SKA St. Petersburg vs AK Bars Kazan Prediction 18 December 2025
🔊 SKA Saint Petersburg will host Ak Bars Kazan on their home ice as part of the KHL regular season. Since November, the hosts have picked up an impressive pace, securing their spot in the Western playoff bracket and showing no signs of slowing down. Meanwhile, the visitors have firmly established themselves as one of the favorites in the East and continue to demonstrate their strength without any doubts.
Head-to-Head
The rivals have already faced each other this season. In the third week of November, Ak Bars routed their opponent at home with a score of 5-2. Forward Artem Galimov played a pivotal role in his team's success, scoring a goal and providing an assist. However, recently, the forward has lost his spot in the starting lineup and has missed three games.
Head-to-head statistics SKA St. Petersburg - AK Bars Kazan
SKA St. Petersburg Team Overview
Igor Larionov's squad have been making quite an impression since November. The break for the Channel One Cup matches hasn't affected their momentum at all. In their last ten games, the hosts have secured seven victories and suffered only two regulation-time defeats. This tournament surge has allowed the team to solidify their position within the playoff spots in the Western Conference, looking to the future with optimism. However, in terms of scoring, the team still lags significantly behind their rivals. They've managed to score only 99 goals, which hampers their ability to compete on equal footing with the leaders. It's clear they need to improve in this area.
Match Results: SKA St. Petersburg
AK Bars Kazan Team Overview
The club from the capital of Tatarstan impresses with its consistency. It seems they've learned valuable lessons from their poor start to the season. Anvar Gatiyatulin's squad has won seven of their last ten games, confidently holding onto the second spot in the East. There are no signs, even minimal ones, of a downturn. In terms of scoring (112 goals) and defensive play (96 goals conceded), there are no issues with the team. In both cases, these are among the best stats in the conference. They have yet to make their definitive statement and are determined to challenge for the top spot.
Match Results: AK Bars Kazan
🏒 Projected Lineups
SKA: Pleshkov - Savikov, Menell - Vorobyov, Khayrullin, Zykov
Ak Bars: Arefyev - Miller, Lyamkin - Yashkin, Semyonov, Barabanov
🥅 Goalkeepers
SKA's goaltender Artemiy Pleshkov has made a surprising return to the lineup after a long hiatus. So far, his performances have been underwhelming, with an average save percentage of just 87.8% and a goals-against average (GAA) of 4.58. These are undeniably weak stats that hardly inspire confidence.
Ak Bars' goalkeeper Maxim Arefyev has solidified his role as the team's backup. The Sakhalin native stepped up following Mikhail Berdin's departure. On average, the young netminder saves 92.2% of shots faced, though it's worth noting that this data is based on just three games and may not be fully indicative.
Editor's Prediction
We have a clash between two clubs from different conferences, both in excellent form and unwilling to back down. The hosts have picked up a strong pace in November and have great chances to further improve their standing in the league table. Meanwhile, the visitors remain one of the most consistent teams in the league. Here, it's worth focusing on the scoring factor. In seven consecutive head-to-head encounters, there have been no fewer than five goals scored each time. A similar trend is evident in six of SKA's last seven home games. In our view, this trend is likely to continue. Our bet is on total over 4.5 goals.No comments
Betting Tips: SKA St. Petersburg - AK Bars Kazan
in last 6 home games (KHL).in 7 of last 8 games against AK Bars Kazan (KHL).in 8 of last 9 games (KHL).in 8 of last 9 home games against AK Bars Kazan (KHL).in 8 of last 9 away games (KHL).
Other predictions
