Belarus Premier League Odds & Picks Matchday 5

• Soccer in Belarus continues and this week its Matchday 5 in their Premier League with games starting on Thursday
• Energetik and Torpedo are currently joint leaders on nine points each
• We list the odds for all eight games and preview three, offering our best predictions

And still the Belarus Premier League soldiers on. While most of top-level soccer has been shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, in Belarus their top division is now up to Matchday 5 of the new season.

As always, we’ll list the odds for all of the weekend’s games and pick out three of the top games to preview and offer some picks.

Belarus Premier League Matchday 5 Odds

All odds taken April 15

Pick 1: Energetik-BGU vs Gorodeya

This week’s schedule kicks off on Thursday when joint-leaders Energetik host Gorodeya. It’s a chance for the Students to get back to winning ways, after losing their 100 percent record last weekend when they lost 2-0 away to Torpedo, who, as a result, joined them on top spot.

But Energetik have a very strong home record – they are unbeaten in six at home and have won five of those – and, as a result, will be confident of returning to winning ways.  They are also full of goals at home and have scored at least twice in each of those six games.

Gorodeya’s start to the campaign has been mixed – two wins and two defeats – but a win in Minsk will lift them up to the top half of the table and put them level on points with Energetik. They also have momentum as, after losing their two opening games, a win would make it three wins on the bounce for them.

Energetik are full of goals at home and have scored at least twice in each of their last six home games

Unlike Energetyk though, they are not full of goals and all four of their league games this season have produced under 2.5 goals; a stat that, in fact, can be applied to seven of their last eight games, going back to 2019. In general, their away form has been mixed and their recent away win in Belshina ended a three-game winless run on the road.

So, while there isn’t too much between these two, on paper at least, the fact that Gorodeya are such low scorers makes it difficult to see them getting a win here. It’s conceivable they could eke out a low-scoring draw but I expect Energetik to have just enough to get over the line here – maybe with a 2-0 win.

Pick: Energetik-BGU to win (-134)

Pick 2: BATE Borisov vs. Torpedo BelAZ

Joint-leaders Torpedo visit BATE, looking to keep the pressure on Energetik, with the home team needing a win to haul themselves back into contention at the top of the table.

Kirill Alshevsky’s BATE have a good record against Torpedo and, having finished runners-up last season, will be keen to re-establish themselves in the battle for the European places. They also have a fine home record, while their opponents are notorious strugglers when playing away from home. Everything points to a home win.

Worth noting too is that last season, despite finishing second, BATE had the best defensive record in the league and scored the second-highest number of goals. There’s also the small matter of them having lost only once at home since May 2019, and in the last year have only once failed to find the back of the net in front of their home crowd. Contrast this to Yuri Puntus’s Torpedo team who have recorded just a single win away win in the last six months.

But, Torpedo are joint-top for a reason and have conceded only twice in their opening four games. If BATE are to win this they are going to have to earn it, and I have a hunch they will rise to the occasion. This could be the game that reignites their season.

My picks: BATE to win (-243) and over 2.5 goals in the game (+102)

Pick 3: Vitebsk vs. Dinamo Brest

Dinamo Brest may be defending champions but have had a mixed start to the season. They do, however, have an excellent record against Vitebsk and are unbeaten in their last seven meetings. As a result, they are odds-on for the win here.

But, for me, it will not be as plain sailing as the -148 moneyline suggests, with Vitebsk level with Dinamo in the league table – both on seven points. The big worry for the home team is that they have found goals a little hard to come by – scoring only three times in their four games – and along the way have managed to concede three.

Worth noting too is that all of Vitebsk’s goals have been conceded in the second half while Brest have scored four of their six goals after the interval.

But, if Vitebsk can perform for the full 90 minutes, their organized defense could be sufficient to see them earn a point here in a low-scoring draw.

My pick: Vitebsk vs. Dinamo Brest to draw (+262)