It happens on March 31st. Kick-off in one of the leagues that we in the 90minute family value the most. And the league that had 730 yellow cards, 22 red cards, where 101 matches ended with a home win, 82 with an away win and 57 with a draw and where a staggering 766 goals were scored will of course be covered in detail this year as well. Few things can compare to the OBOS league.
Our experts have been following the pre-season closely and have already identified teams to watch, but they are ready to adjust any preconceived ideas if necessary. And while there were an average of 3.2 goals per game last year, our free betting tips and analysis should reflect value, rather than just landing on an overbet every time. We will consider form, playing style, table situation and injury situation when finding the best bets for each round.
And even though we know that there are always surprises in the OBOS league, we're going to venture a table tip. But before we get to that, we'll have to ask Lillestrøm SK's sporting director, Simon Mesfin;
OBOS 2025 – with Simon Mesfin
It was a very welcoming sports director who answered the phone when we got on the phone shortly after being granted an audience. His welcoming attitude had a calming effect on us, so we just as well stepped on the gas right away.
LSK in 2025
" How has the pre-season been, and what have you prioritized working on ?" we asked, without realizing until afterwards that it was possibly a bit of an abrupt start.
"Yes, the pre-season has been good. We have brought in two new coaches with some new ideas about the way we will appear in 2025 in terms of defensive structure, as well as offensive interaction. In addition, we have had new artificial turf laid in the LSK hall in January, which has meant that we can run tougher training sessions due to the pitch's new surface. And 10 days in Marbella, where we have been matched against Allsvenskan, Eliteserie and OBOS teams, have done us good. We have been able to train in different match situations, and we feel ready," answers the man who is in charge of the sport in one of the biggest promotion favorites in this year's OBOS league.
But we wanted more. And before we had finished writing down the answer, we heard ourselves asking another question;
" What areas do you think the team has improved the most in over the winter ?" we wonder, all the while there were a couple of areas that didn't work optimally last year.
"We have looked much better defensively in the games we have had so far this winter. Now it must be said that we have rotated a lot on who has played in the warm-up, as it should be, but we feel we are seeing improvement both defensively, and also when we have the ball and are going to challenge the opponents," Mesfin answers with experience, while we allow ourselves to be impressed. He appears both eloquent, experienced and committed. Right man in the right place, we have time to think before we have caught ourselves in bed again;
«What is the biggest challenge you face this season??»
"Definitely ourselves, because this year we have to endure being favorites in every single game. Everyone wants to beat us, so that every game is like a cup final. But we also know that there are many good teams in the OBOS league, who all have a good basic game, so it won't be a "walk in the park". We have to expect that we are on top form, and that our players have the top level, if this is going to go as we hope", he answers according to the recipe. You are obliged by the program to be humble in such situations, so we don't blame him.
Player squad and playing style
But there are no guarantees of a quick return when one clearly did not maintain the level required, and therefore we want to know a little about this year's player count;
" How do you rate the squad this year versus last year ?" we ask, hoping to learn something no one else knows.
"Almost everyone who was with last year is still with us, except for a few who had expiring contracts (Marius Lundemo, Erling Knudzon, Mathis Bolly, editor's note). In addition, we have sold Røssing-Lelesiit to Hamburg, as well as Martin Ove Roseth to Viking. But now we have invested in new players since this summer, so we hope and believe that these will be able to contribute positively to this year's season," he answers, and we believe him when he says that the squad should be large and strong enough to handle both the rain in Åsane, the wind in Egersund and the tactics of Rekdal in Ålesund, so we dig a little deeper;
«What can fans expect from the team's playing style? Will there be any tactical changes??»
"It's probably a lot like the time under Georgson, but maybe a little different number combinations. A little more like Sandefjord has appeared in recent years, with more clean edges in 4-3-3 than was the case under Georgson, where the edges were supposed to enter the field and the backs were supposed to be width holders," he answers in such a good way that we can easily imagine it. And that's why we settle for that. And instead try to fish out which individuals we can expect that little extra from this year.
OBOS League 2025
" Which players have impressed the most this winter? And who could have their breakthrough in 2025 ?" we ask, pressing the phone between our ear and shoulder and shaking blood back into our left arm. The right one, which is holding the pen, will have to do a little longer.
"There are many exciting young guys in the stable this year, including Voxen and Wæhler from our own academy and Svenningsen who we brought in from Ull Kisa. All three have looked fresh so far. But I am also impressed by the more experienced guys. They have really picked up the gauntlet and will obviously show that they can do better than what they showed last year. There are great expectations for KP Ariheri who came from Nigeria. In fact, he is a player we could probably sell on the day, if we wanted to," he reveals, and we feel honored to be the first media outlet to release that news. And with renewed confidence, we try a couple more questions;
«How do you see the competition in the OBOS league? Who will be the biggest challengers to LSK??
"Unfortunately, I can't answer that question well, all the time I haven't seen much of the other teams. In addition, the player squads haven't been set, and a lot remains to be seen. But what is certain is that there will be a fight for the two places that give direct promotion," he answers, and we are left with the feeling that we shouldn't have asked. That we should have thought about this. But let's go. Once we have a man of Mesfin's caliber on the line, it will take more to shake us off the stick.
" What are the dynamics of the squad like after new coaches came in ?" we try to figure out, hoping to get back on track.
"The player group has embraced the new coaches and their thoughts and philosophies. In addition, there have also been a number of changes in the support staff, with a new goalkeeping coach, and a new analyst has also been brought in. And what everyone has in common is that we have to move in the same direction with a view to promotion this season. But we know that there are 30 very tough matches ahead of us, so we depend on everyone pushing each other to give their very best," he answers, and we believe him. We are sold. We have become yellow and black. And arrogant. Because when we ask about the team's physical form, we get the answer that he does not want to comment on it. Rekdal and ÅFK await in the first round of the series, and here the cards are held close to the chest. Rightly so.
The goal is promotion
So we go in for landing with a question that can't fail;
«What do you need to achieve for the season to be characterized as a success??»
"Promotion, of course," he answers flatly, before continuing; "That's what all of Norway expects, so we have to expect to play with the pressure on us. "But we also want to get the city together again, so that we can mobilize at every home game, with a bang in the stands and hopefully entertaining football," concludes the likeable sports manager.
We thank you for the chat, but hold the phone to our ear for a few seconds after Simon has hung up. And as we stare out the window and let our thoughts wander, we feel that we will be happy if LSK has a good season this year. Thank you, Simon.
Table tips – OBOS 2025
Finally, we also want to contribute with a table tip for OBOS 2025. Although we know that it is probably just as hopeless to predict this year's season as last year's. If nothing else, our table tip says something about which teams we have faith in, and which teams we believe are facing a tough season.
Table tips – OBOS 2025
- Lillestrom
- Alesund
- Odd
- Moss
- Kongsvinger
- Sogndal
- Stabaek
- Lightning
- Ranheim
- Start
- Egersund
- Raufoss
- The hills
- Mjøndalen
- Hödd
- Spoon
Betting tips
As you can see, our table tips are fairly traditional. But we keep Ålesund as an outsider, and at 12.00 in odds they could be an exciting choice to win the OBOS league 2025. But again; table tips and season bets are not our strength. Especially not when the selection of season bets is limited to pure winning bets. But as soon as the season starts we will have free odds tips and analysis from all rounds on our website. And remember; in our Discord server this year's OBOS league will be discussed, and exciting live bets will be published. You can find us here
