Does Sweden cause Germany’s next defeat?
The DEB team won’t get a breather in the demanding group stage. After head coach Harold Kreis’s team faced a favored but doable opponent in the opening match against the Slovaks, a top favorite for the world title awaited them in the form of the Americans. Now Germany will have to face Sweden. The betting odds of the best sports betting providers indicate an even clearer underdog role for the German national team. After all, the Swedes are currently regarded as the most promising contenders for gold
The fact that the Germans’ most recent defeat against the USA was devastating does not give DEB fans cause for optimism for the upcoming game on Monday at 20:20 in the Ostravar Arena. To make matters worse, Germany have to compensate for a number of personnel problems in their preparations for the World Championship top game against the Swedish title contenders. Will the Kreis squad still surprise and give the supposedly overpowering favorites a leg up?
If you’re predicting an eventful clash between Germany and Sweden early on, you should take a look at Oddset’s Ice Hockey World Cup 2024 odds. The betting provider with the clearly structured website offers odds of 1.80 for betting tips on at least two goals in the opening period.
Germany – Statistics & current form
The spectacular and above all successful 4:6 victory over Slovakia was followed by a devastating 6:1 lesson against the USA. The defeat was to be expected in view of the Americans’ clear role as favorites. Nevertheless, the extent of the defeat was certainly not entirely lost on the DEB team. The fact that the injured NHL legionnaire Nico Sturm had left a gaping hole, which was one size too big in the face of the American superiority, became clear at numerous points in the sobering duel.
This makes it all the more unfortunate for the German World Cup squad that the 29-year-old attacker is still in doubt for the game against the Swedish favorites. However, the professional from the most competitive ice hockey league in the world is now back in training. So there is hope that Sturm can help disprove the bookmakers’ odds in the upcoming match between Germany and Sweden
Germany struggling with weaknesses and personnel concerns in defense
With the questionable deployment of Nico Sturm, however, Germany’s personnel worries do not end there. In the DEB team’s already weakening defense, it is unclear whether defensemen Wagner and Szuber, who are also back in training but suffering from injuries, will be able to play against Sweden. Nevertheless, the national team is not discouraged.
On the one hand, it can be seen as a success that Germany have gained three points in the group table from two matches in the underdog role. On the other hand, the ambitious DEB team did not let the USA overrun them as much as the clear final result implies. Especially in the middle third, the Germans managed to keep up with the Americans’ powerful play for long stretches. Munich forward Yasin Ehliz rewarded their efforts with a goal in the 15th minute of the second period. Ultimately, however, it was to remain the only consolation goal until the end of the game.
Another glimmer of hope for the clash with the Swedish national team is that NHL forward Lukas Reichel from the Chicago Blackhawks is set to bolster the German attack on Monday. Will the prediction that Germany and Sweden will suffer yet another clear defeat come true?
Sweden – statistics & current form
While the German team have a mammoth task ahead of them, both mentally and in terms of play, the starting position for the Swedish title favorites could hardly be better. Head coach Sam Hallam’s team have made a dream start to this year’s World Championship with two high-scoring victories in a row and go into the game against the DEB line-up with a broad chest.
The bookmakers are signaling with their odds that they favor the Swedish team, and not just for the game between Germany and Sweden. Provider Betway rates the Hallam protégés’ chances of winning the title as the highest of all competitors. Current odds of 3.25 imply a probability of around 30.8 percent that Sweden will be crowned world champions at the end of the 2024 Ice Hockey World Cup. For comparison: The provider’s odds for betting tips on Germany are currently 31.00.
Sweden have not yet let anything burn at the Ice Hockey World Championship 2024
The fact that the bookies from our comprehensive bookmaker check agree and consider Sweden to be the most likely world champions is no surprise given the tournament’s progress so far. The three-crown team faced one of the most promising co-favorites, the USA, at the start of the World Cup and outclassed the strong Americans with a 5:2 triumph. Overall, the game was closer than the result suggests. Nevertheless, the victory was thoroughly deserved.
The equally clear 5:1 victory against Poland was nothing more and nothing less than a commanding must-win. A Polish triumph would have been tantamount to a minor ice hockey sensation. Nevertheless, Sweden’s dominance was also impressively evident here, making the job of Poland’s goalie the most strenuous of the evening with 38 shots.
Consequently, German bookmakers are showing no two opinions about Sweden being the clear favorite against Germany for a bet on the winner. Highest odds of 9.20 imply only a 10.9 percent chance that the DEB team will triumph in regulation time!
Germany – Sweden head-to-head / H2H result
The last time Germany and Sweden met was at last year’s World Cup, where the two sides drew with an unusually low-scoring 1-0 victory for Sweden. The rest of the two teams’ H2H history, however, is much more damning. In a total of 57 duels, the DEB team has only managed to emerge victorious three times. Three other encounters ended in draws; the other 51 matches all saw the Swedish team emerge victorious.
The Germans’ last triumph against the three-crown team was eleven years ago and was the result of a 5:2 friendly. The most recent World Cup success against Sweden, on the other hand, was 32 years ago!
Germany – Sweden betting tip
Germany struggled defensively in both their convincing underdog win over Slovakia and their crushing defeat against the superior USA. The German attack performed satisfactorily for long stretches, but the Achilles heel in the form of the error-prone DEB defense could not yet be adequately compensated for.
Since the Swedish offense has left nothing to be desired so far, it is almost impossible that coach Sam Hallam’s team will not find a way into the regularly vulnerable DEB box. The question is rather whether the Germans will be able to break through their opponents’ defense, the showpiece of the Swedish squad, and create enough pinpricks to pose a threat to the clear favorites.
Despite the addition of NHL forward Lukas Reichel, we agree with Germany’s underdog role against Sweden. In addition to the prediction that the Swedish title contenders will end the first period with a lead, betting tips on over 5.5 goals over the course of the match are also available
