NEC Nijmegen vs Ajax Predictions

• No Eredivisie team has played more games with four or more goals this season than Ajax have.
• NEC Nijmegen have drawn eight Eredivisie games this season.
• NEC Nijmegen are going for a third successive Eredivisie win.

NEC can defy the odds

Two victories ahead of the winter break served to send NEC Nijmegen away with confidence as they prepared for the restart, and what a challenge that will be against title challengers Ajax. Although the odds are firmly stacked against NEC, there is a case to be made about the hosts representing value in this encounter.

Firstly, NEC are unbeaten in seven straight home matches and that even includes a 1-1 draw with the league leaders ahead of the restart, Feyenoord. Not since 2008 have NEC stopped Ajax from winning here, but at the prices, Ajax look far too short considering their wobbling form.

Ajax have surrendered their position at the peak of the table after a run of three straight league games without victory, including against bottom-half sides Emmen and Vitesse. They should face a sterner test against ninth-placed NEC as well, but you can never really write off the 36-time Dutch champions.

Going against the grain

We’re backing NEC to at least avoid defeat in this game in the double chance market, although to do so they’ll likely need their shooting boots on against an Ajax side that are averaging over three scored goals per league game.

As such, our smaller stakes selection in the correct score market will go the way of a 2-2 draw as both sides look primed to take part in a thrilling encounter to kick off the second half of the Eredivisie season.

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