Zwolle v Den Haag prediction

What to expect

Zwolle host Den Haag at home in an Eredivisie clash on 1 November. Zwolle sit 15th out of 18 with eight points from ten games and a -12 goal difference. Den Haag are 17th, two places below, with six points and a -10 goal difference, already in the relegation zone. The gap between them is narrow – Sparta Rotterdam sit one spot above Zwolle, while Telstar are just ahead of Den Haag. Both teams are fighting to climb out of the bottom three and avoid the drop.

Zwolle have struggled in their last eight matches, managing only one win, two draws and five defeats. The most recent result was a 2-1 loss to TOP Oss at home. Before that they drew 1-1 away at Utrecht, then enjoyed a 4-1 victory over Go Ahead Eagles at home. Their run also includes a 1-0 loss to Cambuur at home, a 3-0 defeat away to Groningen and a heavy 7-0 loss to Feyenoord at home. In those eight games Zwolle have scored nine goals while conceding twenty, failing to find the net in three matches. Four of their five home games have ended in defeat, with only the win over Go Ahead Eagles providing a bright spot.

Den Haag’s form over the same period shows one win, three draws and four defeats. Their latest outing was a 3-2 loss to Heerenveen at home, but they did beat PSV Eindhoven 2-1 at home just before that. They also drew 2-2 away at Telstar, held Cambuur to a 1-1 draw at home, lost 2-0 away to Twente and fell 3-2 at home to For Sittard. In eight games the visitors have scored twelve and let in seventeen, missing the net only once. Their last four road trips have produced two draws and two defeats, indicating they can find goals away from home.

The two clubs have met several times in recent weeks, and most of those games have been high-scoring affairs. Six of the eight matches involving either side featured three or more goals, and both teams have scored in five of Zwolle’s games and in seven of Den Haag’s. This pattern suggests an open encounter with chances at both ends rather than a defensive stalemate. Given the similar goal expectations – 1.7 for Zwolle and 1.4 for Den Haag – we anticipate both sides will get on the scoresheet.

Our pick is both teams to score. The price of 1.56 matches our view of the game and looks attractive. We think there is a 62 % chance this will happen, based on the recent frequency of both sides finding the net and the likelihood of an open match. For the bet to fail, one team would need to keep a clean sheet, which seems unlikely given their recent defensive records and the number of games where both sides have scored. We therefore feel comfortable backing both sides to score.