Czech Republic - Finland predictions and free betting tips [10/05/2024]

The puck drops in the upcoming match for the first game day of the Ice Hockey World Championship in the Czech Republic. Fans of global ice hockey can look forward to an exciting face-off between the national teams of the Czech Republic and Finland. 

Czech Republic

The Czech team's player roster always includes strong contenders for the trophy. Over the last few years the performance of the Czech team has been less than consistent despite boasting a good line-up. The team managed to clear the table minimum by reaching the quarterfinals in 2023, but fell short of progressing further. Their fourth place in the group pitted them against USA, which led to a routing. The American team decimated the Czech team, eliminating them in the quarterfinal stage.

The Czech team initiated the main stage of their preparation for the start of the World Championships in April. In a short span of time, the Czech team played numerous matches, participating in 9 meetings. If in April, the Czech team beat all its opponents, representing Germany, Austria and Slovakia. In the last three matches, the Czech team faced Switzerland, Sweden and Finland, however, the outcome was far from favourable. In all these matches the Czech squad lost with an overall score of 2:8. The team has experienced players, albeit not particularly star-studded. Most of the players participate in European leagues, with Pastrňák set to join the World Championships if Boston gets knocked out of the Stanley Cup.

Finland

The team from Finland is a potential contender for the win in the 2024 World Championship. Being the current Olympic Champions, they have not always performed brilliantly, as evident from the previous World Championship held in Finland and Latvia. The Finnish team came in third in the group stage, falling behind rivals from Sweden and USA. In the quarterfinal match, Finland fought against Canada and were defeated with a score of 4:1. Thus, the host nation faltered in the World Championship, getting knocked out in the quarterfinal stage itself.

The Finnish team began their World Championship preparation in February, playing European matches against teams from Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland. April and May saw them in more serious preparation with matches against a broader range of opponents. Out of six matches against Latvia and Sweden, the Finnish players only lost once. At the Czech games, the Finnish team had a successful run, obtaining three straight wins. The current Finnish team lacks NHL stars, but has plenty of experienced players from domestic leagues. 

Head to head

The Czech Republic and Finland have faced each other in 72 matches so far. Finland holds 38 wins while the Czech Republic has triumphed in 34 matches.

Total Bet Prediction

The individual total for the Czech Republic should be over 2 goals.

Prediction

The Czech Republic will win in regulation time. The home advantage of the World Championship and the desire to make up for the loss that occurred on May 2nd will likely drive the Czech team, who faltered in the previous competition, to victory. The current team is stronger and more balanced, with arrival of NHL stars in the pipeline.