Neftekhimik vs Lada. Who will win in Nizhnekamsk this time?

By the will of the calendar, for the second time in the last three days Neftekhimik and Lada will play each other. The game will again be held in Nizhnekamsk, January 30, on the ice of the local Neftekhim Arena.

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

Our Expert Predictions & Analysis on Neftekhimik vs Lada

Neftekhimik

Oleg Leontyev's team is desperately clinging to eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, which will allow the team to continue the season in the cup stage of the championship. In fact, the playoffs have already begun for Neftekhimik. In the East, only one cup ticket remains vacant, for which, along with Neftekhimik, Khabarovsk Amur and Novosibirsk Siberia are also vying. Neftekhimik is currently in a more advantageous position, having a four-point lead over its pursuers, which leaves the team room for error.

Another argument in favor of the Nizhnekamsk team is the current form of the team. While Amur and Siberia have been losing noticeably more often lately, Neftekhimik has been gaining points quite consistently in January. Even having lost at home to Chelyabinsk Traktor and Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo last week, Neftekhimik managed to grab one point in those matches, since the main time of these meetings ended in a draw. Now Neftekhimik has 57 points and a four-point advantage over ninth-placed Siberia.

Lada

The Togliatti club had a bright start in the championship, becoming a real discovery of the first part of the tournament. There was a time when Lada was even leading in the East, ahead of the conference favorites. A certain decline occurred in December, when the team was hit by an epidemic of injuries. However, the gaming crisis did not last long, with the return of injured hockey players to action, Lada again played in its usual style, gaining points on a regular basis.

Oleg Bratash's team started January with three defeats in a row, but then rallied and managed to win four victories in the next six matches. To some extent, the Togliatti team was lucky with the calendar; most of the matches were played against opponents from the bottom half of the standings. Of the favorites, Avtomobilist was beaten, and Lada did it on the road, defeating the Urals with a score of 4-3. At the moment, Lada is quite comfortably in fifth place in the standings, practically guaranteeing itself a spot in the playoffs.

Statistics

The rivals have already played each other four times during the current season, having played two matches each in Tolyatti and Nizhnekamsk. In Togliatti, Neftekhimik confidently won the first match with a score of 4-0, but already in the second game Lada was stronger, winning with a score of 3-0. In Nizhnekamsk, both matches were more closely fought. Neftekhimik won the first match 4-3, scoring the decisive goal in overtime. Just a couple of days ago, the teams played again in Nizhnekamsk and this time success was on the side of the Lada hockey players, who only needed two goals to win, while Neftekhimik was unable to hit the guests’ goal even once. Thus, in three head-to-head matches this season, one of the teams left the ice without scoring goals. Both will score – No for 5.2.

Odds from download 1xbet

For the outcome of the upcoming match, 1xbet put up the following quotes: Neftekhimik’s victory in regular time – 2.19, possible success of Lada – 2.9. The bookmaker offers a draw in the main time of the match with further overtime with odds of 3.85. Despite the fact that three out of four head-to-head matches were “low”, the bookmaker is inclined to have a productive outcome of the match: total over (4.5) – 1.73, total under (4.5) – 2.03. Download 1xbet to your phone and place a bet on the favorite!

Game Totals Prediction

Lada is essentially finishing out the regular season, having resolved the issue of getting into the playoffs long before the finish of the tournament. For Neftekhimik, the situation is much more complicated; in the current situation, for Oleg Leontyev’s team, every point scored becomes golden. The team has quite difficult away matches ahead, so Neftekhimik simply must take two points in the upcoming home game. Our prediction is Neftekhimik's victory in regulation time with odds of 2.19.