The upcoming clash between Torpedo NN and Ak Bars on the fourteenth of September promises to be a real cracker as the home side finally gets to show off its brand new arena to the fans. Everyone in Nizhny Novgorod is buzzing with excitement and expecting nothing short of a strong performance from their boys on this special night. The atmosphere is sure to be electric with a full house cheering the team on from the stands.
Team Form
Torpedo NN returns to familiar surroundings after a solid away run that saw them pick up six points from eight possible. Their last outing on the road turned into a proper party as they smashed Lada Togliatti seven goals to two with Daniel Seroukh grabbing a hat trick and Yegor Vinogradov setting up three of them. Ak Bars on the other hand kicked off their campaign with four straight home fixtures collecting seven points and staying unbeaten in regulation time except for one shootout loss to Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
- Torpedo NN recorded three wins in four away games
- Ak Bars scored no more than two goals in three of their first four matches
- The sides have drawn five of their last ten encounters in regular time
- Home teams have won the last two meetings that went beyond sixty minutes
Tactical Analysis
Torpedo NN looks sharp in attack after that big win and will want to use the new arena energy to press high and create chances early. Their forwards have found good chemistry on the road and should feel even more confident playing in front of their own supporters. Ak Bars has shown defensive discipline at home but their finishing has been a bit blunt outside one high scoring game so far this season. Expect Torpedo to control more of the puck and look for odd man rushes while the visitors try to grind out chances on the counter.
Betting Proposal
Given the strong home debut vibes and Torpedo NN recent road results it makes sense to back the hosts not to lose in regulation. The zero handicap on the home side offers decent value and lines up with how both teams have performed lately.
Fora 1 (0) at odds of 1.88 looks like the smart play for this one.
