KHL Odds and Picks (Oct. 22): Avtomobilist and SKA Are Dangerous Favorites
- Avtomobilist is looking to beat Neftekhimik for the ninth straight time
- SKA St. Petersburg is listed as a large -375 favorite over Spartak Moscow
- See the odds and best bets for the two KHL games on Oct. 22 in the story below
There are only two KHL games scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22, and they both feature one of the league’s top teams. Avtomobilist is listed as a -186 road favorite against Neftekhimik, while SKA is a heavy -375 home favorite against Spartak.
See the odds and best bets for the two-game KHL slate on Thursday, October 22nd below.
KHL Odds: Thursday, October 22nd
| Team | Moneyline | Puckline | Over/Under Goal Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg | -186 | -1.5 (+148) | O 5.5 (+102) | 12 pm |
| Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk | +155 | +1.5 (-186) | U 5.5 (-125) | |
| Team | Moneyline | Puckline | Over/Under Goal Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Spartak Moscow | +285 | +1.5 (-104) | O 5 (-139) | 12 pm |
| SKA St. Petersburg | -375 | -1.5 (-121) | U 5 (+112) |
Odds as of Oct. 21st at DraftKings.
Will Avtomobilist Continue To Dominate Neftekhimik?
Avtomobilist is only being listed as a -186 favorite against Neftekhimik despite having a proven track record of beating Nizhnekamsk. Avtomobilist has won eight straight games against Neftekhimik, including beating them five times at Neftekhim Arena over the last three years.
Avtomobilist has the highest-scoring offense in the league and sit just two points back of league-leading CKSA, but they’re coming off a poor showing in a 2-1 loss to Severstal. Neftekhimik, meanwhile, lost 6-3 to Traktor in their last game, but has gotten their offense going with at least three goals scored in their last three outings.
There’s no reason to doubt Avtomobilist extending the winning streak on Thursday. They have the league’s top two scorers in Alexei Makeyev and Pavel Datsyuk and are going to be determined to bounce back from a tough loss with a big victory. Neftekhimik is giving up 3.66 goals-per-game and both their goalies are struggling this year. Bet on Avtomobilist’s offense coming through to deliver the victory on the road.
Pick: Avtomobilist (-186)
Can Spartak Slow SKA’s Offense?
While Avtomobilist boasts the top offense in the league, SKA isn’t far behind. St. Petersburg is averaging 2.94 goals-per-game and are currently sitting second in the Western Conference with 23 points. Spartak ranks eighth in the conference with 15 points, but they’re coming off a 1-0 shootout loss to Lokomotiv in which they kept Yaroslavl’s offense off the scoresheet.
There are never many goals scored whenever these two teams clash. There have been five or less goals scored in all 10 of the last head-to-head meetings between the two clubs. Taking the ‘under’ for the latest meeting at Ice Palace is a no-brainer.
SKA is once again a KHL powerhouse, but they’ve lost many of the weapons that made them truly unstoppable offensively. This time around, they don’t have any player among the top-10 in league scoring and have been limited to two or fewer goals on nine separate occasions.
Spartak has one of the league’s hottest goalies in Julius Hudacek, who made a career-best 48 saves against Lokomotiv and pitched a 26-save shutout in his previous outing against Dinamo Mn. Spartak has only scored five goals in their last three games and now have to face impressive SKA goalie Mikhail Berdin. Given how well both goalies are playing, the trend of low-scoring games in this rivalry should continue.
Pick: SKA vs Spartak Under 5 Goals (+112)
Brady is the lead NHL and College Football editor at Sports Betting Dime, where he specializes in betting odds and data-driven analysis. Brady has over 10 years experience working in sports media, with work published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.
