- 1 Heerenveen vs NEC Nijmegen: a first four-win run since 2017 against a side without a league win in seven
- 2 Heerenveen: Trenskow in form and three clean sheets in five home games
- 3 NEC Nijmegen: seven league games without a win and a stretched squad
- 4 Free Football Prediction: Heerenveen vs NEC Nijmegen
- 5 About our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About visuals
Heerenveen vs NEC Nijmegen: a first four-win run since 2017 against a side without a league win in seven 
Heerenveen have won four games in a row for the first time since September 2017. The latest was a 2-0 KNVB Beker win at Excelsior Maassluis on Wednesday, three days after a 3-2 league win at ADO Den Haag.
Robin Veldman’s side are seventh in the Eredivisie with 15 points from ten games, 18 goals scored and 13 conceded. Before the ADO game they beat Excelsior 4-0 at the Abe Lenstra Stadion, and in September they won 4-0 at Sparta Rotterdam.
NEC Nijmegen are 12th on 11 points after two wins, five draws and three defeats, with 17 scored and 18 conceded. They were seventh not long ago, but they’ve gone seven league games without a win and collected five points in that time.
The last three league results were all draws: 1-1 at Ajax on 10 October, 2-2 with Fortuna Sittard on 18 October and 2-2 with Groningen last Sunday. In between, Dick Schreuder’s side drew 1-1 with Levski Sofia and won 4-2 at Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League.
Kick-off in Heerenveen is 17:45 UK time on Saturday 31 October. NEC are without a win in their last three meetings with Heerenveen and lost on each of their last two visits to the Abe Lenstra.
The most recent meeting finished 2-2 in Nijmegen on 22 March, with Tjaronn Chery scoring both NEC goals and Trenskow and Meerveld replying. Over the longer history the record is close and slightly favours the visitors: 22 meetings, five Heerenveen wins and eight for NEC. The home win is priced at 2.05, the draw at 3.80 and NEC at 2.90.
Heerenveen: Trenskow in form and three clean sheets in five home games 
Jacob Trenskow has five goals and two assists in his last five matches. He’s the main reason a side that drew 0-0 at home to Telstar in September now scores freely.
Heerenveen average 1.4 goals per league game at the Abe Lenstra and have kept three clean sheets in five home matches, including the last two.
They’ve also scored first in four of their last five games. Their most recent league defeat came at PSV, 2-0 on 9 October.
The season started with a 1-0 home win over Twente. AZ won 3-2 at the Abe Lenstra later on, and that’s the only home league defeat on the list.
Heerenveen’s last five matches in all competitions read four wins and one defeat, with 13 goals scored and four conceded. Levi Smans has missed the last two games and isn’t expected back yet. Dirk Proper has a hamstring problem and is day to day.
The cup trip to Excelsior Maassluis on Wednesday was the only midweek game Heerenveen have had in this run, while NEC have played twice a week since the second week of October. Veldman named the same starting eleven for three league games running before the cup tie. I’d expect Vente to lead the line again, with Trenskow, Meerveld and Rivera behind him.
no renewal
Free for 2 weeks.
NEC Nijmegen: seven league games without a win and a stretched squad 
NEC have conceded ten of their 18 league goals before half-time. They’ve also gone behind first in four of their last five games, and five of their last seven league matches have ended in draws.
Philippe Sandler isn’t due back until early November, Bram Nuytinck has an ankle injury that should keep him out until late November, Yassin Moslih is out and Emre Mor has a groin problem.
Dusan Tadic is also listed as missing with a calf injury. Ayodele Thomas is back in contention after his own spell out.
Tjaronn Chery has scored in each of his last two away games. He also scored twice in the last meeting with Heerenveen, so he’s the one NEC player Veldman will plan around.
The Europa League has added to the load. Since 10 October NEC have played league games on the weekend and European ties on the Thursday in between, five matches in 16 days.
They are unbeaten in five across all competitions, one win and four draws, with both teams scoring in every one of those games. Away from home over their last five, they’ve won two, drawn one and lost two, scoring eight and conceding 12.
Probable lineup Heerenveen: Klaverboer; Braude, Kersten, Willemsen, Zagaritis; Linday, Courtens; Trenskow, Meerveld, Rivera; Vente
Probable lineup NEC Nijmegen: Crettaz; Fonville, Kaplan, Schuurs; Bischoff, Monteiro, Nejasmic, Kers; Lebreton, Chery, Linssen
Free Football Prediction: Heerenveen vs NEC Nijmegen
Our prediction: Heerenveen to win (odds 2.05)
I’d take Heerenveen at 2.05. They’ve won four straight, kept clean sheets in their last two home league games and scored first in four of five, while NEC haven’t won a league match in seven and are missing Sandler, Nuytinck, Mor and Tadic.
The prices make NEC 2.90 outsiders, and the market isn’t far off, given NEC have scored in every game of their current unbeaten run. NEC’s run of draws shows they’re hard to put away, and Heerenveen played a cup tie on Wednesday. Against that, NEC have conceded more than half their goals before the break, and Heerenveen are the side that usually scores first.
The head-to-head points the same way, with NEC beaten on their last two visits here, 3-2 in September 2025 and 1-0 the season before. A 2-1 home win is the score I’d expect.
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
_________
About our free predictions
- What we publish on MathOdds are analyses, nothing more. We share a view, a reading of the moment, but never a guarantee. Sport remains what it is: unpredictable. A red card, an injury, a last-minute goal, and the script changes completely.
- Let’s be clear: there is no such thing as a risk-free bet. Even when it looks “obvious”, nothing ever is. And yes, that means you can lose. It’s even inevitable at some point.
- The smartest approach is to stay reasonable. Bet small, set a budget and stick to it. Never use money you need to live on. And above all: don’t chase your losses: that rarely ends well.
- A bet should remain a game, not a job or a source of income. If it starts taking up too much space in your daily life, causes stress or frustration, take a break. And if needed, talk to a support organisation: that’s what they’re there for.
- Ultimately, responsibility lies with you. Reading our content means accepting that risk exists and will never disappear, no matter how good the analysis.
- Essential reminder: gambling is prohibited for minors and must comply with the laws of your country. Need help? Visit begambleaware.org.
No commitment from us
Our predictions carry no contractual value. They have no legal standing. In short: you cannot rely on them to claim anything if a bet doesn’t come through.
Information changes
A prediction is always based on what we know at the time of writing. But between publication and kick-off, a lineup can change, a player picks up an injury, the weather turns, and the analysis can quickly be outdated. We cannot be held responsible for that.
Your responsibility
Before placing a bet, simply check that gambling is legal in your country. If it isn’t, that’s your responsibility, not ours.
Responsible gambling
We can’t say it enough: gamble responsibly. If you’re struggling to stay in control, don’t wait to seek help.
Legal age
MathOdds content is intended for adults only. By browsing here, you confirm you meet the legal age requirement for gambling in your jurisdiction.
About visuals
The images and logos of Heerenveen and NEC Nijmegen on MathOdds are used solely to illustrate our articles. They do not imply any official affiliation with a federation or sports organisation, and we claim no rights over them. Those rights belong to their original owners. If any visual raises a concern, contact us and it will be removed without delay.
Leave a Reply