Excelsior vs Volendam
FreeToday’s featured game is the Eerste Divisie encounter between Excelsior and Volendam. Excelsior currently occupy fourth place in the table after a good run of form whereas Volendam are still nearer the bottom than they are to the top despite claiming a couple of valuable results of late.
Hosts Excelsior have already won eight out of eleven home games this season and only Go Ahead Eagles and De Graafschap have scored more goals at home than they have. Excelsior average scoring over two goals per home game and are the lowest conceders in the Eerste Divisie at home having let just seven goals in out of eleven home games this season. Excelsior have won four out of their last five games so momentum is strong in their camp and home advantage is sure to grant them confidence ahead of this tie too.
Visitors Volendam aren’t as bad as their league placing makes them out to be but they’re simply largely inconsistent. Despite having won their last two games consecutively, Volendam have only won seven out of eighteen games this season, which is largely why they’re struggling so much. Volendam have lost four out of ten away games this season and are one of the division’s better goalscoring sides on the road. However, they’re one of the bigger conceders on the road too, which will most likely hurt them against a consistent Excelsior tonight.
Although these two sides are capable of playing out a draw tonight, I think Excelsior’s momentum, potency, and clean sheets will give them all that they need to overcome a random Volendam side tonight.
Verdict: Excelsior to win at 4/5.
Friday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
Wellington Phoenix vs North Queensland Fury – home win at 5/6.
Hosts Wellington Phoenix have been on a good run of late with just one defeat in five games, winning their last two games consecutively. Only Perth Glory have lost as few games as Wellington Phoenix have at home this season – just one game each! – with Wellington Phoenix having won four times and drawn five times. Whereas they’d have drawn more games than they’d have liked thus far, their goalscoring record and goals conceded record at home are both good with an average of nearly two goals scored per home game and almost a goal conceded for every two home games that they play. They’re a reliable force at home and a 3-1 win against Brisbane Roar in their last home game will have given them considerable confidence ahead of this game. When coupled with their present momentum, you have to feel that Wellington Phoenix have a good chance of taking three points from this game today.
Visitors North Queensland Fury have lost two of their last four games and are somewhat unreliable in any game that they play in. On one hand, they can overcome (at the time) league leaders Melbourne Victory and yet they still have an away record of five defeats, five draws, and just two wins in the A-League this season. No side can match North Queensland Fury’s away goals conceded, which is an average of just under two goals per game. With North Queensland Fury having now lost four out of their last five away games, it’s beyond hard to see them taking anything from this game despite two solid results of late.
Verdict: Wellington Phoenix to win at 5/6.
Omniworld vs Emmen – home win at 5/6.
Hosts Omniworld aren’t a side I rate very highly. In fact, I consider them to be one of the worst sides in the Eerste Divisie. Not the best combination for backing them, you may think – and perhaps you’re right! Nonetheless, despite Omniworld’s clear issues with a lack of quality at their disposal, they’ve managed to only lose one game out of their last four, which I consider a momentum-builder for Omniworld! They’ve even won one of those games, which will have done them some good too, so they’re in quite good shape ahead of tonight’s game. Omniworld know that most of their points will come at home because they’re inept away from home. Omniworld have only lost four out of ten home games this season and they’ve won three of those games so they’ve got a small degree of competency on their own turf. In fact, they’ve won two out of their last four home games so they’re certainly capable of getting a result here tonight.
However, there’s no way I’d take them to beat a competent side, which is why I’m delighted that they’re facing a meager Emmen. Emmen have lost eight out of ten away games this season and only bottom-placed Haarlem can match their atrocious average of three goals conceded per away game. Only Fortuna Sittard have scored as few away goals as Emmen – just six goals in ten games – so Emmen are a basically a punching bag away from home. They’ve lost four out of their last five games so their momentum is non-existent so I’m finding it hard to see any reason whatsoever as to why Emmen would take anything from this game.
Although these two sides are both poor, you have to feel that there’s enough favouring Omniworld to consider the below odds good value!
Verdict: Omniworld to win at 5/6.
Accumulator fodder – AA Gent, Stade Malherbe de Caen, Bayern Munich, Cambuur Leeuwarden, Bangor City.
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
African Nations:
Ivory Coast vs Ghana (5) 2-2
Australian A-League:
Wellington Phoenix vs North Queensland Fury (7) 2-1
Adelaide United vs Central Coast Mariners (5) 1-1
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
AA Gent vs Kortrijk (8) 1-0
French Ligue 2:
AC Ajaccio vs Arles (5)
Sedan-Ardennes vs Chateauroux (6)
Tours vs Dijon FCO (7)
Vannes OC vs Nimes (7)
Stade Malherbe de Caen vs Bastia (9) under 2.5 goals
Strasbourg vs Laval (6)
Clermont Foot vs Nantes (5)
German Bundesliga:
Bayern Munich vs Hoffenheim (8) over 2.5 goals
German Bundesliga 2:
Union Berlin vs Rot-Weiss Oberhausen (6)
Paderborn vs Fortuna Dusseldorf (5)
Alemannia Aachen vs Karlsruher SC (7)
Greek B Ethniki:
Olympiakos Volos vs Ethnikos Piraeus (6)
Italian Serie B:
Ancona vs Lecce (6)
Dutch Eerste Divisie:
Veendam vs AGOVV Appeldoorn (4)
Excelsior vs Volendam (8)
Dordrecht ’90 vs Eindhoven (7)
Omniworld vs Emmen (6)
Zwolle vs RBC Roosendaal (6) under 2.5 goals
Helmond Sport vs Haarlem (6)
MVV Maastricht vs FC Den Bosch (5)
Cambuur Leeuwarden vs Fortuna Sittard (8)
Stormvogels Telstar vs De Graafschap (8)
Portuguese Liga de Honra:
Sporting Covilha vs Beira-Mar (6)
Welsh Premier League:
Airbus vs The New Saints (7) 1-2
Bangor City vs Newi Cefn Druids (9) over 2.5 goals
Carmarthen Town vs Haverfordwest County (6) 1-1
Enjoy your free betting tips!