Germany - Latvia predictions and free betting tips [15/05/2024]

Today in the third round of the Ice Hockey World Championship in the Czech Republic, Germany will face Latvia.

Germany National Team

The Germany national team kicked off the 2024 Ice Hockey World Championship with a 6-4 victory over Slovakia. However, their defensive problems were already apparent in this match. Following this, the Germans suffered two heavy defeats in a row against the main group favourites—the USA and Sweden. Both matches ended with the same score of 1-6. These losses significantly impacted the team's standings and greatly complicated their chances of advancing to the playoffs. As a result of these matches, the Germany national team managed to earn only three points, placing them in the second-to-last position in their group. The Germans are ahead of only Poland and France, the main outsiders of the tournament. Despite this, bookmakers consider Germany the favourite to secure their second victory in the group stage. Yet, actual performances indicate that this will not be easy. Latvia is known for their tenacity and ability to play for results, making the upcoming match particularly tense.  In the battle for a spot in the quarter-finals, Germany has found themselves in a tough group where the USA and Sweden are clear favourites for qualification. The remaining teams—Latvia, Slovakia, Kazakhstan, and France, along with Germany—are contesting for the remaining playoff spots. Direct encounters with these teams are crucial for the tournament standings. Currently, Harold Kreis's squad sits in sixth place with three points, outside the playoff zone.

Latvia National Team

The Latvia national team started their 2024 Ice Hockey World Championship campaign with a relatively easy schedule against the underdogs in Group B. Harijs Vitolins's squad played three consecutive matches against Poland, France, and Kazakhstan. The encounters with Poland and France ended in victories beyond regular time with scores of 5-4 and 3-2, respectively, bringing Latvia four points instead of six. However, in the match against Kazakhstan, Latvia delivered a more solid defensive performance, confidently winning 2-0, which allowed the team to earn three full points and climb to second place in the standings. At the moment, Latvia has three victories and stands second in the group, trailing only Sweden. Tough matches lie ahead against Germany, Sweden, Slovakia, and the USA, where the fight for points will be significantly more challenging. It's worth noting that Latvia has not suffered a single defeat so far, but two out of their three victories were won only in overtime. This raises certain concerns about their future performances against stronger opponents.  In the last tournament, Latvia reached the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and sensationally won bronze. They lost to Canada 2-4 but defeated the USA 4-3 in overtime in the bronze medal match. Harijs Vitolins is leading the team at his third consecutive World Championship, and under his guidance, Latvia is showing stable results. Currently, Latvia remains undefeated in regulation time over the last five games, including friendlies, and has scored 16 goals in their last four matches.

Head-to-head

The recent head-to-head encounters between Germany and Latvia have produced the following results. On 1 June 2021, Germany defeated Latvia 2-1 in the World Championship. On 8 November 2020, at the Deutschland Cup, Latvia won in overtime 3-2, but the day before, on 7 November 2020, Germany secured a 2-0 victory. On 12 May 2018, at the World Championship, Latvia triumphed over Germany 3-1, while on 16 May 2017, Germany prevailed over Latvia in a shootout 4-3. Therefore, in the last five meetings, Germany has won three times, and Latvia twice.

Match prediction: Germany - Latvia

Latvia has looked very strong in this World Championship and should give the Germans a run for their money, who conceded 12 goals from the USA and Sweden and barely managed a win against Slovakia. Latvia has been fortunate with their schedule, and they have an opportunity to secure a playoff spot today.