Monday 09/08/2014, 18:00, Norway Tippeligaen, Round 12, Molde vs Brann
Molde vs Brann Betting Preview
The leaders take on the former champions in a match that bookies expect to end with a lopsided victory for the hosts. Molde leads the standings with 26 points and they have a comfortable cushion over the runner ups who are completely out of form. Brann is struggling at the bottom of the standings and things can take a turn for the worse if they lose once again, with the specter of relegation already looming.
Molde vs Brann Betting Odds
Molde 1.25, Draw 6.00, Brann 10.00
Molde vs Brann Betting Tips
For the 2007 champions, it would be humiliating to relegate to Adeccoligaen but this is not the kind of scenario to ignore or take lightly. Competition is more intense than ever in Tippeligaen and with just 9 points in 11 rounds, they are in obvious danger. They need to end the slide soon and there is no better way to return to a positive streak than by earning points when facing the leader.
After dropping three games in a row, they rebounded with a 3-1 victory in the Norwegian Cup, which without being a huge success is at least a step in the right direction. The 4-4-2 starting formation that Norling used prior to that fixture is unlikely to change, so we can expect to see Orlov and Larsen upfront, while Lorentzen remains an option for the third striker.
Molde will start with three players in the offense, because they are quite comfortable with their midfield and defense and will try to score early. Recently, the leaders struggled to take the lead and some very precious points were collected after strikers scored in overtime. This is not the kind of gamble they need to take, so they will have to emphasize the offensive contribution of players instead of playing it safe.
Key Facts
- Molde won just two of the last four Tippeligaen games and each time by a narrow margin.
- In the last 25 games, Molde lost just twice and they also have a better head to head record against Brann when they play in front of their fans.
Molde vs Brann Betting Prediction
Bookies took the odds to extremes and greatly overpriced the visitors, while making it virtually unreasonable to back the hosts in any combination. Brann is not a formidable team, but they are well-motivated ahead of the fixture and would gladly settle for a draw if opportunity arises. They will defend and hope that Molde will fail to take an early lead, which makes it worthwhile to bet on them to cover the +2 goal spread. Basically this is an Asian Handicap wager that refunds the player if Molde wins by exactly 2 goals.
Bet: Brann +2 goals @ 1.70 with Pinnacle Sports
