"Molot" - "Kristall": forecast for the VHL match
On December 12, Molot will host Saratov Kristall in Perm. This season, the hosts have been playing more confidently than their opponents and intend to win their second home victory in a row and prove to the fans that it was not in vain that they won the regular championship last season. Whose side will fortune be on and what bets will play? The answer is in our forecast

Command Analysis

Molot-Prikamye Perm

Current form
The team from Perm did not start the current regular championship very successfully, but began to gain momentum and won six victories in the last 10 games. The team led by Yuri Panov won 20 victories in 35 games and at this stage shows good and meaningful hockey, but they cannot score much. In the last five games, the "bears" scored only ten goals. In the last confrontation, the team played at home and won the match against Samara CSK VVS (2:1), scoring goals in the first and third periods. But the game before, the "hammermen" suffered a defeat in the confrontation with Penza "Dizel". The opponents played on equal terms, after the second period the score was 2:2, but in the third 20-minute period the guests scored two goals and took two points from Perm. At this stage of the game, the team has 43 points and is in ninth place in the tournament table, four points behind third-placed Khimik.
Interesting trends for betting
- The team hasn't scored less than two goals in the last four games.
- "Molot" has never lost to its opponent in its history (three victories, one of which was in overtime)

Kristall Saratov

Current form
Last season, the Saratov club became one of two teams that managed to miss more than 200 goals. After that, the coaching staff did a lot of work on the mistakes, made adjustments to the defensive line and improved the game in attacking actions, which began to give results. Saratov looks much more confident, but it is not possible to fight for the TOP-16, since the opponents play stronger and more powerfully. The team has been showing an uncertain game lately, but can play on equal terms with more experienced teams in the VHL. Kristall was able to win only two victories in the past 10 matches. In the past match, Sergei Golobovich charges showed character and emerged victorious in the home match, beating Neftekamsk Toros (3:2), but in the previous game they lost to Izhevsk Izhstal (0:3). The team is in 28th place in the standings, has the same number of points and is 11 points behind the playoff zone, which they will not be able to make up before the end of the regular season.
Interesting trends for betting
- On average, Saratov Kristall scores two goals per game
- The team has suffered losses in its last six away games
Trends
Bet 1st period: total under 1.5 goals
In 4 of the last 5 meetings, the home team scored less than 1.5 goals in the first period.
1.74Bet 2nd period: Molot win
In 2 of the 3 recent matches, the Bears won in the second period
2.15Tip and bets
In this confrontation, bookmakers put the hosts as the favorites, and it is hard to disagree with that. The Bears are fighting for a place in the TOP-16 and look an order of magnitude stronger than their opponent from Saratov. Molot plays on its home ice, has won five of its last seven games and intends to continue the fight for the top five. The club from Perm has a more experienced roster, which will allow it to win and will become a decisive factor in the match.
Prediction: Molot win with odds of 1.64
Bet on total
This pair is likely to feature a head-to-head game with many scoring opportunities. However, in four of the five home games, less than 5.5 goals were scored, and we believe that the goal-scoring extravaganza will not take place, as in the last face-to-face match between the rivals
Forecast - total under 5.5 goals with odds of 1.61
Bet on individual total
Molot has no problems in attack, but the visitors have some problems in defense. In the past five matches, the club from Saratov has missed 11 goals, and we can assume that the hosts will score at least three goals.
Forecast - individual total of "Molot" more than three goals for 1.80