Ice hockey World Cup group stage, Tuesday, 20.05.2025 at 8:20 p.m.
Redeeming the Bwin voucher together with my Germany Denmark tip could prove to be a really smart move. Because I have great confidence in my prediction, which you can see right now.
If I’m right, the DEB selection will only make it to the quarter-finals by the skin of their teeth, if at all. Possibly only thanks to a nerve-wracking overtime victory.
That was already my fourth correct prediction for a German national team game in a row at this Ice Hockey World Championship – and the clearest so far.
The 0-5 defeat against the Czech Republic was pretty clear evidence that Germany is currently a long way off the world’s elite.
The DEB players seem overwhelmed, especially in games against physically robust, tactically disciplined opponents with four functioning lines. Sure, they have fire and morale, but at some point that’s not enough when the game is so clearly dominated by the opponent’s structure.
And now, of all times, on the last day of the group stage, the most important game of the preliminary round is coming up: Germany must win against Denmark – whether in regular time or overtime.
The situation is clear: Germany needs at least two points to advance to the quarterfinals. Losing is not an option. But if we’re honest, the omens are not looking too good.
The Danes have improved enormously over the course of the tournament. They got off to a weak start, but are now on the rise with three wins in a row – including a confident 5-1 victory over Kazakhstan, a goal fest against Hungary (8-2) and, most recently, a clear 6-3 win over Norway.
What’s striking is that their offense is working, even though they lack the big NHL power. Names like Ehlers, Eller, and Bjorkstrand are nowhere to be found in the current lineup. But that’s exactly what makes them unpredictable.
The goals are spread across many shoulders, the team is physically very present, makes efficient use of its chances, and is well organized throughout.
Denmark also has a small but not insignificant advantage: they had two more days to recover. After an exhausting game against the Czechs, in which Germany spent a lot of time chasing and was hardly able to make its mark, this will also play a role mentally.
The DEB lines looked exhausted yesterday, with the defensive pairs in particular seeming simply overwhelmed by the speed and precision of their opponents. Now they face a team that is less prominent but no less unpleasant.
The Danish forechecking in particular can cause problems, and with players like Patrick Russell and Nicklas Jensen, they have players who can make the difference in tight games.
The defense around Jesper Jensen Aabo brings experience, and in goal, Dahm – back from national team retirement – could be a decisive factor.
Even without Frederik Andersen, the goalies are good enough at this level to cause Germany real problems.
The two nations last met in a direct duel two years ago at an A World Championship, with Germany winning 6-4.
However, the most recent encounter took place at the 2024 Deutschland Cup: after a spectacular 5-5 draw in regular time, the Danes prevailed in a penalty shootout.
On the other hand, the Danes have not celebrated a competitive victory against a German team in 60 minutes for a long time – the last one was 16 years ago.
As far as the Germany Denmark odds are concerned, the bookmakers with PayPal are betting on a victory for the DEB team. This is because the Germany odds for this are only 1.80 on average.
Personally, I like the selection on the Betano app, “1st period: DEN win with HC +0.5” at odds of around 1.57.
I would also prefer the option “GER wins by exactly one goal” at odds of around 5.80 to a straight win bet on the DEB team, as I expect a game on a knife edge until the end tonight.
Conclusion: It’s going to be a very close game and I have the impression that the Germans will not be able to fully exploit their technical advantages.
They had two days less to prepare for this last group game. In addition, Denmark has now won three games in a row and also plays a very robust style.
With this combination, the DEB selection could have a hard time creating enough offensive momentum. Get ready for a very close game that could easily go into overtime.
My Germany Denmark prediction: DEN beats GER with HC +1.5.
