German Bundesliga
2025-05-17 - Mainz vs Bayer Leverkusen
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football; Germany: Bundesliga
Mewa Arena - Mainz
Saturday, 17th May 2025 - kickoff 15:30 CET
Mainz
This was a lovely season for Mainz. They are sixth in the Bundesliga, the final spot that leads into the UEFA Conference League next season. Mainz is level on 51 points with RB Leipzig, but has a superior goal difference over them.
A win here would guarantee Mainz finishing sixth. They can also finish sixth even if they lose, but RB Leipzig must also lose at home to VfB Stuttgart.
Mainz’s recent winless run of five games (three draws, two defeats) finally snapped last week, with Mainz comfortably winning 1-4 away at VfL Bochum.
Regarding home form, Mainz is unbeaten in six straight in their stadium, but all their last four home games ended in draws.
Bayer Leverkusen
After winning the Bundesliga title last season, Bayer Leverkusen now finishes second, with their team falling apart. Coach Alonso gone, Florian Wirtz gone, Jonathan Tah gone, and a few other players are expected to leave this summer. That tells me they will again sink into mediocrity next season, but we will see how they shape this summer.
Bayer Leverkusen has scored twice or more in all their last three Bundesliga games, but lost 2-4 at home to Borussia Dortmund last week. That was their first defeat in six games (two wins, three draws).
One big motive for Bayer Leverkusen in this match is to maintain their perfect away run this season. They are the only unbeaten team at away grounds in the Bundesliga, recording 9 wins and 7 draws in their 16 away Bundesliga matches this season.
The Betting Verdict
Bayer Leverkusen does not look like a sure winner to me here. Their motivation significantly dropped, and the news surrounding their coach and players leaving also affects the overall mood. However, this is the final game of the season, and finishing unbeaten away the entire season looks like good motivation for Bayer Leverkusen.
Mainz should be motivated for points that will see them play in Europe next season, so we should see a good performance by them. Being unbeaten in six at home means that they are tough to beat.
Instead of backing a winner here, the bet I recommend is taking both teams to score.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Mainz 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
Take both teams to score: YES at odds of 1.50 with Bet365
