Neftekhimik - Ak Bars: forecast for the KHL match
On November 7, you will be able to watch the Tatarstan derby as part of the regular KHL championship. In Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik and Ak Bars will meet for the first time this season, which means we will have a fight until the last second. The Wolves have not scored against their neighbors for three games in a row, but will they be able to break the streak of unsuccessful performances? Our experts have prepared a forecast in which they will answer this question and also help you decide on the most relevant bets

Command Analysis

Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk

Current form
This season for Neftekhimik started very successfully, due to which the team was among the leaders of the Western Conference for a long time, but that time was replaced by a very long decline, which continues to this day. Due to the huge number of lost points, the club has already dropped to the eighth line in the table and, if it continues to play in the same spirit, it will very soon leave the playoff zone. After five defeats in a row, the team met with an opponent of its level in the person of Sochi and snatched the long-awaited victory with an advantage of one goal (2:1). What is noteworthy is that in this meeting, the Nizhnekamsk team did not look any better than their competitor, and they were only slightly luckier in realizing moments in the attack.
As expected, the interrupted losing streak did not help the club to recover and it continued to lose points from match to match. Continuing to play at home, Neftekhimik could not cope with Avtomobilist (2:3), and also lost to Lada with a score of 0:3. It is worth noting that in these matches the "wolves" were very active in attack and were able to make 84 shots on target, but this did not bring the desired result. Then the "Nizhnekamsk" team went to play on the road, where they again lost to Avto, and with the same score of 2:3, and then suffered a defeat from Barys in a shootout (1:2). As you can see, the team main problem remains its very low efficiency, which is especially evident in recent matches.
Disqualifications and injuries
Neftekhimik low performance is also connected to problems in the team. Three forwards are in the infirmary: Vladimir Bryukvin, Jean-Sebastian Dy and Aleksandr Dergachev. Also, defender Roman Abrosimov will not be able to participate in the upcoming match due to injury.
Interesting trends for betting
- Neftekhimik averages two goals per match
Nizhnekamsk has one of the worst attacks in the league at the moment, which is the main reason for the club losses.
- On average, the Wolves receive 7.5 penalty minutes per match.
The team has no problems with discipline; it rarely breaks the rules, which allows it to remain in full force.

Ak Bars Kazan

Current form
Ak Bars continues to prove that it is one of the strongest clubs in the league, and has been steadily earning points for a long period of time. In five matches, the team suffered only one defeat against the leader of the Western Conference, Lokomotiv, having lost in a tough fight. The Kazan team could not break through the very strong defense of the Yaroslavl team, but in the third period they still managed to tie the score and transfer the game to overtime. As a result, it came down to a series of shootouts, and they had to suffer an offensive defeat (2:3). Before this, the Kazan team also played at home, where they twice left Admiral no chance (2:0 and 4:2), and also confidently beat Metallurg (4:1). In the match with the Foxes, forward Galimov showed an excellent game, scoring twice and also giving an assist. One cannot help but note the efforts of goalkeeper Miftakhov, who stopped 34 of 35 shots.
The "Bars" were able to consolidate their success on the road, where they rehabilitated themselves for the defeat from the "railwaymen". The Kazan team met with the obvious underdog in the person of "Barys" and snatched victory from them in a series of shootouts (2:1). Ak Bars looked much better than their opponents in the game and made twice as many shots at the goal, but their accuracy let them down, which frayed the nerves of the fans. At the moment, Gilyazutdin charges are in third place in the Eastern Conference table, and the gap from their closest competitor is only one point.
Disqualifications and injuries
Ak Bars has virtually no problems with its roster. Only forward Nicolas Petan will not be able to play in the upcoming match. All other players are in the lineup.
Interesting trends for betting
- Ak Bars averages three goals per game
Kazan players traditionally have a very active attacking game and often score a large number of goals.
- On average, the "Bars" make 36 shots per match
The club high performance is primarily due to the huge number of shots on goal.
Trends
Goal in each period bet - no
In four head-to-head games in a row, the teams failed to score a goal in each period.
2.02Bet First Goal: "Ak Bars"
Ak Bars opened the scoring in three head-to-head matches in a row
1.68Tip and bets
Ak Bars is the clear favorite in the upcoming match, for several reasons. Firstly, Kazan is significantly superior to Neftekhimik in terms of roster, which they have been proving throughout the regular championship. Secondly, it is worth considering the form of the clubs. Neftekhimik continues to lose points from match to match and is not able to show a productive game, which Kazan has no problems with. Indeed, Gilyazutdin charges are in excellent condition, due to which they should easily defeat the "wolves", which is what we suggest betting on.
Our prediction is Ak Bars victory for 1.84
Bet on total
There is no need to expect a large number of goals scored in the upcoming match. If you pay attention to the face-to-face meetings, you will notice that Neftekhimik has not scored a goal for three matches in a row, and Kazan players alone are unlikely to be able to break the total of more than five goals.
Forecast - total under five goals for 1.70
Bet on the outcome of the first period
Due to its significant superiority over its opponent, Ak Bars has every chance to start creating serious pressure on Neftekhimik from the first minutes, which will ultimately allow it to earn an advantage in the starting segment.
Prediction - Ak Bars win in the first period with a handicap (0) for 1.60