Crystal Palace vs 1899 Hoffenheim: prediction, tip and odds, 5 November 2026, UEFA Europa League

Crystal Palace vs 1899 Hoffenheim betting prediction

Crystal Palace welcome 1899 Hoffenheim to Selhurst Park on 5 November 2026, with the kick-off set for 17:45. The key question here is whether Hoffenheim's recent winning form outweighs Palace's home advantage and their higher standing over the visitors in this competition. We believe it does, and our tip is the away side.

Table position against recent results

In this competition alone, Palace are 15th with 4 points from 3 matches, after a win, a draw and a loss, having scored 8 and conceded 5. Hoffenheim sit 23rd on 3 points, with a single win and two defeats, and have also scored 5 while conceding 5. Those are small samples, and the table says little more than that Palace have made the better start here.

Looking at all competitions, the form tells a different story. Palace have gone five games without a win. They drew 2-2 away at Beşiktaş and dropped the other four, among them a 5-0 loss at Brighton and a 2-0 loss at Tottenham. Hoffenheim, by contrast, have collected three wins from their last five, including 3-0 home victories against Lyon and Bayer Leverkusen, though their most recent outing was a 2-0 defeat at Werder Bremen. Given that, we would back the visitors' recent run ahead of Palace's league standing every time.

Goals scored and conceded

In this competition Palace have been the stronger scorers, netting 2.7 goals a match compared with Hoffenheim's 1.7. Both teams allow 1.7 per game here, so the gap is about attack, not defence. Palace's home record, a single win in which they scored 4, reads well on paper, yet it rests on just one match.

The more pressing worry for Palace lies in how they hold up over a longer stretch. They have let in 14 goals across their last five outings in every competition, and just two of those five games saw both sides find the net. Hoffenheim's forwards have fired 10 goals in that same span. The market projects roughly three goals overall, with Palace around 2 and Hoffenheim around 1, and the scorelines considered most probable are 1-1, 2-1 and 1-0.

No previous meetings to go on

No previous fixture between these two sides turns up in our records, which leaves no head-to-head history to factor in. Our case therefore depends on recent results, league position and the odds, and in our view all three point in the same direction.

Absences on both sides

Palace have nine absentees, namely C. Doucoure, Z. Gozo, E. Guessand, J. Lerma, C. Riad, T. Tomiyasu, J. Larsen, I. Sarr and Q. Timber. With that many out, the hosts are tougher to read than their league position implies. On Hoffenheim's side, eight players won't be available: B. Conte, N. De Cat, L. Engelns, V. Gendrey, A. Hajdari, R. Hranac, P. Wimmer and V. Coufal. Checking both squads' team sheets ahead of the whistle is advisable, since a last-minute switch could move the price.

Hoffenheim +0.5

Our top pick is 1899 Hoffenheim +0.5 (Asian handicap) at odds 1.98 (chance 50%). The bet survives unless 1899 Hoffenheim lose by one goal or more, so a draw or a win keeps it alive, and only a one-goal defeat or worse settles it against us. Among the most probable scorelines, the bet cashes on 1-1, 1-2 and 2-2, while 2-1, 1-0 and 2-0 send it down.

Our case rests on two points. Hoffenheim have taken 3 wins from their last 5 games across all competitions, whereas Palace have not recorded a single victory in that span. The handicap is priced at evens-plus, with odds of 1.98 implying 50% at best, so the value is reasonable rather than exceptional. For that reason, a modest stake makes sense.

Another tip: Both teams to score

Our second pick is Both teams to score at 1.50 odds (63% chance). Hoffenheim has gone without scoring in just 1 of their last 5 games, and a total of roughly three goals points to a match where both sides hit the back of the net. The market prices this at 63% at the best available odds of 1.50. It wins on 1-1, 2-1, 1-2 and 2-2 and loses on 1-0 and 2-0.

Backing both tips together means a 1-1 or a 2-2 wins twice, while 1-0 or 2-0 loses both. A 2-1 wins the second tip and loses the first, so the pair works best if the match is level or goes to the visitors by a goal.

Three other bets worth a look

Rather than committing everything to the two main selections, we prefer to spread a smaller amount across these additional bets at their current odds:

• 1899 Hoffenheim +1 (Asian handicap) at odds 1.52 (chance 63%). With the +1 line, you collect unless the club drops by a margin of two goals or more, while a single-goal loss refunds your wager. This is a conservative angle on the away side.
• 1899 Hoffenheim +1.75 (Asian handicap) at odds 1.25 (chance 76%). Half the stake goes on +1.5 and half on +2. A defeat by exactly 2 loses half the stake and returns the other half, so this is the safest of the three, though the return is small.
• Over 2.5 goals at odds 1.55 (chance 62%). It lines up with the bookmakers' projected total of roughly three goals and fits neatly with the second tip.

Verdict

Palace enjoy home advantage, a higher league position and the stronger goal return in this competition. On the other side of the ledger, they have failed to win in any of their previous five games, and they have been conceding far too often, whereas Hoffenheim have collected three victories from their recent run despite eight players being unavailable. We would take the away side at the price on offer, staking modestly, and anticipate an open contest where both teams could find the net.