Czech Republic vs Finland prediction and betting tips - May 10, 2024
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On Friday, May 10th, on the first day of the Ice Hockey World Championship, the hosts, the Czech Republic, will play against Finland. The match will start at 20:20 Central European Time, and DailySports experts have prepared a forecast for this encounter.
Czech Republic
As the host nation of the current World Championship, the Czech Republic has brought eight hockey players representing the National Hockey League to the tournament. Among them, notable players include Ondrej Palat, Jan Rutta, and Petr Mrazek. During the preparation for the home tournament, the Czechs played three friendly matches, losing all three. Their highest achievement in the World Championships is six gold medals, with their last victory celebrated in 2010. Last year, the Czech Republic finished in seventh place.
Finland
Finland is one of the main favorites for the gold medal at the World Championship. As the reigning Olympic champions, they won gold in 2022. However, they have only brought four representatives from the NHL to this tournament, with notable players including Olli Maatta and Mikael Granlund. Overall, the current head coach of Finland is known for his approach of not calling up many NHL players to the national team. Instead, he focuses on building systems and teamwork. This approach helped Finland win the World Championship in 2022 and the Olympics. In the last four tournaments, Finland played in the finals three times and won twice. However, last season they were eliminated in the quarter-finals and finished in seventh place. During the preparation for the World Championship, Finland played three games and won all three.
Interesting Match Facts and Head-to-Head History
- In their last head-to-head match, Finland defeated the Czech Republic with a score of 4-1.
- Finland has not lost in regulation time in six of their last seven matches, while the Czech Republic has lost their last three games in regulation time.
- The Czech Republic has conceded 21 goals from Finland in 22 games. The Czech Republic last won against Finland without conceding a goal in 2020.
Czech Republic vs Finland Prediction
The Czech Republic is hosting the tournament, so it is obvious that they will want to win and start the World Championship on a high note. However, Finland is a tough opponent that has shown good results in recent matches. Personally, I lean towards Finland continuing their winning streak and I am ready to bet on it. My bet is on Finland to win, including overtime and shootout, with odds of 1.9.
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