BATE Borisov vs. Vitebsk Betting Preview – Belarusian Premier League, October 24, 2020

With just four games of the season remaining, the league title is still in BATE’s hands. But the most successful club in Belarusian history is certainly not making things easy for itself.

Neman lost to Gorodeya last weekend and still BATE couldn’t really capitalize and extend its lead still further. Vitebsk is the opponent this Saturday and there is no room for error for the league leaders.

Vitebsk has actually played fairly well this season, but it is no surprise that BetOnline has made it a long shot to beat BATE away from home on Saturday. The top of the table club must have the league title in its sights with just a few games to go. The odds for the draw or the away win might look attractive – but it would be a huge surprise if either of those bets came in.

It does seem as though no club really wants to win the Belarusian Premier League this season. BATE started the campaign badly before improving as the months went on – but it has never looked like leaving the chasing pack behind. Now it has only picked up one point out of the last six and is currently limping along to another title.

Both Shakhtyor Soligorsk and Neman Grodno did BATE a favor last weekend as they lost to weaker opponents. BATE could only manage a 2-2 draw with Isloch – but at least that draw was a positive outcome. It does seem as though BATE will win the league now, but it is going to be a few nervy weeks before we have confirmation of that.

Vitebsk has now entered that stage of the season when it is comfortably placed in mid-table without much real threat of going down – or much incentive of pushing on in the hope of breaking into the European places. There is a mathematical chance that it could still get relegated. But there would have to be some very strange results in the next few weeks for that to happen.

The narrow win over Energetik-BGU last weekend – for the second game in a row – eased any last real doubts of being dragged into a scrap at the bottom. It does now look as though the ten draws in 26 league games that Vitebsk has managed this season – a league-high – will assure that it is playing in the top flight next season.

BATE might not have won in the last two league games – and conceded six goals in the process – but the team will know that victory against Vitebsk on Saturday will heap all the pressure on the two sides below that are already beginning to post some nervy results of their own. The odds for the home win are not spectacular but BATE should win this one.