PEC Zwolle v Ajax Betting Markets
Ajax were hard to beat on the road last season. They only lost two matches in total. However, the lion's share of away clashes resulted in a draw. Ten of their seventeen encounters finished all square and the tally of five wins wasn't anywhere near good enough for supporters. Perhaps they will have more joy this time around, starting with their trip to PEC Zwolle.
The Amsterdam side are priced at 1.50 to claim a victory at the MAC³PARK Stadion, with Michel taking charge of Ajax after previously serving a spell at Girona in La Liga. He was with the Spanish club for five seasons and achieved promotion during his first stint in charge. He also ended up leading the side to the Champions League.
The match odds for Ajax implies that they have a 66% chance of landing a victory against PEC Zwolle and that will be a popular selection. Davy Klaasen remains as captain of the team, with Daley Blind and Steven Berghuis providing plenty of experience in the camp. The bookies actually think that a title tilt could be on the cards.
As for PEC Zwolle, they relied on their home form to stay afloat last term. Eight wins and four draws were recorded, with just five defeats being suffered by the team in front of their own fans. This record was achieved by running a tight ship and perhaps a draw could be better value against opponents who struggled to get into the winning habit last time out.
The two teams played out a goalless draw last season in this fixture, with the March clash seeing both sides record two shots on target. Therefore, it's worth treading carefully if you're going for an away win.
Goals Under/Over
The Dutch Eredivisie is renowned for being a high-scoring football division and that is reflected in the Total Goals market. Over 2.5 is priced at 1.47 which suggests that three or more goals has a 68% chance that there will be three goals or more. That's despite the fact that a goalless draw was played out between these sides when they last met.
The previous encounter saw Ajax claim a 3-1 victory at the Amsterdam Arena, with the bookies offering 2.10 that we see Over 3.5 Goals in this encounter. The visitors did score thirty times on the road last season and conceded twenty-four times, while PEC Zwolle were more circumspect with twenty-one goals scored and conceded on home soil.
We'd be tempted to go against the grain and risk Under 2.5 Goals. Michel may want to run a tight ship in search of a victory and his Girona side were sometimes pragmatic. At this early stage of the season with no discernible stats, it could be worth treading cautiously.
BTTS
BTTS Yes is trading at a slightly bigger price than Over 2.5 Goals. The odds of 1.57 implies a 64% chance that both sides will find the net in this encounter. Ajax have warmed up for the new campaign with a double header in the Europa Conference League against Vojvodina where they were able to enjoy a 4-1 victory. The Amsterdam side were able to carve out chances at will which bodes well for the start of the domestic campaign.
Ajax were able to score sixty-two goals across their thirty-four games in the Eredivisie last term which is an average of nearly two per clash. Their final few matches of the season didn't always result in BTTS Yes considering they landed bloodless wins away to Heracles and NAC Breda, with the last away clash being a goalless draw against Heerenveen.
They also landed a 2-0 win against Groningen in the play-offs and the big question is whether PEC Zwolle will be able to score. They were involved in plenty of BTTS Yes matches as the season drew to a close although it was finished off with a 2-0 home defeat against Feyenoord where chances were at a premium.
First Goalscorer
Marcos Leonardo could be a big hit in the Dutch top flight, with the Brazilian making the switch from Al-Hilal as he bids to enjoy a breakthrough season in Europe. He scored thirty goals across fifty-one games in the Saudi Pro League, with that coming before a short but sweet spell at Benfica. The striker also had a strong record operating for the Brazilian Under-20 squad and will now have his sights set on playing for the Selecao.
Perhaps Tolu Arokodare can thrive after completing a loan switch from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the Nigerian hoping to kickstart his career in the Netherlands. He had previously operated successful in the Belgian league when scoring thirty-six goals for Genk and should be considered on the scorer market.
Mika Godts is primarily a wide player but he is close to the standard required to play for the Belgium national team and perhaps we'll see a decent goal return from a player who has scored twenty-one times for his club side.
As for PEC Zwolle, Koen Kostons managed a double-figure tally last season and the 26-year-old scored three braces last term. The goals did dry up from January onwards but could be the most likely scorer for the home side.