While the world celebrates Norway’s success at the World Cup, we turn our attention to the Norwegian Eliteserien, which returns in full force this weekend with a match between the underdog KFUM Oslo and the country’s most successful team of the past decade, Bodo/Glimt.
KFUM Oslo continue their efforts to establish themselves among Norway’s elite in their third season among the top teams, but without much success so far this season. The relegation zone is just one loss away, but it’s worth noting that a win could lift them up to seventh place.
Kaffa’s main problem is a lack of goals, but there is one positive—they have the second-most solid defence in home games so far this season, and this next match will be played at home.
However, that’s unlikely to be enough against Bodo/Glimt, who appear to be in better form than they were a month and a half ago.
Glimt made some mistakes at the start of the season and now trail the leaders by four points, but the gap in quality between them and most of the league is evident in the statistics.
Bodo score an average of 2.5 goals per game, which should be a serious cause for concern for KFUM Oslo, who average just 1.09 goals per game.
And let’s not forget that just a few months ago, Bodo/Glimt defeated Inter, Sporting, Atlético Madrid, and Manchester City in the Champions League.
How the bookies view it: Bodo to win three key points
The bookmakers are favouring the visitors, but there’s still value in the odds for a win. For now, you can bet on KFUM Oslo at 5/1, a draw at 7/2, or Bodo/Glimt at 1/2.
Recent head-to-head: KFUM remain winless after five attempts
KFUM Oslo are one of the newer teams in the Eliteserien, after getting promoted to the top flight for the first time in their history in 2023. This is their third consecutive season in Norway’s top flight, but so far they haven’t had much success against the dominant clubs.
They are still searching for their first win against Bodo/Glimt after five unsuccessful attempts (2 draws, 3 losses). Last season, Bodo won both matches, and earlier this year the teams met in a cup semifinal, which Bodo won again.
Players to watch: Hogh has no plans to stop
After making a splash in the Champions League, Kasper Hogh has continued his strong form into the new domestic season, already recording seven goals and four assists in 10 Eliteserien matches.
Before the break, he had four goals and two assists in his last three matches for the team. He clearly has no intention of slowing down, as Bodo played two friendly matches over the past two weeks, and Hogh found the back of the net in both.
He’s certainly not a player we can blindly count on to score every game, but there’s definitely no better option right now. As a bonus stat, he scored a brace against KFUM last season.
Backed a player to find the net? Check our Goalscorer Betting guide to see how the markets work and where to find value.
Probable line-ups
KFUM Oslo: Odegaard, Saunes, Skaret,Schneider, Hjorth, Soras, Rasch, Hoseth, Grodem, Njie, Vinge
Bodo/Glimt: Haikin, Sjovold, Bjortuft, Aleesami, Maatta, Auklend, Saltnes, Evjen, Blomberg, Hogh, Brynhildsen
Anything else catch the eye?
The gap between the teams is huge, and right now, Bodo/Glimt look motivated and ready to charge toward the title they’ve won four times in the last six years. That’s why we expect them to beat KFUM once again, and they’re sure to score a few goals in the process.
Additionally, the Norwegian Eliteserien is one of our favourite leagues for corners, simply because the style of play and the pitch conditions lead to exactly that.
In the last three H2Hs between these two teams in the past year, we’ve seen 18, 10, and 17 corner kicks. Over 9.5 line for this match looks very attractive at 3/5 on Bet365.
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