to your match analysis to make the difference at the sports betting sites!

• Home wins: 41%
• Draws: 13%
• Away wins: 66%
• Average goals: 3.30 goals per game
• +0.5 goals: 97%
• -0.5 goals: 3%
• +1.5 goals: 79%
• -1.5 goals: 21%
• +2.5 goals: 60%
• -2.5 goals: 40%
• +3.5 goals: 43%
• -3.5 goals: 57%
• +4.5 goals: 27%
• -4.5 goals: 73%
• Goal timing distribution: 76-90 minutes (26%)
• First half goals: 43%
• Second half goals: 57%
• Average home team goals: 1.10
• Average away team goals: 2.21
• “Both teams to score: yes”: 43% of matches
• Average shots per match: 30.11 shots
• Wins by 2 goals or more (handicap): 55.7% of matches
• Correct score 0-0: 3.2% of matches
• Correct score 1-1: 4.8% of matches
• Most frequent score: 0-1 or 1-0 (14.3% of games)

This data, from the 2025–2026 season, will be very useful to you when placing bets on the 2026–2027 German Cup. For example, you’ll notice that there are a large number of away wins in this tournament, largely because teams from higher divisions travel to face teams from less prestigious divisions.

Similarly, handicap wins are also common, accounting for more than half of the matches. Furthermore, many German Cup matches feature a flurry of goals, which is a clear trend in German soccer. Therefore, “Over” bets are worth considering on multiple occasions. Check back on this page as often as you like to find the most profitable DFB-Pokal odds for your German Cup bets.

Bet on the DFB Pokal with Bet365

In short: how to bet on the DFB Pokal?

To conclude with this German Cup predictions page, you can keep in mind the tips given above by our experts on German football. You can also take advantage of the most important statistics on this tournament and our free services to follow the matches live, namely our 100% free DFB Pokal livescore.

Finally, our odds comparator also allows you to enter the best value for each prediction, so that you can always look for the best possible winnings in the event of a victory. That's how you can optimise your German Cup football results. Word from the experts.

Our current DFB Pokal Predictions

Our DFB Pokal predictions and betting tips will be available soon. Check back regularly for the latest insights.

German Cup - DFB Pokal: best odds