LiontipsSKA - CSKA: betting tip (cf 1.77) and bets on the KHL match
Command Analysis
Current form
The tournament path of Igor Larionov's team in the year of the 80th anniversary of the army club from St. Petersburg is difficult to compare to a smooth wide highway. Rather, it is a winding dirt road with holes and potholes – successful matches and confident victories alternate with a series of defeats. The second half of January was a real nightmare for the fans – they managed to score only one point in seven matches. However, the next five matches brought a perfect result and a goal difference of 21-5. The Army team is currently in seventh place in the Western Conference with 65 points, one point ahead of Spartak. At the finish of a smooth tournament, we should expect an interesting fight with Dynamo Moscow, CSKA and Torpedo for the allocation of places in the top eight going into the playoffs.
The home match on February 18 against Cherepovets Severstal was marked by a significant achievement: SKA was the first in the league to reach the milestone of 3,500 goals in the regular KHL championships. Nikolai Goldobin scored the anniversary goal. In a tense struggle, SKA saved one point in the last minute of the third period through the efforts of Matvey Polyakov, who actively played on the spot during the final assault with an empty goal, but lost to the Steelers in a shootout (2:3, B). This will be the fourth game of the army teams against each other in the 2025/2026 season. Of the previous three, Muscovites prevailed in two (3:2 and 4:3), St. Petersburg – in one (4:1).
Disqualifications and injuries
SKA has no problems with the squad at the moment.
Interesting betting trends
- SKA makes an average of 29 shots on target
- According to statistics, the team performs 12 power moves per match.
Current form
Igor Nikitin's coaching work after returning to the army club seems to be starting to bear fruit. After the rather unintelligible results of the first half of the season, the team is gaining game confidence and punching power. This year, in 15 matches, the Army team managed to score 23 points with 33 goals scored and 22 goals conceded. Curiously, in the second period, CSKA's goal was kept locked in 12 of these 15 matches. In addition, the team has a series of eight consecutive wins (three of them to zero), but in the February 17 game with Lada, the Army lost to the outsider on the road (1:2).
The scoring events unfolded in the third period. CSKA striker Sergei Kalinin opened the scoring after a solo pass, but shortly before the end, Lada's legionnaires Colby Williams and Tomas Jurcho, having upset CSKA goalkeeper Dmitry Gamzin twice in a row, turned the game in favor of the hosts. A good result in January-February allowed the Army team not only to step into the top eight, but also to rise to fifth place in the West, scoring 70 points in 57 games. Guaranteeing a place in the playoffs is a matter of the next few rounds, and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, which is in fourth place, is just around the corner: only two points and at the same time a game in reserve.
Disqualifications and injuries
CSKA has no difficulties with the squad today.
Interesting betting trends
- According to statistics, CSKA conducts 16 power moves
- The Army team wins 52.5% of face-offs on average.
Trends
Bet 1st period: total less than 1.5 pucks
In four out of five matches with the participation of guests, the first period was inconclusive.
1.57Bet 2nd period: CSKA victory
In two out of three matches against SKA, the guests achieved victory in the second leg.
2.65Tip and bets
CSKA looks more profitable against the background of the army men from the banks of the Neva River in many aspects. The visitors play in a more disciplined manner and pay much more attention to defense, which makes them an uncomfortable opponent for many clubs. SKA has already lost to the Muscovites twice this season, and since then the opponent has become even stronger. Igor Nikitin's team is very good at playing against such teams, so now it's hard to believe that they will lose to the St. Petersburg team.
Betting Tip - CSKA victory with a handicap (0) in 1.77
Betting on an individual total
It will be very difficult for the hosts to break through the defense of their counterpart. CSKA, as a rule, does not concede more than one or two goals, even in the most unsuccessful matches for themselves. Last time, the residents of St. Petersburg also failed to open the defenses of the Muscovites more than twice. If the goalkeeping team doesn't let us down, we won't see three goals from SKA in the upcoming game either.
We're betting on an individual SKA total of less than 2.5 goals for 1.55
