Formal Grizzlies topple the favored Eagles?
The Eagles are back! After a short slump, Mannheim had recovered before the international break and, together with top scorer Matthias Plachta back in action, managed three wins from four games. However, the squares still have some ground to make up to secure a direct place in the play-offs
At the start of the most exciting part of the main round, an opponent who is not only strong on the road but also extremely strong in form travels to the SAP Arena on Thursday. Wolfsburg have not dropped a single point in four matches
In view of the fact that the Eagles are coming out of the international break with virtually no personnel worries after some difficult months last year, the role of favorites against Wolfsburg is quite understandable. The ambitious rivals will show how well the two teams have recovered on Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. in the SAP Arena Mannheim
Adler Mannheim – statistics & current form
After the Adler had to deal with personnel problems at the end of the year, coach Dallas Eakins is now facing a contrasting challenge. The Mannheim team was missing five of its best attackers in December. With the recent return of recently injured forward Linden Vey, the Eagles not only have a nearly full lineup again, but also have additional reinforcements in the form of recent additions Keaton Thompson and Leon Gawanke. Eakins knows that this luxury of restored roster depth can also become a weakness if not handled properly.
As the competition for the highly coveted ice time within the team is now all the greater, the 57-year-old head coach’s task of making the fairest possible decisions and keeping his players happy in the important final phase of the main round should not be underestimated. Of course, such a starting position is preferable to the personnel bottlenecks Mannheim has had to overcome over the course of the season. Accordingly, it is not surprising that the Adler Mannheim are the favorites against the Grizzlys Wolfsburg according to the betting odds in the Bet3000 app despite their lower position in the table
Adler Mannheim have been in good form and scoring goals recently
The fact that Eakins’ squad has been able to count on top scorer Matthias Plachta again for the past four games has also lifted a personnel burden off the Eagles’ shoulders. In general, Mannheim’s offense has been lively again in the past four matches. The eight-time German champions have scored a total of 15 goals, six of them in the most recent duel against the Straubing Tigers alone. Strikingly, similar to Wolfsburg on Thursday, the Blue & Whites mainly found the back of the net in the second period (nine times).
Anyone assuming that the middle period of Adler Mannheim’s game against the Grizzlys Wolfsburg will again be rich in goals can use odds of 1.72 at Bwin for betting tips on over 1.5 goals in the second period.
However, the three wins and nine points that Mannheim have taken from the four games in question are even more important for the squares’ race to catch up towards a guaranteed play-off place. If Mannheim manage to use their now almost maximum squad flexibility after the recovery break to maintain their strong form, a win against Wolfsburg is realistic. Although the course of the season so far has shown that the Eagles are not particularly dangerous when outnumbered, Mannheim have scored unusually often when short-handed. The squares have already scored six shorthanded goals. In the DEL comparison, the hosts are in second place here
Grizzlys Wolfsburg – statistics & current form
The Grizzlys are well on their way to making the playoffs again. A current winning streak of four triumphs in a row, all of which have yielded three points, makes Wolfsburg one of the most in-form teams in the DEL. In the course of this, the Orange & Blacks have had anything but a tough time of it. In addition to the victories against Ingolstadt and Frankfurt, the Grizzlies also managed to put defending champions Munich and record champions Berlin to flight. A goal tally of eleven goals in the four matches in question is also impressive.
Even if Adler Mannheim’s lower position in the table against the Grizzlys Wolfsburg suggests a different prognosis, the four-time German runners-up will play their next mammoth opponent on Thursday. The home side have a top-class team in terms of play and will welcome Wolfsburg with a squad that is now wide again.
It is therefore understandable that the Grizzlies are considered the less likely winners in the SAP Arena despite their current wave of success. Bet365 implies odds of 3.00 for the match Adler Mannheim vs. Grizzlys Wolfsburg with a probability of around 33.3 percent for an away win in regular time.
The Grizzlys Wolfsburg are an unpleasant guest
Aside from their impressive form, another advantage Wolfsburg have is that the venue has not had a significant impact on the Grizzlies’ points haul in the current main round. While the Orange and Blacks have recorded 39 points at home, they have so far scored 36 points away from home. This results in a convincing third place in the DEL away table.
However, one weakness of head coach Mike Stewart’s team is their tackling. Compared to the Adler’s face-off win rate (52.56 percent), the Grizzlies are significantly worse at just 47.68 percent. Puck possession, which at 30.45 percent is one of Mannheim’s strengths, is also a disadvantage compared to the hosts, which must be compensated for in tactical terms. In a league comparison, a value of 26.77 per cent puts the Orange & Blacks in second-last place
Adler Mannheim – Grizzlys Wolfsburg head-to-head comparison / H2H result
To date, Adler Mannheim and Grizzlys Wolfsburg have met 82 times. A tip on Mannheim would have worked out in 52 cases. Wolfsburg won 30 of the duels. The Adler are also superior to the Grizzlys in terms of the 248:201 goal ratio.
The two teams have faced each other three times this season. Wolfsburg won the first match of the season, but in the last two encounters, the Grizzlies left the ice victorious
Adler Mannheim – Grizzlys Wolfsburg betting tip
Adler coach Dallas Eakins said during the DEL break that he would not pay too much attention to the nerve-racking situation in the standings. Nevertheless, it is clear that the eight-time German champions should not be satisfied with a position that only entitles them to participate in the playoff qualification.
In terms of the starting position, two teams are facing each other in the SAP Arena who urgently need points in the battle for a direct place in the play-offs and are both currently in strong form. In addition to Mannheim and Wolfsburg’s recent satisfying string of victories, it is also noticeable that both opponents have been hungry for goals recently.
Accordingly, it is interesting that a bet on over 5.5 goals can be made at increased odds of up to 2.25 for the Adler Mannheim vs. Grizzlys Wolfsburg match
