RB Leipzig vs. Mainz Betting Preview – Bundesliga, September 20, 2020

The Red Bulls from Leipzig did a good job last season, finishing third in the German Bundesliga and clinching the Champions League spot, but they want more this term, aiming the Champions’ Bowl.

On the other side, Mainz ended the previous season at the 13^th spot of the Bundesliga standings, seven points above the relegation zone. The 05ers have the same goal this time, and that’s staying away from the battle against the relegation.

It’s not a matchup Mainz would love at the start of the new season, but the 05ers will try their best to upset the odds at Red Bull Arena in Leipzig on Sunday, September 20, so here’s my best RB Leipzig vs. Mainz betting pick and tips.

The Red Bulls are runaway favorites to kick off the 2020-21 Bundesliga season on the right foot. On paper, they are a much better team than Mainz and shouldn’t have any problems to satisfy the odds.

The bookies expect to see a high-scoring affair, too, as you can notice by the odds on a 3.5-goal line. The Red Bulls scored 13 goals in a couple of meetings with Mainz this past season while surrendering none in a return.

The Red Bulls are coming off a comfortable 3-0 road victory over Nurnberg in the German DFB Pokal this past Saturday which was their first outing of the 2020-21 season. They sold Timo Werner to Chelsea in the offseason, and the 23-year-old forward netted 34 goals along with 13 assists last season.

Hee-Chan Hwang arrived from Salzburg to replace Werner, while all other key players remained in the club. RB Leipzig will continue to rely on wingers Marcel Sabitzer and Emil Forsberg, who combined for 26 goals and 15 assists last year.

On the other side, Mainz hasn’t changed a lot, keeping the vast majority of their last season’s roster. Striker Robin Quaison will lead the way after netting 13 goals in 33 appearances last season, while midfielders Jean-Paul Boetius and Levin Oztunali combined for eight goals and nine assists.

The 05ers opened the 2020-21 season with a 5-1 road victory over the fourth-tier side, TVS Havelse, last Friday. 

Mainz had a wild 2019-20 Bundesliga campaign, scoring 44 goals in 34 games while yielding 65 goals in a return. The 05ers had some serious problems on the defensive end, and I expect that trend to continue in the 2020-21 Bundesliga season.

They were humiliated by the Red Bulls twice. Mainz lost 5-0 at home and 8-0 at Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. Two years ago, Mainz earned a 3-3 draw at home while losing 4-1 at Leipzig.

The Red Bulls love to play attacking soccer with a lot of direct passes. The head coach Julian Nagelsmann insists on high pressure and quick transition, so you won’t see his team playing around the clock and just keeping the ball in possession.

Hereof, I believe the Red Bulls will storm the front and thrash of the 05ers to kick-start the new Bundesliga season. Give me the hosts to cover.