Eredivisie Betting: PSV to surrender their winning run

Phillip Cocu's high-flying PSV are vulnerable away to Groningen

After two wins and a refund a fortnight ago, Michael Lintorn has three more Eredivisie tips, including a lay of leaders PSV...

Ajax v Heerenveen
Saturday, 19:45
Live on Sky Sports 3

Match Odds: Ajax 1.422/5, Heerenveen 8.07/1, The Draw 5.49/2

This may be a clash between second and seventh, but there are nine points between the sides after 12 games and Heerenveen are in their worst form of the campaign to date, going five matches without a win.

They were superb before that, winning four of their opening seven encounters - defeating leaders PSV and drawing away to Feyenoord in the process - to belie the fact that they lost coach Marco van Basten and key players like Alfred Finnbogason, Hakim Ziyech and Bilal Basacikoglu in the summer.

Though it was primarily the attack that was weakened, it was a decline in defensive standards which instigated their current dip, with at least two goals conceded in each of their latest five Eredivisie fixtures compared to three across their prior six.

Heerenveen have actually struck six times in their most recent four unsuccessful outings and have fired just one league blank all season, so with Ajax shutting out a mere three of their 17 top-flight or European opponents in 2014/15, both teams to score has to be judged the outstanding bet.

Recommended Bet: Back both teams to score @ 1.654/6

Groningen v PSV
Sunday, 11:30
Live on Sky Sports 5

Match Odds: Groningen 4.94/1, PSV 1.748/11, The Draw 4.3100/30

It has been a symmetrical Eredivisie campaign for Groningen since the crushing pre-season blow of sabotaging their hard graft qualifying for Europe following a seven-year absence by failing in their very first qualifier against Aberdeen.

The top-half regulars (eight such finishes in the past nine years) have won five, drawn two and lost five and it isn't difficult to establish why their record reads like that: they are excellent at home (P5 W4 D1 L0) and fairly wretched away (P7 W1 D1 L5).

Groningen have taken down Ajax already at Euroborg (2-0) and PSV's only two domestic defeats both occurred on the road, including one at similarly supreme hosts Zwolle in September on the previous occasion that they were forced to travel immediately after an international break.

There should be other alarm bells sounding for Phillip Cocu. Groningen did the double over them last term, something no other club besides Feyenoord managed, while the table-toppers have prevailed on just one of their past four trips up to face the northerners, losing two of the last three.

Recommended Bet: Lay PSV to win @ 1.758/11

Willem II v Excelsior
Saturday, 19:45

Match Odds: Willem II 1.784/5, Excelsior 5.14/1, The Draw 4.03/1

There are only two televised Eredivisie contests this weekend, but if you fancy a punt on one of the other seven showdowns then the opportunity to lay 12th-placed Willem II against an Excelsior team one point and place below them is the one that appeals to this writer most.

Excelsior's sole reverse in nine across all competitions was inflicted at the home of pacesetting PSV, and in that period they have beaten Twente and held four top-ten sides.

They have also lost just the once in their eight 2014/15 meetings with clubs ranked eighth or lower, whereas Willem II have been conquered in five of their seven collisions with those placed ninth and under.

Recommended Bet: Lay Willem II to win @ 1.794/5