Belarus Premier League Odds & Picks Matchday 7

Dinamo Minsk entertain leaders Slutsk on Saturday, hoping to build on some improved form which included an excellent 2-0 win away at Smolevichi-STI last weekend (above). Photo By @FC_Dinamo_Minsk (Twitter)

• Soccer in Belarus continues and this week it’s Matchday 7 in their Premier League with games starting on Friday
• Leaders Slutsksakhar Slutsk travel to Dinamo Minsk in game of the day
• We list the odds for all eight games and preview three, offering our best picks

Still, the Belarus Premier League continues. With still only a relatively small number of COVID-19 cases in Belarus, their FA has maintained its league schedule and is now up to Matchday 7.

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 7 Odds

All odds taken April 30.

Pick 1: Dinamo Minsk vs Slutsksakhar Slutsk

Dinamo entertains surprise league leaders Slutsk at the Dinamo Stadium on Saturday, with the visitors knowing a win will see them retain their slender lead at the top. After a disastrous start to the season, Dinamo parted company with manager Sergey Gurenko and the appointment of Leonid Kuchuk has seen a sharp upturn in fortune. They now have three wins and three defeats from their six games and are up to ninth.

Key to this upturn has been the form of striker Evgeni Shikavka, who has contributed four goals and an assist in his last three league games, and the partnership he has struck up with Ivan Bakhar. With these two playing together up top they have a chance against Slutsk.

Slutsk’s season has surpassed expectations, with their only defeat coming at home in Week 2 against Dinamo Brest. Their only other dropped points came in their 1-1 home draw against Vitebsk, with the other four games being won, the latest a 3-2 home win over bottom-of-table Belshina.

The league leaders have, however, failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven league games and to have conceded two against Belshina has exposed their fragile defense. Add in the fact that Dinamo has won by 2+ goals in three of their last four games and have won to nil in three of their last five at home. Ultimately, this explains why, despite being Slutsk being league leaders, Dinamo are odds on for the win.

But, momentum and form count for a lot and Slutsk are top for a reason. For me, this could well turn into a high-scoring draw.

Pick: Dinamo Minsk & Slutsk to draw  (+279)

Pick 2: Shakhtar Soligorsk vs Isloch

Shakhtar and Isloch meet in the Stadyen Budaunik on Sunday, in a clash of teams with, so far, contrasting fortunes.

Isloch are unexpectedly up to second after an excellent start to the season in which they have won four of their six games, but worth noting before lumping on the away win is that they are not good travelers and have, so far, played only one game away from home. Despite them being in second, there is not a strong case here for an away win.

Shakhtar, meanwhile, have found some momentum after a slow start to the campaign and showed their potential with a fine 2-0 win away at Dinamo Brest at the weekend. They now have a 2-2-2 record. This is why, again, despite the visitors being in the top two, they are still in big plus money to win the game. Even with the Shakhtar win being odds-on this one, for me, this is where the value lies.

My picks: Shakhtar to win (-147)

Pick 3: FC Minsk vs Torpedo BelAZ

FC Minsk and Torpedo clash in the KFP Minsk Stadium on Saturday with the visitors up to third and the hosts in mid-table. But Minsk – after a slow start to the campaign – come into this one off the back of an excellent 3-1 away win against Slavia Mozyr. They now have three wins and three defeats in their six games and are in eighth.

Their big problem to date has been a poor defense – ten goals conceded in their six games – but the win in Mozyr will have given them a massive boost and, to be fair, they have found goals relatively easy to come by.

Torpedo’s start to the season has been a good one and they have only lost once – a 2-0 away defeat by Dinamo Minsk. Ten points from six games is a good return but, oddly, despite this decent run, YuriPuntus’s men have struggled in front of goal – their last two games ending goalless. Away from home, they’ve scored only once so far this season, so this is a big ask for them.

I can see Minsk building on last weekend’s win and edging this one.

My pick: FC Minsk to win (+163)

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