Czech Republic - Denmark predictions and free betting tips [15/05/2024]

The Czech Republic and Denmark national teams are set to clash today in the fourth round of the World Ice Hockey Championship in the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic National Team

The Czech national ice hockey team has seldom achieved significant success at the world championships in recent years, typically settling for bronze medals. The 2024 World Championship is a home tournament for the Czechs, providing them with extra motivation. Under the guidance of Radim Rulin, they have assembled a solid team, featuring players from both the NHL and the local league. In their first game of the tournament, they defeated Finland in a shootout, 1-0, then confidently triumphed over Norway with a score of 6-3 but narrowly lost to Switzerland, 1-2. These results place them in a temporary fourth position in Group A’s standings. At the start of the 2024 World Championship, the Czech team showcased commendable performances, despite facing challenges. After a setback in the home stage of the Eurotour, they regrouped to beat Finland in overtime and then confidently handled Norway. The victories have not been easy, and the team currently holds the fourth spot in the standings. In the matches against Finland and Switzerland, the Czechs struggled to capitalise on their chances, scoring only one goal in each of those games, while they dominated Norway with a comprehensive 6-3 win. Despite this, their performances fluctuate between high-scoring games and matches with minimal goals, casting doubts over their status as favourites.

The Denmark National Team

The Denmark national ice hockey team finds itself in a very challenging group at the 2024 World Championship, featuring outright favourites such as Switzerland, Finland, Canada, and the Czech Republic. To progress to the playoffs, the team needs to create upsets and beat lesser opponents. The tournament began well for the "Red and White," as they confidently defeated Austria, 5-1. However, in the second round, Denmark faced a strong Canadian side and lost 1-5. In the third round, they unexpectedly fell to Norway, 0-2. After the first three games, Denmark sits sixth in Group A with three points. Their victory over Austria with a score of 5-1 provided a solid start, but subsequent games against Canada and Norway ended in defeat, 1-5 and 0-2, respectively. Denmark was favoured in the match against Norway but failed to meet expectations, not scoring a single goal. The main issue for Denmark lies in the lack of standout leaders in their attack who can take the game into their own hands. The team's roster lacks strength, which is reflected in their results. Denmark has yet to demonstrate consistent play, making their chances of reaching the playoffs quite uncertain.

Head-to-Head

In recent head-to-head encounters between the Czech Republic and Denmark, the results were as follows: Denmark defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 on 9 February 2022 at the Olympics. On 31 May 2021, at the World Championship, the Czech Republic won a shootout against Denmark 2-1. On 15 May 2016 at the World Championship, Denmark defeated the Czech Republic in a shootout, 2-1. On 17 May 2014 at the World Championship, Denmark again beat the Czech Republic in a shootout, 4-3. On 11 April 2014, in a friendly match, the Czech Republic triumphed, 2-0. Thus, in the last five meetings, Denmark has won three times, while the Czech Republic has won twice.

Prediction for the Czech Republic - Denmark Match

The Czechs have not been particularly impressive at the start of this home World Championship. They scored six goals only against Norway, while in matches against Finland and Switzerland, they managed just one goal in regulation time. Denmark will be playing defensively. I am putting my stake on the individual total under (ITU) 4 for the Czech Republic.