Belarus Premier League Matchday 25 Odds & Picks

• It’s Matchday 25 in the Belarus Premier League which kicks off with games starting on Saturday
• Leaders BATE and second-placed Shakhtar are separated only by just three points with six games to go
• We list the odds for all eight games and preview three, offering our best picks

The Belarus Premier League is reaching the business end of the season, with BATE just three points ahead of Shakhter Soligorsk with just six rounds of games left. With European places and Premier League survival at stake, there is tension building at both ends of the table. With a full program taking place this coming weekend, one that will be pivotal in the league’s final outcome, the stakes are high.

We’ll list all eight games, show the odds, preview three, and offer a pick for each.

Belarus Premier League Matchday 25 Odds

All odds taken Sept 24 at FanDuel

Pick 1: BATE Borisov vs Dinamo Brest

BATE are on the verge of clinching their 16th Belarussian Premier League title after Shakhter dramatically slipped up against Slavia Mozyr at the weekend. BATE’s fate is now in their own hands and a win against Dinamo Brest – the champions of 2019 – at the weekend will edge them toward their first championship since 2018. And they couldn’t be in better form for what will undoubtedly be their biggest test of the campaign.

Getting set for Saturday’s match 💪 pic.twitter.com/re4e9shH08

— FC BATE Borisov (@FCBATE) September 22, 2020

Fours wins on the spin for Borisov – a remarkable achievement with the pressure gauge touching 11 – has opened up this opportunity for them, but Dinamo Brest, whose defense of their title has been disappointing, will be determined not to make things easy for BATE as they wave goodbye to the Premier League trophy.

Brest’s season has occasionally flickered into life but has, for the most part, failed to deliver. It’s worth noting though that they have won half of their games (11 out of 22) and it’s a failure to not earn enough draws from losing positions (they’ve only drawn twice) that has ultimately cost them. This one’s interesting though as Dinamo doesn’t concede too many goals, and BATE will be made to work hard for any points. Winning titles is never straightforward, so don’t rule out the possibility of a draw.

Pick: BATE and Dinamo Brest to draw (+280)

Pick 2: Belshina vs Shakhter Soligorsk

For all the same reasons stated above, this one is massive for Shakhter. Their surprise slip-up last week away to Slavia has given BATE a scent of the title and with just six games remaining, the last thing Shakhter can afford to do is give BATE a six-point lead. The must-win feel to this makes this a high-pressure afternoon for the visitors, but the fact they’re playing the team currently in 15th place will give them a sense of comfort. Shakhter knows if they play well they should win the game.

But, and there’s a big but here, Belshina are fighting for their Premier League lives and have engineered themselves a position where they are within touching distance of safety. Five weeks ago they looked dead and buried but three wins on the spin – on Matchdays 20, 21 and 22 – have given them a genuine chance of survival and they’re fighting hard. So much so, and with the pressure being heaped on Shakhter, don’t rule out the draw here. At +420, that’s definitely where the value lies.

Pick: Belshina and Shakhter to draw (+420)

Pick 3: Torpedo BelAZ vs Neman Grodno

Torpedo have been on the fringes of the European places all season. Five defeats in their 24 games should have been enough to pitch them into the very heart of the title race but too many draws – they’ve drawn a third of their games – have cost them dearly. As things stand they are eight points off the pace with a vastly inferior goal difference and so this clash with third-placed Neman, who lead them by just three points, is massive. A win and they put themselves in genuine contention for the third European qualifying place but defeat and the Europa League will appear a distant dream.

For the exact same reason, this one is also huge for Neman, whose own title hopes have faded in recent weeks after a run of just two wins in five. The five-point gap that BATE have opened up is not insurmountable with six games to go but Neman are approaching must-win territory if they are to keep their faint title dream alive.

Unsurprisingly, the bookies find it difficult to separate these two, with Neman only marginal favorites but, for me, there has been a resilience and determination in Torpedo’s form of late, which could just be enough, along with home advantage, for them to narrowly edge this.

Pick: Torpedo to win (+165)