Groningen vs PEC Zwolle Prediction

Right then, let's have a proper gander at this Eredivisie showdown. Groningen are sitting pretty in 6th place with 19 points, while PEC Zwolle are scrapping it out down in 15th with just 12 points. That's a seven-point gap, and it shows when you look at how these two have been playing lately.

Groningen have been a bit of a mixed bag recently. They've had some decent results - that 2-1 win at Fortuna Sittard was proper graft, and beating Utrecht 1-0 away shows they can turn up on their travels. But let's be honest, that 5-2 cup hammering by Sparta Rotterdam was a right old kick in the teeth. At home, they've been solid enough - stuffed Heracles 4-0 and beat Telstar 2-0, but they did lose 0-2 to Sparta in the league, so they're not exactly Fort Knox at the back.

Now PEC Zwolle... blimey, where do I start? They've been shipping goals like there's no tomorrow, especially away from home. That 8-2 thrashing at Heracles wasn't just a loss, it was an embarrassment! They did manage a 1-0 win over Sparta Rotterdam recently, which was a bit of a result, and they've had a couple of 2-2 draws showing they can score. But away from home? They're conceding three goals per game on average - that's about as reliable as a chocolate fireguard!

Here's the thing though - these two have history. Groningen have never lost at home to PEC Zwolle in four attempts (2 wins, 2 draws). But recent meetings have been tight, cagey affairs with plenty of 0-0s and 1-1s. The last time they played, Zwolle won 2-0, but that was on their own patch.

The stats tell an interesting story. Groningen at home are scoring 1.4 per game but only letting in 0.8 - decent stuff. PEC Zwolle away are actually scoring 2 per game (not bad!) but conceding 3 per game (not good!). So we've got a solid home defense against a leaky away defense, but also an away team that knows where the goal is.

Looking at the odds, the bookies have Groningen as clear favorites at 1.55, which makes sense given the league positions and home advantage. But I'm looking at the Both Teams to Score market at 1.80 - that's where I reckon the value might be.

Why? Well, PEC Zwolle's away games are basically end-to-end basketball matches. They score goals, but they also let in absolute bucketloads. Groningen have been decent defensively at home but did concede two against Sparta recently, and that cup game showed they can be got at. With goal expectancy suggesting 2.20 for Groningen and 1.40 for Zwolle, we're looking at a game that could see both teams find the net.

Key Points:

Groningen unbeaten at home vs PEC Zwolle (2W, 2D)

PEC Zwolle conceding 3 goals per game away from home

Both teams scoring in 70% of PEC Zwolle's recent games

Groningen keeping clean sheets in 30% of home games

• Recent head-to-head matches have been low-scoring affairs

I reckon this could be more open than the recent head-to-head suggests. PEC Zwolle have to attack to get anything from this game, and that'll leave spaces for Groningen. But Zwolle do score goals on their travels, and Groningen's defense hasn't been impenetrable recently. Both teams to score looks like the smart play here.