Eredivisie | Bet on Football in Dutch Eredivisie

Bet on Eredivisie was probably a bit of a stretch for people outside of The Netherlands. Because until a few years ago it was referred to as a Mickey Mouse league (by the Dutch themselves). But things have changed, they will most likely be sixth on the UEFA coefficient list as of season 2023/2024.

That is the first spot after the Big 5: Premier League, Primera Division, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1. As far as we can remember, Mickey Mouse was never in such company.

Betting on the Eredivisie is attractive because anyone can win from anyone. Especially now that Ten Hag and Schmidt have left, a Bayern/PSG scenario is far away. In a league where Cambuur after promotion finish directly in ninth place, where Go Ahead Eagles (also after promotion) easily hold their own in a tough relegation battle – that’s where good odds can be found.

With European showpieces Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord, the Eredivisie also has plenty of viewers from all over the world. In short, betting on the Eredivisie has become a very popular betting market. In this article, we give you the necessary background information to give your profit percentage on your Eredivisie bets just that little push in the right direction!

Set-up of the Eredivisie

So how does it work the Dutch football league? The initial set-up is simple: the Eredivisie consists of 18 teams, which meet twice during a season. Once in their own stadium and once in the opponent’s stadium. The maths wizards among us have quickly worked out that a season therefore consists of 34 games.

For every win you get three points, for every draw one point and for every loss zero points. The team with the most points at the end of the season crowns itself champion. If two teams have the same number of points, the goal difference is taken into account. If that is also equal, then the mutual result will be looked at. 

So far, it is quite straightforward. It only gets tricky when the European tickets are distributed and teams have to be relegated. The Dutch Football association KNVB, with euro signs in their eyes, has decided that this has to be done via play-offs, so tired footballers have to go deep again for survival or a European ticket. The ‘dessert’ of the season may be cursed by players, but the unexpected results are a wealth for anyone who loves betting on the Eredivisie. In the play-offs, you will find the strangest results.  

Number one goes straight to the Champions League, number two plays preliminary round Champions League, number three plays play-offs Europa League and number four plays third preliminary round Conference League. Numbers five to eight play play-offs for one ticket second preliminary round Conference League.

The numbers eighteen and seventeen relegate immediately, the number sixteen plays playoff football against the numbers three, four and five from the Dutch secondary division, the ‘Keuken Kampioen Divisie’.

Participants

The Eredivisie consists of 18 clubs from the Netherlands. A BeNe Liga, where clubs from Belgium and the Netherlands compete against each other, has been talked about for years, but for now all Eredivisie participants come from within the country’s borders. The charming thing about the Eredivisie is that it plays clubs from places with a handful of inhabitants (figuratively speaking).

Next season, Volendam, Sittard and Waalwijk will delegate teams to the Eredivisie. Great right? They won’t win a title anytime soon, there are other contenders for that; the usual suspects. We take a brief look at them and tell you which outsiders to watch out for, because that’s where the best odds are.

Contenders

Ajax

Nothing at all in Amsterdam for four years. We find it hard to imagine, but before the Ten Hag era, this was fondly cited by people from other cities. Just three years later, people were talking about the Bayern Munich of the Netherlands. Things can change.

What is beyond doubt is that Ajax is the record holder with thirty-six titles and that the club’s (financial) lead over its competitors is light years away. Whether this will remain the case without Marc Overmars and under Alfred Schreuder? This is what makes betting on the Eredivisie so interesting!

PSV

Philips Sport Vereniging from Eindhoven is instinctively not PSV‘s great rival (that honour goes to Feyenoord), but numerically it certainly is.

With twenty-four national titles, Ajax is certainly not out of sight. After the dubious merits of Roger Schmidt, the ‘lampen boeren’ will try their luck next year with legend Ruud van Nistelrooy.

As with Ajax, a coach change that could turn out to be either good or bad. Unity makes power has a rich past with players like Romario and Ronaldo; they will undoubtedly take over from Ajax once again.

Feyenoord

Not words, but deeds. Feyenoord Rotterdam is the only true people’s club in the Netherlands. Even if you are not from 010, you should feel some sympathy for this club that tops off the traditional top three.

Fifteen national titles is significantly less than its rivals, but never underestimate Feyenoord. For what they lack in finance and good management, they make up for in perception and perseverance. Feyenoord is also the club that often has the scoop. With the European Cup 1 and so again with the Conference League.

Outsiders

The list of outsiders consists of a string of clubs trying to attack the traditional top three. The most successful are AZ and FC Twente, who have both already managed to capture the title once.

Vitesse, FC Utrecht, Heerenveen and FC Groningen are other bred-in-the-bone subtoppers who can surprise the competition with a good season.

However, beware of betting early in the season after a super start by any of the above. It is consistency that distinguishes top clubs from subtoppers, and it is precisely in consistency that these clubs let slip.

Bets

Outright winner

An outright winner Eredivisie bet is betting on which club wins the title. You can place this bet throughout the season. Of course, the odds change with each round of play and the trick is to make your bet at the right time, when the odds are favourable and you do feel confident.

This happens, for example, when your intended champion has just lost twice. Where others see a crisis, you see a dip in form and a chance for good odds!

Top scorer

For a top scorer Eredivisie bet, look mainly at playing time. How much confidence does a striker get from his coach? Zahavi complained in Israel that Schmidt kept changing him around the 70th minute, while his statistics show that he actually scores a lot in the closing stages.

It cost him the top scorer title at the expense of Sebastien Haller, who did get the trust. With strikers, the elusive concept of form is also an important aspect. Where Dessers does not hit a single nut one season, he shoots them into the net in bunches the next.

It is not said that the top scorer plays for the champion. On the contrary, there are often ‘revelations’ at the sub-toppers who run away with the top scorer title.

Think for instance of Heerenveen (Bas Dost, Finnbogason, Afonso Alves), Vitesse (Machlas, Bony), AZ (Jahanbakhsh, El Hamdaoui, Janssen). Not so long ago, even VVV had the top scorer with Georgios Giakoumakis, but still managed to get relegated. A first and probably the last time.

First-time winner

Do you believe a club will stunt in the Eredivisie this season? Then you can bet on a first-time winner. Nine times out of ten, you will lose your money, but if it is a first-time winner. Then the odds will be such that you can immediately go on holiday for a few months.

FC Twente’s championship is a good example in the Netherlands, but what about Leicester City in the Premier League. Five thousand times your stake; as much as the odds of Elvis Presley being found alive.

History

In the post-war years, much of what we now consider normal was conceived. So was the Eredivisie, which was officially established in 1956 and emerged from nine clubs from both premier amateur leagues.

The Eredivisie was an attempt at professionalisation and to raise the level of Dutch club football until it could keep up internationally. It succeeded…

In the early years, clubs like Sparta, DOS and DWS still grabbed a title, but soon Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord dictated the title race. The all-time top scorer in one season is Coen Dillen, who shot 43 balls against the ropes in the very first season. Remarkably, not PSV, but Ajax would become champions that year.

Memorable championships

We are always going to sell supporters short here who feel their championship should be mentioned here. For the neutral spectator, PSV’s 2007 championship was the one that will linger long. It was the last round of games and AZ, AJAX and PSV each had 72 points.

AZ under Louis van Gaal faced low-flying Excelsior, Ajax against Willem II and PSV against Vitesse. The goal difference was heavily in AZ’s favour, which meant that even if they lost, they still had a shot at the title if the other clubs also lost.

All clubs kicked off at the same time and the stands were full of people following the other matches on their phones or radio. The applause from the stands was then just as often for a match not played on that pitch. 

AZ succumbed to the pressure and lost 3-2. Ajax does what it needs to do and wins 2-0, making the title seem in sight. PSV, however, humiliate Vitesse 5-1 giving them just enough goal difference for the title. It would be Ronald Koeman’s finest title and perhaps the finest in Eredivisie history. In any case, the most exciting.