Belgian Jupiler League Week 26 Preview

Genk vs Zulte-Wargem

Genk managed to reach the Cup final on tuesday, but still are not 100%
as they have a couple long term injuries and there is some kind of viral infection in the group which will have some players out. Often after a mid-week match, the first half tends to be a challenge which is one of the things I will be looking at. Zulte-waregem by now are as good as safe from relegation but are just a bit too far behind to reach play-off 1. No matter what happens, they keep playing their own style which is forward and have Bongonda back. The live betting options I am looking at are the Away +0 1st hal if Zulte-Waregem are the better team, the over depending on how the match is played (specially 2H over) and the late over if Zulte-Waregem are behind preferably by 1 goal. I did not take any pre-game bets on this match.

Oostende vs Anderlecht

I hoped on a change of form for Anderlecht after the winter break, but so far there are no signs of this happening as play overall has been below expectations. They are still missing Trebel who was one of the few players with a good form and will have to do with Ganvoula in the attack who did not break through in KV Mechelen. The over has been a clear trend for both teams which is what I will be looking at. Oostende in the past always played good matches against top teams if Berrier was in the line-up. I allready took a minimum bet on the Over 2.75 @ 1.94 pre-game with an option to add more live depending on how the match plays out. Stats also point towards the 1H over 1 (66%+) which will be an option to take if it is a match with a goal in the air and the underdog plays along.

Kortrijk vs Antwerp

The main question for this match to me is what the influence of kortrijk missing out on the cup final will be. The most likely scenario is to see Kortrijk taking the initiative and Antwerp breaking out on the counter. Similar to early in the season, I will look for Antwerp to get behind and in a situation the will be forced to play forward. I will also look at the scenario which I talked about in previous Antwerp previews. They can be both a very under team and a very over team depending on situation and intentions which makes it hard for bookmakers the set pre-game totals. As for the side, I will look to take Kortrijk if match is level in case Antwerp plays along and Kortrijk show they can continue their form.

Mechelen vs Eupen

Classic relegation battle match. In these situations,
the team who are in a must win situation usually start the match with a mental advantage as their job is clear, while the team ahead often is too much occupied with not losing. Early in the season these matches tend to turn out in under matches, late in the season there is a higher chance on many goals. Scoring new striker Koné is suspended for Eupen which is a big blow. It's one of those matches I go into with a very open mind and see what how everything plays out during the match before taking a position. As always with struggling teams,
late collapses when behind are high on my watchlist.

AA Gent vs Sint-Truiden

AA Gent again showed similar early season signs where they lacked creativity to break through a well organised defense. Stvv have shown to be capable to play a solid defensive game and I expect them to start the match luring on the counter. I split my stake on Under 2.5 @ 2.07 and 1H Under 1 @ 2.03 pre game with the intention to trade out of these positions at some point if the picture of the match tells me to.

Waasland vs Club Brugge

Waasland so far did not really suffer from coach Clement, Playmaker Morioka and strong midfielder Seck leaving their team. It is not uncommon to see a team how got a big loss in quality stay strong which most of the time happens to catch up to them eventually. This is pretty much my angle going in to this matc. Watch carefully for signs of a declining performance and fade them. The home match against Club Brugge could be the tipping point as the away team seems to be picking up a better form again. This will very likely be a match with goals and this is also heavily reflected in the odds. I will again look live if Club Brugge reach their impressive form early on and bet them at the HT line.

Standard vs Moeskroen

I'm really liking the streak Standard are in right now, the only thing that worries me is the amount of matches in a short time, but this tends not to be a problem when results are good. Standard still have their eye on play-off 1 while Moeskroen are safe and can play free so I expect this one to be an offensive minded match at least from Standard side who are in a must win situation. I took some small entry positions on Standard -1.25 @ 2.06 and Over 2.75 @ 2.05 with an eye to take more when the match confirms my views. I will also be looking at the 1H standard in case they show no signs of being tired.

Charleroi vs Lokeren

Lokeren are not yet in the safe zone and I expect them to let Charleroi make the play while trying to break out on the counter. This is pretty much the game plan of Charleroi in general so this will likely be an under match. When the first goal comes will be key and could totally change the picture of the match. Pre-game Under 2.5 @ 1.97 and 1H under 1 @ 2.01 are my positions pre-game with an eye to keep them or hedge out depending on the match and when the first goal is scored.