SKA St. Petersburg vs Sochi Prediction 16 January 2026
🔊 Will the upcoming match be a walk in the park for the "Army Men from the Neva"? The only highlight of Friday's KHL schedule is the clash between SKA Saint Petersburg and Sochi. Igor Larionov's squad are actively fighting for a playoff spot, while the "Leopards" remain at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. The head-to-head history and current form of the teams shape the bookmakers' odds, granting a fivefold advantage to the home side.
Head-to-Head
📊 In the current regular season, the teams have faced each other three times. On two occasions, the club from St. Petersburg emerged victorious, while Sochi celebrated a win only once. Notably, out of the last 23 head-to-head encounters on St. Petersburg ice, the home team has suffered just one defeat in regulation time - during the 2024/25 KHL campaign (2-5).
Head-to-head statistics SKA St. Petersburg - Sochi
SKA St. Petersburg Team Overview
🔴 The arrival of Igor Larionov at SKA hasn't brought the club immediate success. Currently, the "Army Men from the Neva" are one of the most inconsistent teams in the Western Conference. Their position at 7th in the standings further underscores this assessment. It's important to note the average statistical figures for the club from Russia's northern capital-2.95 goals scored per game against 2.69 conceded. However, on the ice of the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Igor Larionov's squad has been quite convincing, suffering only one regulation-time loss in their last 7 games.
Match Results: SKA St. Petersburg
Sochi Team Overview
🟡 The Leopards are not poised for significant achievements, as the club lacks both stability and star power in their lineup. Currently, the team from the eponymous city sits at 10th place in the standings, trailing the playoff zone by a staggering 17 points. It's worth noting that Sochi has the weakest offense in the Western Conference, averaging just 2.21 goals per game. Last Wednesday, Dmitry Mikhaylov's squad suffered a humiliating defeat against the Eastern leaders, Metallurg (0-9). This match further highlighted Sochi's unpreparedness to meet ambitious goals. The Leopards' top scorer this season is Sergey Popov, with 9 goals and 13 assists in 41 regular season games.
Match Results: Sochi
🏒 Projected Lineups
SKA: Pleshkov - Savikov, Phillips - Zykov, Vorobyov, Khairullin
Sochi: Samsonov - Machulin, Volkov - Vengryzhanovsky, Khafizov, Popov
🥅 Goalkeepers
Artemiy Pleshkov has yet to become a reliable fortress for the St. Petersburg club. In the current regular season, the 23-year-old goaltender has appeared in 16 games. During this span, he has managed to stop only 88.20% of shots, with a goals-against average of 4.48.
Ilya Samsonov hasn't been renowned for his outstanding reliability in this KHL campaign. So far, the 28-year-old Russian has played in 11 matches for the "Leopards." His performance statistics in this stretch include a save percentage of 90.51% and a goals-against average of 3.30.
Editorial Prediction
Igor Larionov faces challenges leading the St. Petersburg club, yet the matches involving SKA are never short on excitement. In most recent games, the "Army Men from Neva" have consistently scored six goals per match. A similar trend is evident in six out of the last seven head-to-head clashes between SKA and Sochi. With this in mind, we suggest the following betting option - total over 5.5 goals.
No comments
Betting Tips: SKA St. Petersburg - Sochi
in 12 of last 13 home games against Sochi.in 11 of last 12 home games against Sochi (KHL).in 8 of last 9 home games (KHL).in 15 of last 16 home games against Sochi.in 14 of last 15 home games against Sochi (KHL).in 10 of last 11 games against Sochi (KHL).in 7 of last 8 games (KHL).in 14 of last 15 home games against Sochi.in 13 of last 14 home games against Sochi (KHL).
Other predictions
