- Sandnes Ulf position: Sandnes Ulf are 9th in the 1. Division 2026 with 20 points from 16 games.
- IL Hødd Ulsteinvik position: IL Hødd Ulsteinvik are 6th in the 1. Division 2026 with 24 points from 16 matches.
Hødd Ulsteinvik’s recent form makes them an outsider’s bet
Sandnes Ulf are the favorites at 1.81 to beat 3.8 IL Hødd Ulsteinvik in this Sunday's 1. Division clash at the Oester Hus Arena in Norway, but there are a number of reasons why that price might be a little conservative. The draw, at 3.88, will probably be the top pick in this game, but we think the away side can come away with the win.
Tactics and management
Arturo Max Cleveland's Sandnes Ulf have been under his management since 1 January 2025 and he has had time to build his own side in the second tier of Norway's pyramid. The hosts have a compact, 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 style of play and they have the sort of wing-backs and ball-playing centre-halves to make it work if they need to.
IL Hødd Ulsteinvik have been in the 1. Division 2026 since Ivan Poulsen took over on 1 January 2026. His side have an attacking style of soccer and are not shy of playing on the front foot, triggering their pressing traps by playing some clever, quick combinations in the final third.
Form and outlook
The tactical mismatch should make for an intriguing chess match through the channels and the visitors' form is the main reason we like them to pull off an upset this weekend. They have hit their stride of late, winning three, drawing one and losing one of their last five and they bounced back well from being routed 6-0 away to Stabæk with a 2-1 home win over Moss earlier today.
The hosts have 4, 1 and 3 wins, draws and losses at home in the 1. Division 2026, which makes them a sturdy test even though their place in the table would suggest they are there to be beaten. They've scored 14 goals at home, an average of 1.75 per match, so they can nick a few and the game looks likely to be tight.
Hødd have won 2, drawn 2 and lost 4 of 8 away matches in the 1. Division 2026, which is a more patchy record than they have achieved overall, but they are fresh off the back of their victory over Moss, so that should give them the momentum to come away with a result this weekend.
They've averaged 1.12 goals per game and conceded 1.75 away from home and we're expecting a close game that could see both goalkeepers on the back foot. The odds of 1.55 for over 2.5 goals is tempting, but we'll stick with Both Teams To Score – Yes, priced at 1.52.
Players to watch
- Ole Sebastian Sundgot has been Sandnes' main goal threat over the past few games with three goals in five games while Cameron Streete has three of Hødd's 10 goals in that period, so both players have strong goal odds to add to their haul this Sunday.
- Mathias Sundberg and Isak Gabriel Skotheim have both three assists to their name in those same five matches, so a bet on them to create chances for their teammates looks good too.
