This guide to betting on the Russian Premier League will give you the chance to explore a league that features teams like Zenit, Spartak, CSKA, and Lokomotiv. Luciano Spalletti, Roberto Mancini, and Claudio Marchisio have already experienced the Russian league; now it's our turn, starting with the best bookmakers to place our bets.
In the table, we've listed the five most recommended online bookmakers for betting on the Russian Premier League, complete with their ratings and available welcome bonuses. Throughout this guide, we'll uncover why we selected these specific bookmakers: the payouts and odds, the markets offered on this league, and the related promotions, as well as live sections and streaming of the Russian tournament where available. We'll analyze all of this in detail in the upcoming paragraphs, packed with stats and interesting facts. Cheers!
Betting on the Russian Premier League: Championship Information
To place informed bets on the Russian league, it's essential to understand the tournament's format and rules. The Russian Premier League features 16 teams, which is four fewer than top leagues like Serie A or La Liga, who compete in a round-robin format with home and away matches for a total of 30 games per season. The number of teams qualifying for the Champions League is also lower: the top two teams secure direct spots in the group stage, while the third must go through playoffs.
The fifth and sixth-place teams qualify for the Europa League, along with the winner of the national cup. Regarding relegation: the bottom two teams are relegated directly to the second division, while the third-from-last and fourth-from-last must face off against the third and fourth placed teams from the lower division in playoffs. It's clear that the tournament remains exciting and competitive right up to the final day.
A few years ago, the Russian Premier League gained particular attention in the summer when many players chose this league on top betting sites, as Serie A was on break. The Russian tournament used to run on a calendar year to avoid extreme winter temperatures, but starting from the 2011/2012 season, it aligned with the schedules of major UEFA tournaments to better fit European competitions and create a more cohesive organization among the various leagues.
The dates for transfer windows have synchronized with those of other European leagues, although the winter window (January 23 – February 22) remains slightly offset due to the extended break in this league, allowing negotiations to continue beyond mid-February.
The Teams of the Russian Premier League
The teams we can bet on in the Russian Premier League have familiar names to soccer fans. Lokomotiv Moscow, CSKA Moscow, and especially for us Americans, Zenit St. Petersburg, are well-known clubs across Europe, thanks in part to their participation in international tournaments. Below is a table listing all the teams that have won at least one Russian championship title since 1992, after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Spartak Moscow Zenit St. Petersburg CSKA Moscow Lokomotiv Moscow Rubin Kazan Alaniya VladikavkazThe team with the most fans and the most successful in the Russian league is Spartak Moscow, known as the "people's team": founded shortly after the October Revolution, its popularity stems from its independence from the government during the Soviet years (unlike, for instance, Dinamo, which was linked to law enforcement).
Most Significant Records of Teams in the Russian League
Despite the relative youth of the competition, there are many interesting statistics about the Russian Premier League that are worth noting and can be helpful for bettors as well. In the informative boxes below, we've selected the five most relevant team records, starting with the consecutive titles record that has made a lasting impression on the minds of Russian fans.
