Every week in the 2018/19 season, Football-Oranje’s Michael Statham gives you his predictions and betting tips for each Dutch Eredivisie round. Michael competes against a different special guest each week. This time, it’s fellow Football-Oranje writer Alex Royal.

  • by Michael Statham
  • Follow Michael on Twitter @EredivisieMike
  • Follow Alex on Twitter @RoyallyLad

Friday 22nd February

VVV-Venlo v Heracles

Michael’s prediction: Heracles’s win over Ajax seemed to spur them on in their 6-0 thrashing of Fortuna. Have they returned to form in time for an end of season push? The Almelo side have lost seven of 11 league matches away from home this season and I think VVV will give them a good battle in Venlo. Joosten, Mlapa and Grot are becoming a nice trio in attack, which is plenty for Heracles to think about. 2-2 | Tip: Over 2.5 goals.

Alex’s prediction: This is a tough one to call but an important game in the play-off race. 1-1

Saturday 23rd February

Utrecht v Excelsior

Michael’s prediction: Utrecht found it tougher to beat De Graafschap than they probably expected. Fans have been claiming that manager Dick Advocaat’s style of play has been preventing players from expressing themselves, something I can agree with, but perhaps a necessary action to also help Utrecht gain their first clean sheet in nine games. However, Excelsior will find it tricky considering they’ve only kept one away clean sheet in a year. Utrecht should have too much. 2-0 | Tip: Utrecht half-time and full-time.

Alex’s prediction: Natural instinct is to go for a home win, but Excelsior have played well in recent weeks and I fancy them to nick a point here. 1-1

Fortuna Sittard v Heerenveen

Michael’s prediction: I was disappointed by Fortuna’s 6-0 drubbing at Heracles, but should we be surprised? Perhaps not, they’re an attacking outfit and it’ll serve them well in games like this one. Heerenveen almost beat PSV last weekend, which certainly was a surprise given their recent results. Surely this will be an entertaining affair; both sides have averaged four goals per game that they’ve played in. Which way will it swing? Home advantage may help Fortuna, but I think the visitors are due three points. 1-2 | Tip: Over 2.5 goals.

Alex’s prediction: Tricky game, both sides are inconsistent. Sittard come into this on the back of a 6-0 drubbing in Almelo and Heerenveen find themselves in a dangerous position in the table. I think the Frisians will edge this with Vlap being the difference. 1-2

PEC Zwolle v De Graafschap

Michael’s prediction: I reckon this’ll be a straight forward PEC Zwolle victory. Jaap Stam has seen a fantastic turn around with PEC, even if the loss at ADO is a set-back. They will play confidently at home and De Superboeren will try to defend from the first minute in order to frustrate their hosts. A first-half goal should see PEC win comfortably. 2-0 | Tip: PEC half-time and full-time.

Alex’s prediction: Jaap Stam has done very well so far in Zwolle. De Graafschap are in a 2 horse race with NAC to avoid the automatic relegation place. I’m going to be boring and say a home win. 2-0

NAC Breda v Groningen

Michael’s prediction: NAC are already eight points from safety and I think a defeat here is goodnight to hopes of avoiding any relegation trouble, especially with Vitesse, PSV and Utrecht up next. In reality, they will face a battle with De Graafschap to avoid direct relegation. Groningen’s Ludoveit Reis spoke about reaching European football this week, such is the confidence surrounding the club after four wins from five. 1-1 | Tip: Both teams to score.

Alex’s prediction: It’s been a tough season for NAC, and as I mentioned above it looks like they will be in a direct shootout with de Graafschaap to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon. Groningen have really impressed me recently, Danny Buijs’s side finding the creative outlet in Thomas Bruns that they lacked in the first half of the season. As for my prediction, I fancy Groningen to continue their good run, but I don’t think it will be easy for them. 1-2

Sunday 24th February

ADO Den Haag v Ajax

Michael’s prediction: It’s easy to say Ajax will win this match because of the quality they possess, and yet they’ve dropped points lately against Heerenveen, Feyenoord and Heracles. ADO are back on track after a couple of home wins with clean sheets. Let’s see if they can add to the ‘upset Ajax’ list. 0-3 | Tip: Ajax -1.5 Asian handicap.

Alex’s prediction: Ajax were magnificent against Real Madrid and deserved more, ADO have finally found some much needed form at the right time. I suspect Ajax will be too strong for ADO. 1-3

Emmen v Vitesse

Michael’s prediction: After beating Willem II, Vitesse will feel more confident in beating Emmen, who were suckerpunched at Excelsior last time out. Although Vitesse are doing okay given their injury list, they will be disappointed that they cannot fully capitalise on Feyenoord’s poor run of results to compete for third/fourth place. I think they’ll earn a hard-fought win here. 1-2 | Tip: Over 2.5 goals.

Alex’s prediction: Tough one to call but I really fancy lots of goals in this, I feel Ødegaard will be the difference between the two sides. 2-4

PSV v Feyenoord

Michael’s prediction: I cannot believe that PSV and Ajax have been dropping as many points as they have given how the first half of the season went. Feyenoord have been awful in the majority of their away matches this season; recalled memories of the 6-2 win against Ajax are being ridiculed by other Dutch football fans. Feyenoord will try to ‘turn up’ against PSV but once a goal goes in for the hosts, I fear it’ll be another long afternoon for Feyenoord supporters. The defence against Groningen was all over the place. Misplaced passes that give the ball cheaply away, own goals and poor attacking play from full-backs leading to counter-attacks. 3-1 | Tip: PSV -1.5 Asian handicap.

Alex’s prediction: Game of the weekend, all eyes are on this one. Feyenoord are the only team to have beaten PSV in the Eredivisie this season, but PSV are frighteningly good at home and I think they’ll edge this, but only just. 2-1

Willem II v AZ

Michael’s prediction: Three points separate Groningen in the top-half to Emmen in the bottom three. Somewhere in the mid-table pile is Willem II, who were on some good form but now find themselves only one point above the danger zone. AZ will arrive in Tilburg full of beans – 6 games after Christmas, 18 goals scored, 0 conceded. The scene is set then for another AZ win and I think they’ll achieve it because their attacking players will be too quick and skillful for the Willem II defence. 1-3 | Tip: Over 2.5 goals.

Alex’s prediction: Dress rehearsal for the beker semi-final next week, this looks an intruiging game on paper. I’m backing AZ to continue 2019 with a bang and take the 3 points back to Alkmaar. 0-2

How has Michael done so far?

Week 1: 4 results and 1 correct score | 6/9 betting tips won (WON versus author Ferdi Delies [2 results])

Week 2: 5 results | 2/9 betting tips won (LOST versus writer Alex Dieker [6 results])

Week 3: 3 results and 1 correct score | 4/9 betting tips won (DRAW versus author Abdul Al Sayed [4 results])

Week 4: 2 results | 5/9 betting tips won (LOST versus IMG UK’s Eredivisie Highlights Show expert Jonathan Beck [5 results and 2 correct scores])

Week 5: 4 results | 5/9 betting tips won (WON versus Notts County winger Enzio Boldewijn [3 results])

Week 6: 6 results and 2 correct scores | 7/9 betting tips won (WON versus Football-Oranje writer Charlie Pritchard [5 results and 1 correct score])

Week 7: 6 results and 2 correct scores | 7/9 betting tips won (WON versus Willem II graphic designer FootyGraphic [3 results])

Week 8: 6 results | 6/9 betting tips won (LOST versus commentator Paul Thomas Clay [7 results and 2 correct scores])

Week 9: 8 results and 4 correct scores | 7/9 betting tips won (WON versus Football Manager researcher Jeroen Thijssen [7 results and 1 correct score])

Week 10: 6 results and 3 correct scores | 5/9 betting tips won (WON versus PSV-watcher and Eindhovens Dagblad journalist Rik Elfrink [4 results and 1 correct score])

Week 11: 5 results* and 1 correct score | 4/8* betting tips won (WON versus secretary of England’s eighth division Matt Jones [4* results]) *=Feyenoord v VVV cancelled

Week 12: 6 results | 4/9 betting tips won (WON versus Sky Sports journalist Joshua Hayward [4 results])

Week 13: 5 results and 1 correct score | 6/9 betting tips won (LOST versus Northampton Town’s Dutch striker Kevin van Veen [6 results and 1 correct score])

Week 14: 4 results | 7/9 betting tips won (DRAW versus Football-Oranje.com editor Michael Bell [4 results])

Week 15: 5 results | 8/9 betting tips won (WON versus writer Alex Moretto)

Week 16: 5 results and 1 correct score | 5/9 betting tips won (WON versus Football-Oranje.com writer James Rowe [4 results])

Week 17: 5 results and 1 correct score | 5/9 betting tips won (WON versus ZiggoSport editor Joep Smeets [4 results and 1 correct score])

Week 18: 3 results | 6/9 betting tips won (LOST versus FC Utrecht e-Sporter Danny Hazebroek)

Week 19: 4 results and 1 correct score | 2/9 betting tips won (WON versus Football-Oranje.com writer Alex Royal [1 result])

Week 20: 5 results | 8/9 betting tips won (WON versus BN DeStem Voetbal journalist Maarten Elst [3 results])

Week 21: 4 results and 1 correct score | 4/9 betting tips won (DRAW versus Football-Oranje.com editor Michael Bell [5 results])

Week 22: 6 results and 1 correct score | 5/9 betting tips won (WON versus Dutch football tipster Crypto [4 results])




Michael Statham (800 Posts)

Writer/interviewer/YouTuber for Football-Oranje. Massive Dutch football fan from the UK. Follow me @EredivisieMike & subscribe to Football-Oranje on YouTube.