Russian Liga Pro Tver and Moscow tournaments betting preview & free tips

Free ice hockey tips, best bets and analysis for the Russian Liga Pro short hockey tournament in Tver.

Where to watch

Tournaments taking place throughout the day, streamed live on bookmaker websites.

Best bets

Sinie Tygri to beat Tsentrovye Kulturologi (10.25am Wednesday)
1pt 13-10 bet365

Over 8.5 goals in Moskovskie Kremlevtsy v Belye Ldiny (10.25am)
1pt Evs bet365

What is short hockey?

Short hockey is a low-impact version of ice hockey, played across the width of a regulation ice hockey rink, measuring 100 feet. The rink measures 70 feet wide, meaning the total playing surface is just over a third of the area of an Olympic rink.

Each team has four skaters and one goalie on the ice at a time, with two substitute skaters and one goalie. Free substitutions are allowed, as in regular ice hockey.

A match consists of three ten-minute periods, with a one-minute break in between.

Unlike regular hockey, short hockey is a non-contact sport. The small, relatively crowded playing surface makes it impossible for skaters to build up much speed. So this version of the sport is much less physically taxing than normal ice hockey.

Short hockey sees much higher-scoring games than regular ice hockey.

If the score is tied at the end of the third period, a penalty shootout decides the winner.

Where in the world is it and what is the tournament format?

The Liga Pro stages tournaments at two venues - two in Moscow and one in the city of Tver, 100 miles northwest of the capital.

The Tver branch features six teams, split into two groups of three. The three teams play each other twice during the day, with three points awarded for winning in regular time, two for a shootout win, one for a shootout loss and none for a defeat.

When all fixtures are complete the team with most points wins the tournament. Goal difference decides the winner in the event of a tie.

The Moscow tournament features four teams, who play each other once in a mini-league, while the Night Tournament comprises four other teams, who play two semi-finals, a final and a third-place playoff.

What's happened so far this season?

The schedule is extremely busy with all teams in action on most days.

Every team has already played well over a hundred games in 2020, many against the same opponents.

Match preview

Synie Tygri edge the head-to-head 152-147 against Tsentrovye Kulturologi going into Wednesday's Liga Pro Group A tournament in Tver.

However, the Blue Tigers have much the better recent record in the series and look a bet to win what will be their second meeting of the day.

The teams met twice on Monday, with both matches going to penalties and the spoils being shared.

However, Kulturologi have won only one of the last 13 meetings prior to Wednesday.

Sinie Tygri won Monday's Group B tournament on goal difference after all three teams tied on six points, with Kulturologi second.

The two teams played in different groups on Tuesday, each finishing bottom with 1-3 records.

In Group B Moskovskie Kremlevtsy will look to improve their already-impressive record against Belye Ldiny.

Kremlevtsy lead the head-to-head 118-66 prior to Wednesday's meetings, although the last four clashes have been shared.

They won both of Tuesday's clashes on their way to topping the day's Group B table. Belye Ldiny ended up second.

Matches between the pair tend to feature plenty of goals and going over 8.5 could prove the best play.

Tuesday morning's 5-1 win for Kremlevtsy was the only one of the last seven encounters between the pair to feature fewer than nine goals.

The Moscow men came out 6-5 winners when they clashed again later in the day.

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport

Like us on Facebook RacingPostSport