CSKA vs Lokomotiv. Which of the opponents will start in the playoffs with a win?

The classic confrontation between CSKA and Lokomotiv is waiting for hockey fans in the first round of the playoffs. The opening game will be held in Moscow on March 1. 

Our Expert Predictions & Analysis on CSKA vs Lokomotiv

CSKA

The crumpled ending of the regular season, when due to quarantine measures, the championship was stopped in mid-January, allowed the capital's army team to finish in the final third place in the Western Conference standings. Theoretically, there was a chance to rise higher, lagging behind finishing Jokerit was only one point, but third place in such a situation should be considered a success, Severstal and Dynamo Moscow literally stepped on the heels of the army club.

If we analyze the performance of the army team during the regular championship, then the arrival of Sergei Fedorov as a coach did not really affect the change in the game concept. The army team is still primarily taking their reliable game on the defensive, in the attack relying more on the high individual skill of individual hockey players. 107 missed goals is the fifth indicator in the League, but in terms of abandoned goals, the army team is only in 16th place, yielding in this indicator not even Vityaz and Avtomobilist, who did not make it into the playoffs. Another problem of the CSKA coaching staff before the start of the playoffs may be the physical condition of the players. Immediately 12 hockey players of the army club took part in the Olympic Games, so there is no need to talk about the optimal team condition at the moment.

Lokomotiv

The railroad failed the regular part of the championship, turning from a potential favorite into a typical middle league in the course of the season. The final sixth place in the West should be regarded as a success to some extent, because during the championship there were moments when Lokomotiv was outside the cup eight, risking being out of the playoff zone. The replacement in September of Andrey Skabelka with Igor Nikitin has not yet brought any special dividends, Lokomotiv has been advancing through the regular season with huge problems, alternating victories with defeats.

Lokomotiv's statistical calculations are in many ways similar to those of the army. The same tangible tilt towards defensive hockey (the third indicator in the League in terms of the number of missed goals), with a rather faded game in attack. Only 113 goals scored, worse than the regular part of the championship in this regard were only six teams. The problems of the attacking line are aggravated by the termination of the contract with Reed Boucher, potentially the main star of Lokomotiv. The American striker's old problems with the law forced Lokomotiv's management to terminate the contract, thus leaving the team without a striker for the most important part of the season.

CSKA vs Lokomotiv

Statistics

The teams also met in the playoffs last season, with a memorable run in the quarter-finals. The teams played the maximum possible number of matches, determining the winner in the seventh match, which took place in Moscow. The army team won with a score of 2-0, thereby qualifying for the semi-finals of the Gagarin Cup. A characteristic feature of that series is low performance. In seven matches, only 23 goals were scored, that is, a little more than three goals per game. A similar trend has continued in the current championship - 10 goals in three matches (two wins for CSKA at home 3-1 and 1-0, and also a home victory for Lokomotiv 3-2), eloquently characterize the playing style of the rivals.

ODDs from download 1xbet

In the first match of the series, the bookmaker is on the side of the army club, setting the following odds for the outcome of the match: CSKA win - 2.22, draw at the end of regular time - 3.85, Lokomotiv win - 2.96. In terms of performance, everything is quite predictable: Total over (4.5) - 2.20, Total under (4.5) - 1.65. Install the 1xbet app and place a bet on the favorite!

Game Totals Prediction

In the rivalry between CSKA and Lokomotiv, a bet on the number of goals scored by itself suggests itself. Both teams are playing defensively and it is unlikely that either side will change their strategy in knockout games. The omniscient statistics also speak about this. In the last 10 matches between CSKA and Lokomotiv, only twice did the teams score five goals by joint efforts. Based on this, our forecast is Total Under 4.5 with odds of 1.64.

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