Ham-Kam
- Ham-Kam have won two and lost three of their last five matches.
- Viking Stavanger will begin their Eliteserien 2026 title defense when they travel to Hamar to take on a Ham-Kam side that finished 13th in the previous campaign.
- Thomas Myhre has been in charge of the hosts since mid-2025 and has had some success in keeping the ship steady but this will be an important game in the season opener.
- He will attempt to keep things tight and have his players physically tough and energetic, while also being a threat going forward with his two strikers up top.
Viking
- Viking are unbeaten in their last five games, with three wins and two draws.
- They finished top of the standings with 71 points and are the clear favorites to start the season with three points on Saturday.
- Viking’s style is completely different and more possession-based and structured, where they build attacks from the center of the pitch and exploit the half-spaces.
- Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen’s side use a 4-3-3 system and have the ability to play patient football or go fast and high-press at the right times.
- Viking have been sharp and ready to go in pre-season with some good results in cup games, making them well-prepared for the first game of the new season.
Head-to-Head
Viking are 11-6-4 in the Eliteserien head-to-head record against Ham-Kam from 2004 to present.
Key Players
- Peter Christiansen is Viking’s main man up front after he was one of Eliteserien's top scorers in 2025, but they have other good attacking options.
- Ham-Kam’s goals are likely to come via the air, and through the pace and physicality of striker Kristian Lien, who scored a hat-trick in the Norwegian Cup recently.
- He can also be a threat from set-pieces and on the counter-attack, but they will need goalkeeper Marcus Sandberg to keep them in the game while Julian Gonstad provides the youthful exuberance up front.
Betting Insights
This is a clash of styles and should produce a game with chances at both ends, but we are backing Viking to take all three points and the BTTS - Yes bet at 1.48 , noting recent high-scoring meetings between the sides, including Viking’s 5 - 2 and 3 - 0 wins over Ham-Kam in 2025 and a 3 - 3 draw in August 2024.
Prediction
Viking can get their title defence off to the perfect start.
