Ice Hockey World Championship Group Stage, Tuesday, 21.05.2024
The preliminary round of this Ice Hockey World Championship 2024 is almost over and yet the ranking of the third and fourth places has not yet been finalized. Only a group win for Sweden seems inevitable at this stage.
Meanwhile, in my Sweden-Slovakia prediction, I find myself at war with the odds of most German bookmakers. The strong Eastern Europeans have already successfully brought down one of the “giants” of Group B.
The Swedes have marched through this tournament without defeat so far and have already produced some impressive moments on their way to the final!
For example, three Swedes scored three goals in just 25 seconds in last Saturday’s 7-2 win over Latvia, the fastest time a three-goal haul has ever been scored at a World Cup.
These Scandinavians are certainly playing the best field hockey so far and their first line is not only a pure NHL all-star selection, but also possibly the best at this tournament. Even the Canadians can’t keep up with them
Slovakia, meanwhile, are Germany’s toughest opponents in the battle for third place, which will be vital to avoid an early exit in the quarter-finals.
The fourth-placed team in Group A will most likely face Canada. In any case, the Slovaks are a nation that has impressed me very positively so far and have even managed to do something that the DEB team failed to do: beat the USA in the preliminary round.
This is precisely why they pose a certain threat to the Swedes. Especially as the spectators are more likely to support the Eastern Europeans from the neighboring Czech Republic. Meanwhile, a betting decision is made easy for me:
Most sports betting apps have Sweden Slovakia odds of around 1.50 for a Scandinavian victory. However, I don’t think these are profitable enough.
For one thing, the three-crown team can afford to lose with the lead they have built up so far and still go through to the quarter-finals as group winners.
In addition, the Slovakians are physically very present and therefore able to neutralize SWE’s great strength to a certain extent. They are also tough enough in the duels not to be intimidated by my personal favorite for gold.
The SVK win odds of around 5.00 provide the necessary incentive to take advantage of them – and don’t forget: if the Eastern Europeans lead by at least three goals at any time, the bet is automatically considered a winner with Betano.
Who doesn’t remember the 2022 Olympic Games at this point, where the Slovaks won bronze? The 4:0 victory over Sweden in the third-place match made this possible and shows the enormous potential that lies dormant in this team.
Furthermore, I don’t necessarily expect a high-scoring game by ice hockey standards. Both teams defend excellently and are particularly good in the areas that could keep the score manageable.
Sweden has a penalty-killing rate of 100% and survived a 5-minute penalty in the game against Latvia without conceding a goal. But even the Slovaks can usually put up a good fight in a 4-on-5 shorthanded situation
At the same time, the powerplay of both teams is one of the worst at this tournament. In fact, the Slovaks only manage to score in 6.25% of their penalty-related overtime situations – only promoted Poland is worse (0).
It should also be mentioned that none of the last four encounters – including the one at the 2021 World Cup – have produced more than a maximum of five goals. This underlines once again how much both sides can neutralize each other to a certain extent
More courageous sports betting fans are advised not to be afraid and to try an away win bet straight away. In this case, the odds will increase fivefold and more than make up for the risk.
For those of you who prefer to play it safe, however, I recommend a freebet without deposit in combination with a bet of the type “Under 5.5 goals”. Because I strongly expect another nerve-wracking game of “ice chess” on Tuesday.
Will there be a second draw at this tournament after CZE against FIN on the first day of the competition?
Conclusion: It will be a very tight game, so tight that I reject the 1.50 in the bookies’ shop windows for a Swedish win as “too low” from the outset.
In any case, the Scandinavians would do well not to get carried away early on in what they see as a completely meaningless game, preferring to save their energy for the quarter-finals.
The Eastern Europeans, on the other hand, will have to produce a strong photo finish to avoid a possible knockout round duel against Canada right at the start of the hot phase.
However, my Sweden Slovakia tip is primarily: Under 5.5 goals
