Bayer Leverkusen vs Stuttgart Prediction & Betting Tips (31 October)

Bayer Leverkusen host VfB Stuttgart at the BayArena on Saturday, 31 October 2026, in a Bundesliga Matchday 8 clash that arrives with both sides in very different moods. The Werkself sit fourth in the table and will be strong favourites, with the European odds priced around 1.75 for a home win, 4.20 for the draw and 4.60 for an away victory. Leverkusen bounced back from a shock 0-3 defeat at Hoffenheim with a composed European away win in midweek, capped by a comfortable 2-0 victory over OFI Crete, and Kasper Hjulmand's squad of the 2026/27 campaign — built around Mark Flekken, Robert Andrich, Loic Badé, Aleix García, Nathan Tella, Jonas Hofmann and Patrik Schick — remains one of the most attack-minded in the division despite the absence of the injured Moussa Diaby, Martin Terrier, Guéla Doué, Eliesse Ben Seghir and Christian Kofane.

Stuttgart, by contrast, arrive in Leverkusen sitting near the relegation zone and desperately short of momentum, having been beaten 2-3 at home by Borussia Mönchengladbach before grinding out a 1-1 draw against Atlético Madrid. Sebastian Hoeness's 2026/27 squad — featuring Alexander Nübel, Atakan Karazor, Angelo Stiller, Deniz Undav, Jamie Leweling and Chris Führich — is hampered by injuries to Nikolas Nartey, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Josha Vagnoman, Justin Diehl and Tiago Tomás, and the Swabians have lost their most recent league fixture away at Hamburg, which explains why the away win is priced as high as 4.60 in European odds.

The head-to-head history heavily favours the hosts — Leverkusen have won 19 of the last 31 meetings against Stuttgart's three, and the BayArena has rarely been a happy hunting ground for the visitors. However, Stuttgart will remember their stunning 4-1 win in Leverkusen earlier in 2026 and their 3-1 home success last season, which came when Undav and Leweling dovetailed superbly in attack. Hoeness's men will need a repeat of that clinical edge on Saturday, because Leverkusen's home attack has averaged close to three goals per match this season, converting chances at nearly double Stuttgart's rate.

Taking everything into account — home advantage, superior firepower, deeper squad and Stuttgart's mounting injury list — we back Bayer Leverkusen to claim all three points in a high-scoring contest. Our prediction is a 3-1 home win, which aligns with the home side's strong scoring record at the BayArena and Stuttgart's habit of conceding twice per game on the road. Given the available odds of roughly 1.75 for a Leverkusen win, a home victory backed by over 2.5 goals looks the most attractive play for this Bundesliga encoun