Netherlands vs Scotland: Betting Odds & Prediction

The Netherlands welcome Scotland for an international friendly on Friday evening as both sides begin their preparations for EURO 2024.

Kick-off is set for 7:45pm UK time at the Johan Cruijff ArenA. 

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Netherlands

The home side have been solid throughout their qualifying campaign, only dropping points to 2018 World Cup winners France in 2-1 and 4-0 defeats. They eventually finished second in Group B on 18 points, four points behind group-toppers France. 

They won three of their four home matches during qualifying, and will likely enjoy plenty of the ball on Friday after averaging 58% possession across their eight qualifying games. They also averaged 16.75 shots per match which led to an average of two goals scored per game. 

This is slightly lower than their expected goal (xG) tally of 2.3, but have been imperious at the other end of the pitch. Their defence, led by captain Virgil van Dijk, conceded an average of just 0.5 goals per game against an expected goal against (xGA) tally of 0.8. The Dutchmen also kept clean sheets in three of their four home games.

Scotland 

The away side enjoyed a successful campaign which saw them secure qualification for EURO 2024 in comfortable fashion. Scotland finished second in Group A, four points behind leaders Spain but, crucially, six points ahead of third-placed Norway. 

They won two of their four matches on the road during qualifying, compared to three at home. Steve Clarke's side also slightly under-performed in defensive columns, conceding an average of 1.25 goals per game compared to an xGA of 1.16. Defenders Grant Hanley and Scott McKenna could also be out for the away side, casting doubt on their ability to keep out the Dutch frontline. 

Scotland impressed going forward though, with 17 goals scored across their eight qualifying matches (1.75 goals per game). They also averaged a 21% conversion rate in front of goal. 

Despite a 2-0 win over Spain in the group stage, their record against bigger sides in friendlies has been a learning curve as they were beaten 3-1 by England in September and 4-1 by France in October. The Scots will hope that they have improved since as they look to demonstrate they can go toe-to-toe with Europe’s elite.

Prediction

Despite Scotland’s impressive qualifying campaign, their record both away and against top-tier opposition suggests they will struggle to overcome the Dutchmen. There is little value in backing the home side on the moneyline, however. 

Regardless of the result, Scotland's attacking output was a key factor in securing EURO 2024 qualification. Coupled with the Netherlands' tendency to score multiple goals at home, plenty of goal-mouth action can be anticipated on Saturday evening.

OddsNow's Picks: Both teams to score (23/20 @ UniBET); Over 2.75 goals scored (Evens @ LiveScoreBet)