Regular Season - 11 · 31 October 2026, 17:45 UTC

Heerenveen vs NEC Nijmegen Eredivisie prediction

Abe Lenstra Stadion, Heerenveen

Our model says: Heerenveen 2–1 NEC Nijmegen

The model makes it 45% Heerenveen, 26% draw, 29% NEC Nijmegen — fair odds of 2.22, 3.85 and 3.45. Fair odds are simply 100 ÷ the probability; they are the model's own number, not a bookmaker's price.

Most likely scoreline: 2-1.

Expected goals: Heerenveen 1.77, NEC Nijmegen 1.32.

Both teams to score: 61%. Over 2.5 goals: 60%, under 2.5: 40%.

Model confidence: Medium.

Evenly matched: once home advantage is counted, neither side has a clear edge. In past matches rated this way the favourite won 41%, 28% were drawn and the underdog won 31%.

Published

Match centre: line-ups, live score and match stats →

Key facts

  • Heerenveen are 8th on 12 points from 9 games; NEC Nijmegen are 11th on 9 points from 8 games — Eredivisie.
  • Heerenveen have won 2 of their last 5 games, most recently a 4-0 win at home to Excelsior.
  • NEC Nijmegen have not won in their last 5 games, most recently a 1-1 draw away to Ajax.
  • Last 6 meetings: level at 2 wins each, 2 draws; the most recent, 22 March 2026, ended NEC Nijmegen 2–2 Heerenveen.

More Eredivisie predictions

Live win probability

From kick-off

From kick-off, the split above updates here every few seconds as the model re-reads the score, the clock and any red cards.

Model insights: Heerenveen vs NEC Nijmegen

61%
Both teams to score
60%
Over 2.5 goals
40%
Under 2.5 goals

Most likely scorelines

Heerenveen win Draw NEC Nijmegen win
  1. 1–111%
  2. 2–19%
  3. 1–08%
  4. 2–07%
  5. 1–27%
  6. 2–26%
  7. 3–16%

Scores read Heerenveen first. Each bar is the model's probability of that exact result, drawn against the likeliest one; the other scorelines it considered share the remaining 46%.

Has the model earned this number?

It puts Heerenveen at 45% here. Across 3,865 settled matches (as of 17 October 2026), 1,804 forecasts have landed in the 40–50% band; those outcomes actually happened 45.7% of the time, against an average forecast of 43.8%. In this range the two line up, so the figure above can be read literally. The full record.

Form going into Heerenveen vs NEC Nijmegen

Heerenveen

  • W4-0Excelsior16 October 2026
  • L0-2away to PSV Eindhoven9 October 2026
  • W4-0away to Sparta Rotterdam19 September 2026
  • D0-0Telstar13 September 2026
  • L2-3AZ Alkmaar6 September 2026

NEC Nijmegen

  • D1-1away to Ajax10 October 2026
  • D1-1GO Ahead Eagles20 September 2026
  • L0-3away to Cambuur12 September 2026
  • D2-2Excelsior8 September 2026
  • L1-3Feyenoord5 September 2026

What these results say

Up to 5 matches before kick-off, most recent first. The model rates each side on its goals over this season and last, adjusted for the opposition, rather than on these results alone, so read them as context — how the ratings are built.

Eredivisie table

#TeamPWDLGFGAGDPts
8Heerenveen93331511+412
11NEC Nijmegen82331314-19

Where the two sides stand. Full table

Head-to-head: Heerenveen vs NEC Nijmegen

Heerenveen and NEC Nijmegen have met 6 times in the records we hold, they have won 2 each, with 2 drawn.

The record

They drew 2–2 at NEC Nijmegen on 22 Mar 2026.

ClubWDLGFGA
Heerenveen222710
NEC Nijmegen222107

Between them these 6 meetings produced 17 goals, an average of 2.83 a game.

Every meeting

Every recorded meeting, newest first.

  • 22 Mar 2026
    Eredivisie
    NEC Nijmegen 2–2 Heerenveen
  • 21 Sep 2025
    Eredivisie
    Heerenveen 3–2 NEC Nijmegen
  • 27 Apr 2025
    Eredivisie
    Heerenveen 1–0 NEC Nijmegen
  • 19 Oct 2024
    Eredivisie
    NEC Nijmegen 3–0 Heerenveen
  • 10 Mar 2024
    Eredivisie
    NEC Nijmegen 2–0 Heerenveen
  • 7 Oct 2023
    Eredivisie
    Heerenveen 1–1 NEC Nijmegen

How the model rates them now

Attack and defence are multipliers on an average side: above 1.00 in attack means the club scores more than the average team in its competition, and below 1.00 in defence means it concedes fewer. The methodology sets out how they are derived, including where the model is known to be wrong.

ClubAttackDefence
Heerenveen0.851.00
NEC Nijmegen0.901.13

Browse all head-to-head records →

Leading scorers: Heerenveen and NEC Nijmegen

Heerenveen

GoalsAssists

  • J. Trenskow42

NEC Nijmegen

GoalsAssists

  • T. Chery42

Top 3 by league goals this season. Player availability is not part of the model — injuries and suspensions are a planned improvement.

Two sides the ratings cannot separate

Heerenveen carry a model rating of 6.77 against 6.74 for NEC Nijmegen. The scale is anchored so that an average side in one of Europe's big five leagues sits at 6.85, and it is adjusted for the strength of each team's league, so the two numbers are comparable even across borders.

A gap that small is inside the noise of the rating itself — treat the two as level.

What the model expects

Under the hood the model expects 1.77 goals for Heerenveen and 1.32 for NEC Nijmegen. Those two numbers, not the scoreline, are what the model actually estimates; everything else is derived from them.

Heerenveen rate 0.85 in attack and 1.00 in defence, where 1 is league average and a lower defensive number is better; NEC Nijmegen rate 0.90 and 1.13.

The rest of the season

Across the rest of the season our simulation gives Heerenveen a 0.1% chance of the title and NEC Nijmegen 0%, from 10,000 simulated seasons.

How this was produced

Publicly tracked record so far: 1,938 correct results out of 4,046 settled predictions (48%), with 405 exact scorelines (10%). That log is updated automatically after every match and is never edited.

Full method: how the model works.

Once the match starts, the win probabilities at the top update live from the score, the clock and any sendings-off.

Statistical estimate, not betting advice This prediction is generated from a statistical model for entertainment and informational purposes only. It does not guarantee any outcome and should not be used as the basis for placing a bet.

Team comparison

Bars show each side's share of the two-team total, based on the model's attack/defence ratings and expected goals for this fixture.

Why the model favours this side

The model gives Heerenveen the highest probability at 45%, based on each side's rolling attack and defence ratings estimated from recent match data. The model projects 1.77 expected goals for Heerenveen against 1.32 for NEC Nijmegen. Heerenveen's attack/defence rating is 0.85/1 versus the league average (1.00 = average), compared with 0.9/1.13 for NEC Nijmegen.

Season stats

HeerenveenNEC Nijmegen
9Matches8
3W 3D 3LRecord2W 3D 3L
15 1.7 per gameGoals scored13 1.6 per game
11 1.2 per gameGoals conceded14 1.8 per game
4 of 9Clean sheets0 of 8
3 of 9Failed to score1 of 8
1 of 1Penalties scored3 of 3
9 1.0 per gameYellow cards13 1.6 per game
4-2-3-1 7×Usual shape3-4-2-1 6×

Heerenveen at home · NEC Nijmegen away

5Played4
2W 1D 2LRecord2W 1D 1L
7–5Goals for – against8–6
3 of 5Clean sheets0 of 4

League matches only, Eredivisie, this season. Rates are per game, since the two sides have not always played the same number; the tinted figure is the better one, where better is not a matter of taste. Source: API-Football season statistics, refreshed after each league match.

Position by match

HeerenveenNEC Nijmegen

151018 Heerenveen, match 1, 9 August 2026: vs Twente 1-0 → 8thHeerenveen, match 2, 16 August 2026: at Ajax 2-2 → 8thHeerenveen, match 3, 22 August 2026: vs PEC Zwolle 0-2 → 9thHeerenveen, match 4, 30 August 2026: at Willem II 2-2 → 9thHeerenveen, match 5, 6 September 2026: vs AZ Alkmaar 2-3 → 12thHeerenveen, match 6, 13 September 2026: vs Telstar 0-0 → 11thHeerenveen, match 7, 19 September 2026: at Sparta Rotterdam 0-4 → 10thHeerenveen, match 8, 9 October 2026: at PSV Eindhoven 2-0 → 10thHeerenveen, match 9, 16 October 2026: vs Excelsior 4-0 → 8thNEC Nijmegen, match 1, 8 August 2026: vs Telstar 1-2 → 17thNEC Nijmegen, match 2, 15 August 2026: at Willem II 1-4 → 3rdNEC Nijmegen, match 3, 29 August 2026: at PEC Zwolle 1-3 → 6thNEC Nijmegen, match 4, 5 September 2026: vs Feyenoord 1-3 → 9thNEC Nijmegen, match 5, 8 September 2026: vs Excelsior 2-2 → 9thNEC Nijmegen, match 6, 12 September 2026: at Cambuur 3-0 → 10thNEC Nijmegen, match 7, 20 September 2026: vs GO Ahead Eagles 1-1 → 11thNEC Nijmegen, match 8, 10 October 2026: at Ajax 1-1 → 11th 123456789 151018 Heerenveen, match 1, 9 August 2026: vs Twente 1-0 → 8thHeerenveen, match 2, 16 August 2026: at Ajax 2-2 → 8thHeerenveen, match 3, 22 August 2026: vs PEC Zwolle 0-2 → 9thHeerenveen, match 4, 30 August 2026: at Willem II 2-2 → 9thHeerenveen, match 5, 6 September 2026: vs AZ Alkmaar 2-3 → 12thHeerenveen, match 6, 13 September 2026: vs Telstar 0-0 → 11thHeerenveen, match 7, 19 September 2026: at Sparta Rotterdam 0-4 → 10thHeerenveen, match 8, 9 October 2026: at PSV Eindhoven 2-0 → 10thHeerenveen, match 9, 16 October 2026: vs Excelsior 4-0 → 8thNEC Nijmegen, match 1, 8 August 2026: vs Telstar 1-2 → 17thNEC Nijmegen, match 2, 15 August 2026: at Willem II 1-4 → 3rdNEC Nijmegen, match 3, 29 August 2026: at PEC Zwolle 1-3 → 6thNEC Nijmegen, match 4, 5 September 2026: vs Feyenoord 1-3 → 9thNEC Nijmegen, match 5, 8 September 2026: vs Excelsior 2-2 → 9thNEC Nijmegen, match 6, 12 September 2026: at Cambuur 3-0 → 10thNEC Nijmegen, match 7, 20 September 2026: vs GO Ahead Eagles 1-1 → 11thNEC Nijmegen, match 8, 10 October 2026: at Ajax 1-1 → 11th 123456789

Heerenveen are 8th after 9 Eredivisie matches (between 8th and 12th so far); NEC Nijmegen are 11th after 8 (between 3rd and 17th). Rebuilt from the season's results after each side's matches (x-axis: that side's match number); ties split on goal difference, then goals scored.

Goals scored and conceded, by minute

All Eredivisie matches this season: Heerenveen 9, NEC Nijmegen 8.

Heerenveen scored 232334
NEC Nijmegen conceded 322232

Heerenveen score most often in the 76–90 minute window (4 goals); NEC Nijmegen have let in 2 there.

NEC Nijmegen scored 321223
Heerenveen conceded 111132

Each cell counts the league goals that went in during that 15-minute window. Each side's goals sit above the goals its opponent has let in over the same minutes; the darker the cell, the more goals in that window. Stoppage time counts in the last window of its half. Source: API-Football season statistics, refreshed after each league match; own goals are not always counted on the same side as in the table, so a row can be a goal off it. Context, not a prediction.

The next 4 matches, by difficulty

Heerenveen

  • vs Feyenoord8 Nov · Eredivisiewin 27%
  • at Groningen21 Nov · Eredivisiewin 30%
  • at Fortuna Sittard29 Nov · Eredivisiewin 38%
  • vs Cambuur6 Dec · Eredivisiewin 59%

NEC Nijmegen

  • vs Omonia Nicosia5 Nov · UEFA Europa Leaguewin 28%
  • at Utrecht8 Nov · Eredivisiewin 36%

Each side's next matches on our board after this one. The colour is how strong the opponent is, from easier to harder as on the scale above: its model rating ranked among the teams of that competition, in fifths, so bright red is the top fifth whoever is playing it. The win figure is this side's own chance in that match, which is where venue and its own level come in. A match already on our board links to its own prediction; the rest follow as their week comes up.