CSKA Moscow - Torpedo N. Novgorod predictions and free betting tips [09/01/2024]

The 2023/2024 Kontinental Hockey League regular season is in full swing. The day's second and concluding match, also the first workday of 2024, will see CSKA Moscow attempting to defeat Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod at home, inching towards the fifth positon and moving closer to the top 4 in the conference. 

CSKA Moscow

The army club, finally seems to be coming out of a crisis. After the hiatus, the team looked lost and upset with five defeats in a row. It seemed that the team would not recover, but it turned around after winning their last match in 2023 against Severstal. Already in 2024, CSKA has two consecutive victories, suggesting that the team has finally overcome the crisis and started accumulating points. They especially performed well in their match against Spartak, one of the KHL’s leading teams, defeating them with a 3-1 score. Currently, CSKA occupies the sixth position in their conference, with 54 points from 47 matches. These points have been garnered from 22 main time victories, three overtime triumphs, and four overtime losses. The remaining 18 matches resulted in losses for CSKA without any additional points. Currently, the team are third in their conference for goals conceded – 107, while they sit sixth for goals scored – 133.  

Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod

Igor Larionov's team is struggling in recent matches. Yes, they have three victories in five matches, but two of these came in overtime, meaning no extra points, and losses were in main time. Their most recent match against Dynamo Minsk ended in a 5-2 defeat. With their key players out injured, it's uncertain which players Larionov's team will rely on in their upcoming games. Despite these issues, Torpedo currently sits at the fifth place in the conference, with 59 points from 47 matches. In total, they've recorded 23 main time victories, five overtime wins and three losses with one point each. Torpedo lost the remaining 16 matches without earning any additional points. The Nizhny Novgorod team are fifth in terms of goals scored – 136, and fourth in the conference for goals conceded – 112. 

Head-to-head

Between them, CSKA and Torpedo have played 43 matches. Out of these, CSKA has won 29, and Torpedo prevailed 14 times. They have yet to meet in this season. 

Prediction

According to Pinnacle, CSKA is the favourite for this match with odds of 1.47, while Torpedo's victory stands at 3.78. In this scenario, I'd suggest betting on CSKA's victory given their current winning streak, whilst Torpedo exhibits the opposite trend.