Mainz – Heidenheim Prediction Bundesliga, Matchday 17 on Tuesday, 13/01/2026 at 20:30 CET
Do you want to place a promising Mainz Heidenheim tip for the 17th matchday according to the current Bundesliga schedule, which also enjoys the blessing of our AI from a game theory point of view?
Then a classic draw bet is most likely to come into question for you, as the odds of about 4.00 traded on the markets have a really first-class risk-reward ratio.
If you also use a NEO.bet odds boost, you can get even more out of your stake …
But if a draw bet seems too risky to you, then I have collected more promising betting suggestions for you below, which should be suitable for almost every betting enthusiast.
In any case, I expect little movement on the pitch: Against the background that this is an important basement duel, neither side wants to go away empty-handed in the end. The ball is therefore probably better played crosswise than vertically …
I agree with our internal forecasting model – a clean sheet is absolutely possible on Tuesday evening in the Mewa Arena, even if FCH has rarely attracted attention with a 0-0 draw so far.
No team has conceded as many goals this season as Heidenheim (36), and only coach Frank Schmidt’s team has not yet kept a clean sheet.
The last time FCH kept a clean sheet was eight months ago, on 10 May when they visited Union Berlin …
Mainz – Heidenheim Prediction & Betting
Shortly after New Year’s Day, I thought about where Red-Blue was heading. After the 2-2 draw against Cologne, the Brenz city team makes a decent impression on me overall, but my Mainz Heidenheim prediction still sees a difficult exit ahead of them.
Originally, I wanted to consider the bet Heidenheim: Under 1.5 goals, but the odds of 1.24 traded on the markets even at betting providers with PayPal make it almost impossible to make a single bet.
Alternatively, there is still the riskier selection Heidenheim: Under 0.5 goals. I think the odds of 2.30 are at least fair, as I estimate the chances of FCH, which usually appear so harmless away from home, to score at about 40-50 percent.
What you need to know about Mainz vs. Heidenheim betting
- Mainz 05 have been waiting for a home win in the Bundesliga since 22 February 2025 (13 home games, only 8 points).
- Mainz scored only 0.61 points per game at home in this period – only beaten by Wolfsburg in the league.
- Heidenheim has the largest negative difference between goals scored (15) and expected goals (18.61) in the Bundesliga with -3.61.
- In the four Bundesliga duels between Mainz and Heidenheim, a total of only seven goals were scored.
- Heidenheim won both guest appearances in the Mewa Arena to nil.
- The 05 Nadiem Amiri delivers an average of 17.42 successful passes in the attacking third per game – the tenth-best value in the Bundesliga.
Mainz – Heidenheim: AI Tip & Odds Analysis
Our Mainz Heidenheim AI forecast also has concrete betting suggestions for you, some of which I even prefer to my own – after all, they sound really promising!
Especially the 0-0 result bet at half-time seems promising. Heidenheim have scored only four Bundesliga goals in the first 45 minutes this season – the fewest in the league. But Mainz is hardly better in this respect: Before the change of ends, the FSV kickers only netted seven times.
Since there is a lot at stake for both teams on Tuesday anyway, it could take a very long time in this basement duel until the 1-0 is scored at some point.
Both score – No is a rather unpopular type of bet, even at attractive odds of around 1.90, but our digital football brain still recommends it to you – and rightly so!
Although some “value” is lost in the process, the scenario is nevertheless based on a positive expected value. After all, I expect an extremely boring game of the zero-fivers – similar to the recent game against St. Pauli!
At that time, relegation candidates met relegation candidates – and it remained a very uneventful zero number …
The best odds for Mainz vs. Heidenheim
A look at the Mainz Heidenheim odds shows a market opinion that is clearly, but not excessively in favor of the hosts. The bookmakers expect a controlled performance by Mainz, but leave room for resistance.
According to the current Bundesliga odds of the 17th matchday, a home win by Mainz 05 is traded at values of around 1.62. In this way, the bookmakers express their confidence in home advantage, playing style and defensive stability.
Mainz is considered to be structurally more stable, but without giving the impression of a clear walk.
The draw I prefer is set at 3.90. This ratio indicates that the markets do not rule out a tough game with longer neutral phases. If Mainz have problems keeping up the tempo of the game, Heidenheim could well sniff at the point.
An away win of 1. FC Heidenheim is rated at 5.50 in the end. The bookmakers clearly see the guests in the role of outsiders, but trust them to set pinpricks through commitment, compactness and set pieces.
Overall, the Mainz Heidenheim odds paint a picture in which M05 is the favourite, but Red-Blue has enough unpredictability to keep the course of the game open – a match that should demand patience and efficiency from the teams.
Mainz vs Heidenheim Match Analysis:
Mainz is under massive pressure: With only three points behind Heidenheim and five points to the saving shore, this game could mark a decisive turning point in the season.
However, a defeat would push the Rheinhessen even further to the bottom of the table and make the fight to stay in the league much more complicated.
Despite qualifying for Europe last season, the current development is surprisingly negative, and Fischer has to mentally prepare his team for an intense, combative duel.
Heidenheim brings more experience in this situation. Because last season the guests already fought successfully against relegation, so the guests know how to stay calm over 90 minutes in a closely contested game.
With a compact defensive unit and quick counterattacks, they could pose problems for Mainz. Especially in transition moments, the hosts have to be attentive, because the Brenzstadt team is specifically looking for gaps to get dangerously in front of the opponent’s goal.
A game is expected in which Mainz tries to take control and generate a lot of possession in midfield. But as in the 0-0 draw against St. Pauli, the last precision in front of goal is probably missing again.
Opportunities will arise, but they must also be used efficiently. Personally, I see the game rather poor in events and scoring chances for a long time – possibly even until the final whistle!
But it is also clear that if one side manages to make it 1-0 in the course of the game, it could remain at this score in the end …
Mainz Form Check
Ex-Union coach Urs Fischer, who is now in charge of Mainz, had to settle for a point on his return to the Stadion an der Alten Försterei after his former club turned a 2-0 deficit into a 2-2 draw.
However, the Swiss coach started his tenure with a positive run of five games in all competitions without defeat.
Amiri was the outstanding player of his team against Union and provided Mainz with a moment of individual class for the deserved lead in the first half. His excellent feeling for the ball including a volley gave Rönnow no chance.
In addition to his midfield play, Amiri also made an enormous contribution defensively before being substituted in the 78th minute.
For Mainz, however, Amiri’s performance alone was not enough to secure the three points. The 2-2 draw against Union still leaves Mainz at the bottom of the table with nine points, three points behind the saving shore, although the current series is the best of the season in league play.
Mainz are now looking for their first home win in the Bundesliga since 22 February 2025, when they defeated St. Pauli 2-0.
Since then, they have collected only eight points in 13 home games and average 0.61 points per game – only Wolfsburg is worse off with seven points in the same period.
Heidenheim Form Check
Heidenheim had a difficult start to the season and lost the first four games, but was able to collect 12 points in the last twelve games.
Last weekend’s 2-2 draw against Cologne brought the team closer to the third-to-last place, which entitles them to relegation, with St. Pauli level on points but having played one game less.
A 2-1 defeat against the Kiezkicker on December 13 shows that Heidenheim allows too much defensively in games of this kind. So it’s quite possible that the coach will let his boys stand lower than usual in the next relegation thriller against Mainz.
Based on the home form, Heidenheim would currently be above the line, with nine points from nine games. However, the away record is worrying: On average, the team only scores 0.43 points per match.
For comparison: In the previous season, Heidenheim collected 18 points in 17 away games and scored 24 times.
Currently, Heidenheim also has the largest discrepancy between goals scored (15) and expected goals (xG 18.61), with -3.61. This underperformance is one of the central problems of the current season and makes it clear why I don’t even think FCH can score the honorary goal on Tuesday …
