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Barys vs. Neftekhimik: KHL Match Prediction
Barys and Neftekhimik will begin their journey in the 17th season of the KHL on September 4. The Kazakhs are tired of losing and signed many strong players in the off-season who should help Astana return to their former positions. Nizhnekamsk has strengthened its defense and this time does not intend to remain outside the top eight of the East. What will the first match at Barys Arena be like? We will tell you about this in the prediction for the confrontation
Command Analysis
Barys Nur-Sultan
KazakhstanCurrent form
Barys was one of the weakest teams not only in the Eastern Conference but in the entire KHL throughout the last season. Before the start of the new regular season, David Nemirovsky became the head coach of the Astana team. Strong hockey players such as Damir Zhafyarov, Anton Burdasov, Johan Mattson, Vladislav Kodola and others joined the team. The roster of the "cats" looks strong enough to fight for a place in the playoffs.
In the summer, the club from Kazakhstan did not show the best game and was able to win only two games against Amur (2:1 and 3:2, OT) at the home Cup of the President of Kazakhstan. In defense of the "cats" it can be said that some important players played for the national team and could not help the "bars" in pre-season games. At the Blinov Cup, Barys lost all its matches, although it was considered the weakest team in the tournament.
Interesting trends for betting
- Last season, Barys averaged 29 shots per game
Barys adheres to an attacking style of play and will score more with new attacking leaders.
- In the 2023/2024 season, the Cats' goalies allowed 9.2% of shots
Johan Mattsson will become the new number one goalkeeper of the Astana team. Together with the experienced Swedish goalkeeper, the "Bars" will probably concede fewer goals.
Estimated composition
Mattson, Butcher, Bolie, Korolev, Kenesbay, Volosenkov, Reshetko, Zhusupbekov, Zhafyarov, MacLeod, Allison, Smith, Apalkov, Boyko, Logvin, Burdasov, Shaikhmeddenov, Simonov, Sarkenov, Omirbekov, Kolobov, Kodola
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk
Russian FederationCurrent form
Last season, Nizhnekamsk was very close to making the playoffs, but ultimately finished the season in ninth place in the conference, only two points behind Amur . Neftekhimik has big problems with its defense, so in the summer the Wolves were joined by experienced defenders Bogdan Kiselevich, Roman Abrosimov, and legionnaire Luka Profac.
In August, Oleg Leontyev's charges played rather poorly at the Bashkortostan President's Cup, winning only the first game against Avtomobilist (4:1). But the club from Tatarstan won the Ivan Romazan Memorial, beating Magnitka (2:1) and Metallurg (TP). The Nizhnekamsk team lost to Salavat Yulaev (3:4, B) in the final game, but this did not prevent it from finishing in first place in the table.
Interesting trends for betting
- Last season, Neftekhimik allowed 2.96 goals per game
Neftekhimik plays open hockey and often makes mistakes in defense. Let's see if the new acquisitions will help or if the guests' reliability will remain at the same level.
- The Wolves are averaging 18 blocked shots per game.
Nizhnekamsk had an excellent record of blocked shots last season. At the same time, this indicates that Oleg Leontyev's charges are giving the puck to their opponents.
Estimated composition
Ozolin, Zagidullin, Klok, Kiselevich, Pastukhov, Khlystov, Leontyev, Abrosimov, Kovalev, Leshchenko, Dea, Belozerov, Muissu, Mityakin, Rtishchev, Bryukvin, Zhukenov, Sokolov, Tochilkin, Yakupov, Khoruzhev
Trends
Bet 1st goal: "Neftekhimik"
In three head-to-head matches, Neftekhimik opened the scoring
1.95Goal in each period bet - yes
In the last six head-to-head games, the teams have scored a goal in each period.
1.61Tip and bets
Barys has been seriously strengthened in the off-season and will be a contender for the playoffs in the new KHL competition. Neftekhimik has been strengthened in defense, but the team from Tatarstan did not show a strong game in August. The Kazakhs have previously looked quite good in home games against the Wolves. We believe that David Nemirovsky's team is capable of starting with a victory on home ice, but we will hedge our bet with a zero handicap.
Our betting tip is the victory of “Barys” with a handicap (0) in 2.08
Bet on total
On paper, Barys' offense looks very strong, which cannot be said about Neftekhimik's defense, although the Wolves' defensive line looks more decent now. Nizhnekamsk has always been good at converting chances, so six goals between the two of them is a fairly easy task for these teams.
Betting Tip - total over five goals for 1.81
Bet on the outcome of the first period
The last time Barys lost in the first period to Neftekhimik was back in 2019. Historically, Astana players are comfortable playing against a club from Tatarstan, so the hosts will have to take the initiative into their own hands in the first 20 minutes.
Prediction - Barys wins in the first period with a handicap (0) for 1.75
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