Preview
Start host Ham-Kam in the Eliteserien on 11 October, and I'll be straight with you: this is the kind of fixture where the numbers leave very little room for doubt.
Start's last five matches have produced 12 goals for and 7 against, with four wins and one defeat. The most recent was a 5–1 away win over Raufoss in the NM Cupen on 6 October, and before that a 2–1 home win over Brann on 2 October. The current run is two wins, 7 goals scored, 2 conceded. At home over 20 games, Start have won 11, drawn 3 and lost 6, scoring 1.85 per game and conceding 1.25. Twelve of those 20 home games finished with three or more goals.
Ham-Kam's picture is considerably less comfortable. They have lost three of their last five, conceding 14 goals in that stretch — 2.8 per game. Their away record over 20 games is 5 wins, 3 draws and 12 losses, with 1.9 goals conceded per game. Fifteen of those 20 away games went over 2.5. Their recent results include a 1–5 home defeat to Molde on 13 September and a 0–4 away loss to Rosenborg on 5 September.
The head-to-head is the single most important line in this preview. All seven recorded meetings between these two sides, from 2019 through to April 2026, finished with more than two goals. Seven out of seven. The only meeting within the last 12 months was at Ham-Kam's ground on 26 April, which Ham-Kam won 2–1. There have been no meetings at Start's ground in the recent window.
The counter-argument is simple: Start's home record is 12 of 20 over 2.5, while their last five shows 4 of 5. Both teams have had a game in their last five where the total fell to two or fewer — Start's 2–0 win over Brann and Ham-Kam's 0–2 win over Kjelsås. The H2H, while unanimous on goals, includes meetings from 2019 and 2021 that are historical record, not current form.
Key Points:
- All 7 recorded meetings between Start and Ham-Kam finished over 2.5 goals
- Start's last 5 matches: 4 over 2.5; Ham-Kam's last 5: 4 over 2.5
- Ham-Kam's away record: 15 of 20 games over 2.5, 1.9 goals conceded per game
- Start's home record: 12 of 20 games over 2.5, 1.85 goals scored per game
- The only recent H2H meeting (26 April 2026) ended 2–1
I'm backing over 2.5 goals at 1.65.
Match time