RKC vs FC Utrecht Reserves Predictions

Two teams finding life difficult at the wrong end of the table face off in Waalwijk this Friday as 16^th placed RKC entertain 18^th placed Jong Utrecht at Mandemakers Stadion. The hosts notched back to back victories at the start of the campaign but are now winless in eight league games, whilst last season’s bottom side Jong Utrecht have just one success to their name earned way back on match day four. Can either of these sides claim all three points on match day 11 to breathe new life into their season?

Fred Grim’s tenure in the RKC hotseat started pretty well as his side recorded consecutive wins against Telstar and Den Bosch at the beginning of the campaign, but things have unravelled pretty quickly since early August.

RKC have failed to win in their last eight Eerste Divisie matches – a run which has seen them slump to 16^th in the table where they sit just three points in front of bottom clubs Dordrecht and Helmond Sport.

Thankfully for RKC, relegation isn’t a concern for them this term with demotion to Tweede Divisie currently frozen, but supporters would’ve been hoping that Grim’s arrival could spark something of a revival at the club which has been in the doldrums for some years now.

Anything around mid-table would be seen as a success for RKC this season, but they need a win desperately to restore some confidence and belief at the club. Fortunately for Grim’s side, they come up against one of Eerste Divisie’s weakest outfit’s this Friday in the shape of Jong Utrecht.

Bottom in 2017/18, Jong have only fared marginally better so far this season and currently sit 18^th in the standings with six points on the board.

Robin Pronk’s men appeared to be getting more competitive through September and early October where they beat Jong PSV 3-2 and held Cambuur and MVV to goalless draws, but they were well and truly humiliated last weekend as Twente ran out 1-6 winners at Stadion Galgenwaard.

Jong have now conceded a massive 24 goals in ten league outings and they won’t be relishing getting back on the road this week considering they’ve scraped just one point from their five away assignments thus far.

The visitors will however take comfort from the 5-2 victory they secured over RKC when the sides last met in Utrecht back in February, and Jong have also earned a win and a draw from two previous trips to Waalwijk.

So with both teams seemingly on a par with each other, we’ll allow ourselves to be influenced a little by the prices here. RKC are terribly short in the betting based on their current run, and with Jong’s decent record against RKC a positive, we’re backing the visitors here in the double chance market at sizeable odds-against.

The four previous meetings between the teams have produced 18 goals and we should expect more of the same again here, so 2-2 is our choice in the correct score market.