AK Bars Kazan and Salavat Ufa are tentatively scheduled to face each other in Game 1 of the Gagarin Cup conference semifinal playoffs in the Kontinental Hockey League in Kazan, Russia at Tatneft Arena at 12 p.m. ET Wednesday. We analyze the AK Bars Kazan-Salavat Ufa sports betting odds and lines, while providing KHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
AK Bars Kazan vs. Salavat Ufa: Three things to know
- Matt Frattin, who played 135 games in the NHL, including 91 games in parts of four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, has registered three goals and five points with a plus-4 rating across four playoff games for AK Bars. He also racked up an impressive eight goals and 28 points with a plus-14 rating in 56 games during the regular season.
- Linus Omark, who scored eight goals with 32 points across 79 NHL games, mostly with the Edmonton Oilers, rolled up 12 goals and 42 assists in 59 regular-season games for Ufa Salavat Yulaev. He is the leading scorer in the KHL playoffs, racking up a goal and 11 assists with a plus-7 rating in six games.
- AK Bars backstop Timur Bilyalov has posted four wins and a shutout with a 0.71 GAA and .975 SV% in four playoff games so far. Meanwhile, Ufa’s Juha Metsola was a little more giving, going 4-2-0 with a 3.43 GAA and .908 SV% in the first round.
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AK Bars Kazan vs. Salavat Ufa: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Monday at 9 a.m. ET.
Prediction
AK Bars Kazan 4, Salavat Ufa 2
Moneyline (ML)
AK Bars Kazan (-223) will look to fire out of the chute in Game 1 of their semifinal series with Salavat Ufa (+170), but risking more than two times your potential return isn’t a good bet. AVOID, and look to the puck line.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on AK Bars Kazan nets a profit of just $4.50, while a $10 bet on Salavat Ufa returns a profit of $17.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
AK BARS KAZAN (-1, +110) is the play in Game 1, and if you go with Kazan (-1.5, +145) to win by at least two goals, it’s a pretty tidy little return. They certainly have the offense to make it happen, but Omark’s hot play in the first round is a bit of a concern heading into Game 1 if you plan to back Kazan.
Over/Under (O/U)
The OVER 4.5 (+105) is a really nice play in Game 1. These teams just met Feb. 25 with AK Bars Kazan winning 3-2. In the meeting before that, Kazan scored a 3-2 win in a shootout Jan. 23. Four of the past five meetings have seen a total of 5 or more goals, so the Over is worth a small-unit play.
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