Ice Hockey World Cup group stage, Tuesday, 20.05.2025 at 12:20 p.m.
Austria has won the ESC, will it now follow up with gold at the Ice Hockey World Championship? The bookmakers with PayPal, as well as myself, would strongly disagree with this scenario. However, a surprise against the Latvians is definitely possible!
In my Latvia Austria tip, however, I ultimately decide in favor of the option at Oddset, which offers the highest risk-reward ratio.
Austria secured its place in the tournament with a dramatic overtime victory over Slovenia – and earned more than just respect in the process. But that’s not the end of the story. This tournament could go much further! Suddenly, the quarter-finals are within reach.
And the path to get there is simple: if Austria beats Latvia after 60 minutes and thus within regular time, they will swap places with the Balts in fourth and fifth place and would actually be among the last eight.
What sounds like an Austrian fairy tale on ice has now become realistic, because Roger Bader’s boys have shown fighting spirit, mentality, and a healthy dose of self-confidence in the tournament so far.
The courageous performances against Sweden and Finland, as well as the victories over France, Slovenia, and Slovakia, are no longer coincidences, but a pattern.
But whether that will be enough to beat a clever, experienced, and technically more stable team like Latvia is another matter.
The Latvians not only bring experience to the table, they also have a clear game plan. The memory of their bronze medal in 2023 still drives the team today, even if another medal coup will be difficult. But those who got a taste of success back then want to at least reach the quarterfinals again.
And to do that, a win against Austria is a must. The squad has the right mix: veterans such as captain Daugavins and Freibergs lead the team, while young players such as Buncis and Prohorenkovs bring a breath of fresh air.
In goal for the Balts is Gudlevskis, the DEL goalie of the year, who has hit top form just in time for the crucial phase and recently put in a magnificent performance against Slovakia. He had a save rate of 96.30% from 27 shots.
Building on this solid goalkeeping performance, Latvia’s 5-1 victory over Slovakia was a real statement – not only because of the score, but also because of the confident manner in which the ÖEHV team’s upcoming opponent dominated the game for long periods.
It is precisely this maturing process, this balance between structure and flair, that makes them dangerous. And also slight favorites.
A look at the recent past does not make things any easier for the ÖEHV team: In April, the two teams met in two test matches – 3-2 after overtime and 4-1 were the results in Latvia’s favor.
Interestingly, however, four of the last five direct duels have gone into overtime, which suggests another close game and a Latvia Austria tip, as I have in mind. (More on that in a moment).
But this is exactly where I see a small but decisive difference: when the going gets tough, the Latvians have the quality to finish such games cleanly – be it through a clever move, strong penalty killing or a big save from Gudlevskis.
Austria will throw everything into the mix, but at some point the tank could be empty.
Looking at the Austria Latvia odds, I wouldn’t want to turn my back on a possible overtime bet at odds of around 4.40.
Marco Kasper in the Bet365 app at odds of around 2.70 as a possible goalscorer could also prove to be a promising Latvia Austria tip with a bit of luck.
Conclusion: Latvia vs. Austria promises to be a close contest between two evenly matched teams, with small details likely to make the difference. The Latvians go into the game as slight favorites, mainly due to their physical presence and defensive stability.
The ÖEHV selection, on the other hand, relies heavily on Marco Kasper – the Alpine republic’s offensive play stands and falls with him. If Latvia manages to neutralize him, they could pull the game in their favor. There is much to suggest a close match with the combative Balts having the edge.
My Latvia Austria prediction: Overtime!
