Helmond Sport vs RKC Predictions

Things are looking more desperate by the week for Helmond Sport, who dropped to 19^th in the table last week after a 3-0 trouncing at Roda JC. The result extended Sport’s winless run to 21 matches, and they go into this Saturday’s home clash with RKC without a success in their last 11 outings at Lavans Stadion. Can they finally get an elusive win on match day 14, or will 15^th placed RKC record their fourth victory of the campaign?

Sport’s trip to Kerkrade on match day 13 was a miserable one to say the least and they ended the game down with ten men to boot after Richelor Sprangors saw red 15 minutes from time at Parkstad Limburg Stadion.

Rob Alflen’s side were only edged out 1-2 at home to high flying Almere City the previous week which offered supporters a modicum of promise, but the manner of their latest defeat will leave Sport fans wondering just exactly when their team can bag a first success since April.

After finishing 19^th in 2017/18, Sport were always fancied to struggle again this time around as they have one of the weakest squads in Eerste Divisie, but even last season they managed to record nine victories by beating some of the teams around them in the table – something they’ve not achieved yet in the current campaign.

So far, Sport have only played out draws with 19^th placed Dordrecht (0-0) and 16^th placed Jong AZ (2-2), but they do have three matches against bottom six rivals upcoming in the next few weeks, starting with 15^th placed RKC’s visit to Lavans Stadion this weekend.

The fact that Sport are only slight underdogs for this contest despite their ever growing winless streak speaks volumes about where RKC are at the moment, and the hosts won’t get many better opportunities this term to finally break their duck.

RKC are in search of just their second win in 12 games this weekend, and go into Saturday’s fixture on the back of a crazy 3-5 defeat at home to Jong PSV on match day 13.

Fred Grim’s side had been quite solid at Mandemakers Stadion this season prior to that encounter with eight points from six and just six goals conceded, but they turned in an atrocious defensive display which mirrored the performances they’ve been delivering on the road.

RKC were 2-3 winners at 3^rd placed Den Bosch on match day two but have since lost their last five away fixtures, scoring just three goals in those matches and conceding ten.

Those kind of figures certainly offer Sport some encouragement this weekend, considering they have scored the third highest amount of home goals this season out of teams in the bottom half, though it’s not enough for us to side with the hosts at a shade under 2/1.

With RKC also impossible to back here based on their current form, poor win ratio and losing away streak, we’re instead focusing on goals for Saturday’s match.

The sides have kept just three clean sheets between them this season from a combined 26 matches and over 2.5 goals with both teams to score has featured in four of Sport’s last six games and in five of RKC’s last six outings.

That’s our main bet for this one and we’re also going for a small punt on 2-2 in the correct score market, as we tentatively think Sport’s winless run will be stretched to 22.