Avangard vs Siberia. Who will be stronger in the first match of the playoffs?

Omsk "Arena G-Drive" on March 2 will be the venue for the first match of the 1/8 finals of the Gagarin Cup between the local Avangard and Novosibirsk Siberia.

• Expert Predictions Analysis
• Statistics
• Odds
• Game Totals Prediction

Our Expert Predictions & Analysis on Avangard vs Siberia

Avangard

Over the entire existence of the KHL, the Omsk club has only once failed to qualify for the cup stage, having failed miserably in the 2013/14 season. If we consider only Avangard cup results, then the 2020/21 season stands apart here, when Omsk residents for the first time in their history were able to win the Gagarin Cup, passing Avtomobilist, Metallurg, Ak Bars and CSKA in turn. It was not possible to repeat the success of last season, beating Ak Bars from Kazan in the first round, Omsk residents lost to Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the quarterfinals in a tenacious seven-match duel.

The Omsk club spent the regular season unevenly, completely failing the starting segment. The unsuccessful start of the championship led to the natural resignation of Dmitry Ryabykin. Mikhail Kravets was appointed to correct the situation, who, in principle, coped with the task. The vanguard gradually gained momentum and by January was already in the group of leaders in the Eastern Conference. Omsk could finish the regular season second, but the defeat on the last game day in Kazan from Ak Bars 2-3 dropped the team to the final third place.

Siberia

The Novosibirsk club cannot boast of special cup successes, the maximum achievement is the semi-final of the 2014/15 season, lost in a five-match confrontation with Kazan's Ak Bars. Last season, the Siberians completed their cup path already at the end of the first round, failing to put up a worthy resistance to the Ufa Salavat Yulaev. Sibir lost in the series after five matches, having managed to beat Ufa only once.

The Novosibirsk club can safely bring the regular season to its asset. An even game throughout the season, this time the Siberians did without serious recessions in the game, allowed Siberia throughout the championship to be at the top of the standings. At some point, Siberia was even the leader in the East, but could not keep the first place. Siberia had an excellent chance of finishing in the top three teams in the Eastern Conference, but two defeats at the finish of the regular season in home games with Salavat Yulaev and Avtomobilist (loses 1-3 and 0-2, respectively) threw the Siberians down several steps. Siberia eventually finished in sixth position, although only three points separated the team from second place.

Statistics

The only time Avangard and Sibir met in the playoffs was in the 2012/13 season. That confrontation also took place in the first round and turned out to be as protracted as possible. The teams played seven matches and the Avangard went on to win the decisive game with a score of 2-0. In the current championship, the teams met each other four times and the hosts invariably won in each match. Siberia won twice in Novosibirsk 3-2 and 3-1, to which Avangard responded with their own home victories 2-1 and 3-2. Curiously, Sibir have not been able to beat Avangard on the road for eight games in a row, having won the last away victory in 2018. In total, the rivals met 58 times in the KHL, Avangard 39 wins, Siberia 19.

Odds from download 1xbet

1xbet specialists in the first match of the series give preference to the owners of the ice, putting up a coefficient of 2.11 for Avangard to win in regular time. The chances of success for Siberian hockey players are noticeably lower, the odds for the victory of the away team are 3.25. You can also consider the option with a draw in regular time, the coefficient for such a development of events is 3.7. As for the expected performance, the following quotes are offered here: total over (4.5) - 2.14, total under (4.5) - 1.69. Install the 1xbet app and place a bet on the favorite!

Game Totals Prediction

You should not expect from the first game in a series of sparkling hockey. Siberia traditionally plays second in away matches, acting from defense. The avant-garde will also not force things, laying out all the trump cards already in the first match. We are waiting for a cautious game on both sides, where each of the opponents in the first place will try not to make a mistake. Our prediction is Total Under 4.5 with odds of 1.69.