Friday 18/07/2014, 19:00, Norway Tippeligaen, Round 16, Stabaek vs Brann

Stabaek vs Brann Preview

What started as a promising season for Stabaek turned into a nightmare, as the team lost five consecutive games in the Norway Tippeligaen. They will be playing tonight against Brann, a team that also struggles in the second half of the standings and is the prime candidate for relegation. The former champions are not faring too well, but they managed to put together consecutive wins, before losing by a narrow margin to runner-up Stromsgodset.

Stabaek vs Brann Odds

At Bet365

Stabaek 2.75, Draw 3.40, Brann 2.50

Stabaek vs Brann Tips

Stabaek's downfall started in the second half of May, with a crushing defeat on the road to Lillestrom, in a match where the visitors played with one man down for almost 90 min. Fans were hoping that they were capable of turning the ship around were proven wrong in the next couple of rounds, and things took a turn for the worse.

Their defenses are struggling heavily and that's why despite having home pitch advantage tonight, Stabaek will field a rather defensive minded formation. Brustad and Boli will pair upfront but despite having scored a total of 11 goals in 2014, they were held goalless in the last couple of games.

The only victory in almost 2 months was the one against Grorud who plays in a lower division and even then Stabaek needed overtime to prevail. At least in theory, they should be the ones dominating the match against Brann except for the fact that the visitors are showing clear signs of improvement.

After scoring six goals in two consecutive victories, Brann will try to return to its winning ways and accumulate three vital points. Winning against a team that also tries to avoid relegation means a great deal to the ones struggling at the bottom of the standings. A draw would keep them afloat but still in the relegation area, while a victory would allow them to leapfrog two teams.

Key Facts

• Stabaek lost five consecutive games in the Norwegian Tippeligaen and scored just two goals
• Brann has a slight advantage in the head to head games, but the hosts emerged victorious on more occasions

Stabaek vs Brann Prediction

This is a tricky match for risk-averse punters, as the odds are not particularly high and the match could really go either way. One solution would be to bet on more than 2.5 goals to be scored, but those who prefer to bet on a winning team should side with the visitors. Brann Draw no Bet is a wager that benefits of odds of 1.90 with Bet365, of value that is likely to hold until the kickoff.

Bet: Brann Draw no Bet @ 1.90 with Bet365