Preview
Sparta Rotterdam vs Excelsior prediction time comes on the final matchday of the Eredivisie season, and it lands with extra spice: a Rotterdam derby at Sparta-Stadion Het Kasteel on 2026-05-17 (13:30 GMT). Sparta sit 10th on 43 points and can play with a little freedom, while Excelsior in 14th on 35 points still have survival on their mind. With nerves on one side and pride on the other, this game rarely stays quiet for long.
Sparta under Maurice Steijn have been solid enough across the season, but the recent run has been wobbly, including a 4-0 loss to Twente last time out. Their 38:59 goal difference hints at what we often see at Het Kasteel: Sparta can score, but they also leave doors open. Excelsior, coached by Ruben den Uil, arrive with momentum after eye-catching results, including a 5-0 win over Utrecht, a dramatic 3-2 away win at Groningen, and a gritty 1-1 draw with Volendam.
Sparta are expected to miss Mike Kleijn and Mitchell van Bergen through injury, which can reduce depth in midfield and wide areas. Excelsior have longer-term absences with Miliano Jonathans and Hamdi Akujobi out (both ACL injuries), while Mathijs Tielemans and Stan Henderikx have had recent fitness/suspension issues.
Now to the numbers. The betting odds are Home 2.12, Draw 3.9, Away 3.35, which makes Sparta favourites but not overwhelmingly so. NerdyTips’ AI likes the home win (1) at 2.12, though with a modest trust score of 3.35—reasonable, given Sparta’s shaky form and Excelsior’s urgency.
The stronger lean is goals. Our best tip is Over 2.5 total goals at 1.47 (confidence 4.6/10), matching the market’s own lean (trust 4.7). The projected stats support that: 55%–45% possession, 15–12 shots, and a predicted final score of 2-1 (half-time 1-0). Also, the last notable head to head on 2024-02-17 ended 4-2 to Sparta—another reminder that derby defending can be optional.
One final note: both teams have shown they can spring surprises—Sparta’s 3-4 win at Feyenoord (odds 7.4) and Excelsior’s 0-0 at Twente (odds 13.0) prove volatility is real. That is exactly why, in this Sparta Rotterdam vs Excelsior prediction, the cleaner route is backing goals rather than pretending the derby will follow a script.
Read More
Read Less
Want to see how AI predicts football matches? → Check the latest results !
Excelsior no motivation!
|
5
-
1
-
4
|
|
S. Rotterdam |
17-Feb-24
4:2
| Excelsior ![]() |
S. Rotterdam |
14-Jan-23
1:0
| Excelsior ![]() |
S. Rotterdam |
07-Apr-17
2:3
| Excelsior ![]() |
S. Rotterdam |
21-Jan-18
2:3
| Excelsior ![]() |
Excelsior |
14-Sep-25
0:1
| S. Rotterdam ![]() |
Excelsior |
01-Oct-23
2:1
| S. Rotterdam ![]() |
Excelsior |
05-Mar-23
1:4
| S. Rotterdam ![]() |
Excelsior |
31-Jul-21
0:3
| S. Rotterdam ![]() |
Excelsior |
19-Nov-16
3:2
| S. Rotterdam ![]() |
Excelsior |
21-Oct-17
1:1
| S. Rotterdam ![]() |
| 10 May | L |
Twente
| 4 |
S. Rotterdam
| 0 |
| 03 May | D |
S. Rotterdam
| 2 |
Ahead E
| 2 |
| 22 Apr | L |
Telstar
| 4 |
S. Rotterdam
| 1 |
| 11 Apr | L |
S. Rotterdam
| 0 |
PSV E
| 2 |
| 05 Apr | D |
NAC Breda
| 0 |
S. Rotterdam
| 0 |
| 21 Mar | W |
S. Rotterdam
| 2 |
FC Volendam
| 0 |
| 14 Mar | L |
Ajax
| 4 |
S. Rotterdam
| 0 |
| 08 Mar | D |
S. Rotterdam
| 1 |
Zwolle
| 1 |
| 28 Feb | L |
Heerenveen
| 2 |
S. Rotterdam
| 1 |
| 22 Feb | L |
AZ Alkmaar
| 3 |
S. Rotterdam
| 1 |
| 10 May | D | Excelsior |
1 | FC Volendam |
1 |
| 02 May | W | Groningen |
2 | Excelsior |
3 |
| 26 Apr | W | Excelsior |
5 | Utrecht |
0 |
| 12 Apr | D | PEC Zwolle |
2 | Excelsior |
2 |
| 04 Apr | L | Excelsior |
0 | NEC Nijmegen |
2 |
| 20 Mar | D | Heracles |
1 | Excelsior |
1 |
| 15 Mar | L | Feyenoord |
2 | Excelsior |
1 |
| 07 Mar | L | Excelsior |
1 | Heerenveen |
2 |
| 01 Mar | L | Excelsior |
0 | G.A. Eagles |
1 |
| 20 Feb | L | Sittard |
2 | Excelsior |
1 |
Netherlands - Eredivisie| Team | M | G | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
PSV Eindhoven | 33 | 96-44 | 81 |
| 2 |
Feyenoord | 33 | 68-44 | 62 |
| 3 |
Twente | 33 | 58-35 | 58 |
| 4 |
NEC Nijmegen | 33 | 75-52 | 56 |
| 5 |
Ajax | 33 | 62-41 | 55 |
| 6 |
AZ Alkmaar | 33 | 55-48 | 51 |
| 7 |
Utrecht | 33 | 53-42 | 50 |
| 8 |
Heerenveen | 33 | 57-53 | 50 |
| 9 |
Groningen | 33 | 47-44 | 45 |
| 10 |
Sparta | 33 | 38-59 | 43 |
| 11 |
Fortuna | 33 | 49-61 | 39 |
| 12 |
GO Ahead | 33 | 53-51 | 38 |
| 13 |
PEC Zwolle | 33 | 44-69 | 37 |
| 14 |
Excelsior | 33 | 40-54 | 35 |
| 15 |
Telstar | 33 | 47-54 | 34 |
| 16 |
FC Volendam | 33 | 34-53 | 32 |
| 17 |
NAC Breda | 33 | 32-55 | 28 |
| 18 |
Heracles | 33 | 34-83 | 19 |