LiontipsKunlun - SKA. Forecast and bets on the KHL match
Command Analysis
Current form
Kunlun is the main and now undisputed outsider of the Western Conference standings. After a series of defeats, Parker Fu team moved to 11th place, having only 13 points after 18 starts. In October, Mikhail Kravets' charges began with a victory over Salavat Yulaev in Ufa (5:2), having recovered from a score of 0:2 after the second break. The Beijing team enthusiasm quickly ran out and they lost in Balashikha (2:7) and Nizhny Novgorod (0:4), but then unexpectedly clung to points in Yaroslavl (2:3, OT) and Cherepovets (3:0). Returning home, the Red Star continued its unsuccessful series in Mytishchi. Red Star suffered a crushing defeat to the Railwaymen from Yaroslavl (1:5) and the Tigers from Sochi (0:4), and in the last game they could not cope with the pressure from Metallurg (2:4).
The hosts are weaker than others in the West in defense and allow 3.72 goals per game. The Dragons commit quite a lot of fouls and play almost the worst in the minority, neutralizing only 76.1% of the opponents' attempts. As for the attack, the club technical forwards cope with their duties well. The best scorer of the Chinese team remains Tomas Jurcho, who has scored 12 points (6+6).
Disqualifications and injuries
Ryan Merkley continues to recover from an injury he suffered in early October.
Interesting trends for betting
- Kunlun opponents average 33 shots on goal per match
The home team goalies usually have a lot of work to do and they were able to stop only 89% of the shots.
- The Chinese win 50.9% of faceoffs
Mikhail Kravets' charges play well on the spot and win most of the duels after breaks.
Current form
SKA is picking up speed and has started to climb the standings after Evgeny Kuznetsov returned to action. The team from the banks of the Neva currently shares second place in the Western Conference standings with Moscow Spartak. The Army Men have 25 points after 18 games. The turning point for Roman Rotenberg charges was the game in Yaroslavl, where the visitors were able to beat the KHL leader (4:3, OT). The Petersburgers returned home and lost to Dynamo Minsk (2:4), but then got angry and beat Neftekhimik (3:2, B) and CSKA (5:4). In the opening game of the away tour, Alexander Nikishin team crushed Vityaz in Balashikha after a scoreless first period (8:1).
The attack of the club from Saint Petersburg took first place in the number of goals scored, beating competitors from Nizhny Novgorod. Tony DeAngelo, who transferred from Carolina during the regular season, fit in perfectly with the Red-Blues. The American attacking defenseman quickly got used to the new championship and made 16 effective actions (3+13) in ten games.
Disqualifications and injuries
Artem Zemchenok has been in the guests' infirmary for more than a month and once again he will not be able to help his partners.
Interesting trends for betting
- SKA earns 8.6 penalty minutes per game on average
The "army men" quite often play with a man down and are often punished for poor discipline.
- The Red-Blues make 14 power moves per game
The visitors have quite a lot of possession of the puck and do not make contact with the opponent that often.
Trends
Bet 1st period: SKA will score
In their last six home games , Kunlun have conceded in the first period
1.30Bet 2nd period: total over 1.5 goals
In the last nine games between the clubs, the second periods have been productive
1.40Tip and bets
Kunlun continues its losing streak on home ice, which now stands at seven games in a row. The Chinese score less than twice per game at Arena Mytishchi, while conceding more than four times per match. SKA, on the other hand, has gained momentum and feels confident. The Army Men have taken first place in goals after their victory in Balashikha and will be very difficult to stop now. The visitors intend to take second place in the conference and take revenge for their recent defeat to the Stars at home. We believe that the Beijing team will have little chance of a positive result in the upcoming confrontation. We suggest betting on a victory for the visitors with a small minus handicap.
Prediction - SKA win with Asian handicap (-1.5) for 1.70
Bet on individual total
Kunlun, oddly enough, plays much better away than at home. First of all, in the Moscow region, Mikhail Kravets' charges score very little, doing so only 1.75 times per game. SKA has problems in the defense, but now Roman Rotenberg is giving a chance to young goalies, who are very motivated, to remain in the main team and not repeat the fate of Nikita Serebryakov. We do not believe that the Chinese will be able to score even three accurate hits.
We take the individual total of “Kunlun” less than 2.5 goals with a coefficient of 1.60
Bet on total
Despite the fact that Red Star plays very effectively at home, we do not expect an abundance of goals scored. Seven goals is a lot by KHL standards, even when a clear favorite plays against an underdog. We think that the teams will limit themselves to five or six goals, but they will not be able to score eight goals. We suggest betting on the total under.
We bet on a total of less than seven goals for 1.58
