SJK vs Ilves Prediction: The hosts to continue their fine home form against the visitors

SJK will slug it out with Ilves this Friday at the OmaSP Stadion for the third round of action in the Finland Veikkausliiga. SJK are unbeaten in the last 6 games at home against Ilves. Can they continue this run? Below are previews, H2H, expert betting tips, and odds.

SJK continued their great pre-season run as they started the season on a high note, defeating Oulu 2-1 in the season opener and getting a 1-1 draw in their second game against VPS. In the game, Jaime Moreno got the equalizer for SJK in the 66th minute of the match after Martti Haukioja had put VPS up in the 46th minute. SJK had 56% of the ball with 11 shots and only 2 on target. After the 1-1 draw in the league, they secured an 8-0 win over Rollon Pojat in a Cup fixture during the week. They are now unbeaten in their last 7 games in all competitions, and they sit 5th on the table with 4 points.

Ilves enter this clash in search of their first win of the season. They started the season with a 0-0 draw against Lahti despite controlling the game with 64% of the possession and 16 shots. They lost their second game 6-4 to Gnistan after already going 2-0 up in the first half. With the loss, they have won 1 of their last 8 games in all competitions.

SJK and Ilves have met 15 times since 2020. SJK have won 7 of those games, Ilves have won 4, and 4 have ended in draws. The last match between the two sides ended 3-1 in favor of SJK back in the Liiga Cup in February this year. Ilves have recorded a win over SJK in their last 5 meetings. Additionally, SJK are unbeaten in the previous 6 games at home against Ilves.

SJK will be my pick in this game, as they have performed well this season. They also have an excellent head-to-head record over Ilves. However, I will pick the SJK Draw No Bet option to be safer. Additionally, Ilves's display against Gnistan in their last match shows that they are good with the ball and can find the back of the net if they can.

• Over 2.5 for 1.85 odds
• BTTS for 1.70 odds
• SJK Draw No Bet for 1.80 odds