Schalke look to maintain their position in the top six of the German Bundesliga as they play host to mid-table Mainz, who have had an upturn in form in recent weeks. Schalke had a run of five consecutive top six finishes until last season, and they are determined to lift themselves back up to where they feel they belong.
They have had an inconsistent start to the season though, with four wins, a draw, and three defeats from their eight games. A 2-0 victory at Hertha Berlin last weekend ended a win-less run of three matches, but they have failed to win in their last two at home. Just three goals in their last four matches is somewhat of a problem for them so they need to improve going forward if they want to have any chance of finishing high up the table. Recent League Form (Last 6) – WDLLWW.
German Bundesliga I – Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen – Friday 20th October – 19:30 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 5/2 at Ladbrokes |
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Schalke 04
Mainz 05Mainz
Mainz are another team riddled with inconsistency but seem to have turned a corner the past few weeks with regards to their form. Having won just one and losing four of their opening five league games, they are on an unbeaten run of three. This run includes victories over Hertha Berlin and Hamburg, as well as a 1-1 draw at Wolfsburg.
They are yet to within away from home this season, with just one point from three matches on their travels. In fact, they have scored just one and conceded six to leave them with the fourth worst away record in the league at this early stage. Recent League Form (Last 6) – WDWLLW.
Head to Head
Schalke have won the two most recent meetings, winning both league encounters last season. At home, last October, they won 3-0 after a dominating performance. In March this year, Mainz put up a solid fight as hosts but ultimately lost out by a single goal to nil. Mainz last beat Schalke in February 2016 but haven’t beaten them away from home since a cup tie in December 2012. As hosts, Schalke have won the last three meetings. Overall, in twenty-four meetings since 2004, Schalke have won thirteen. Mainz have seven victories, and four have finished level.
Betting Odds and Predictions
As they are higher in the league and have a superior head to head record, Schalke are expectedly the betting favourites in this match. Bet 365 have the hosts priced at 4/5, with Mainz at 7/2, and the draw at odds of 5/2. Despite their inconsistent form, we expect Schalke will prove to be too strong for Mainz and predict a home win here. Schalke have been level at the break in four of their league games this season, whilst Mainz have either held or been held to a draw at the break in seven of their eight matches.
Therefore, there’s a big chance this match will be level at half time. Punters can back the draw at odds of 6/5, whilst those who agree with our prediction of a Schalke win can back Draw/Schalke in the HT/FT market at 7/2. Only 38% of Schalke games, and 50% of Mainz matches, have had over 2.5 goals this season. So, the smart bet would be to back Under 2.5 Goals here at odds of 4/5. Considering Mainz have struggled to score goals away from home this season, 2/1 on Schalke winning to nil looks to be a good bet.
Top Betting Tip
Our top betting tip for this match is simply a Schalke win. We believe the hosts will prove to be slightly too good for Mainz and are available to back at odds of 4/5 with Bet 365. For a little more value, our next best is a draw at half time at odds of 6/5 with the same bookmaker.