Will the Wild Wings pull off the next surprise in Straubing?
Will the Wild Wings’ playoff fairytale come to an end in the quarterfinals? Even that would be a huge success for the surprise club from Schwenningen. In this millennium, the dark-blue-and-whites have yet to taste playoff air. The protégés of DEL Coach of the Year Steve Walker are now the best home team in the German Ice Hockey League, but first have to play away from home to start the series
Some teams are predestined to take the lack of home ice in a first playoff game in their stride and still show their best side on foreign soil. However, it is unfavorable for Walker’s squad that no other DEL club shows such a high contrast in performance in the stadiums of the competition as the guests of the upcoming game
The fact that the Straubing Tigers have the advantage against the Schwenninger Wild Wings in Game 1 according to the odds is no surprise given the away deficits of the visiting underdog. When the game kicks off on Saturday at 16:00 at the Eisstadion am Pulverturm, the visitors will have to compensate for a few other weaknesses against the Gäubodenstädter.
So it’s a good thing that, in addition to top odds of 2.37 for a handicap bet on Straubing, betting provider Betano is also offering an attractive welcome package
Straubing Tigers – Statistics & current form
The Straubing Tigers are hungry! As one of the teams with the strongest offense, the third-placed team in the table welcomes the surprise team from Schwenningen to the Pulverturm. After the Wild Wings’ unprecedented success in the main round, head coach Tom Pokel’s team of players will be looking to bring the visitors back down to earth.
In the regular season, the Straubing Tigers, in second place in the home table, were one of the few teams that could hold a candle to Schwenningen as the best hosts. Now the Gäubodenstädter must exploit the weakness of the dark blue and whites on the road to their advantage.
The balance of power is clear: In the match between the Straubing Tigers and the Schwenninger Wild Wings, the betting odds indicate that the hosts are the favorites. Quotes of 1.83 at the top imply a probability of 54.6 percent that Straubing will prevail at home without overtime
The special teams of the home-strong Straubing Tigers are among the DEL elite
Apart from the fact that the Tigers are very well positioned defensively, Straubing has the second most dangerous offense in the German Ice Hockey League. This season, the club from the Danube metropolis has put the puck in the opposition’s net a whopping 167 times. The special teams have always been an important part of Straubing’s recipe for success. With a numerical superiority, the blue-and-whites score an average of 21.77 percent of their goals and are in second place in the league.
However, nobody can fool the Tigers when they are short-handed. Straubing manages to fend off opposing power plays without conceding a goal at an outstanding top rate of 88.27 percent. What’s more, as one of the fairest teams in the DEL, the Gäubodenstädter don’t give their opponents many opportunities to score in overtime situations. The visitors, who are already weak on the power play, would therefore be well advised not to rely on goals in overtime in Game 1 of the playoff series.
Ahead of the clash between the Straubing Tigers and Schwenninger Wild Wings, in which the odds suggest that the home side is the favorite, coach Pokel is naturally not yet willing to reveal which goalie the blue-and-whites will be relying on. Also uncertain is the participation of attacker Matt Bradley, who is back on the ice after his injury
Schwenninger Wild Wings – Statistics & current form
Even if Schwenningen were to lose four games in a row against the Tigers and bow out of the best-of-seven series, the Wild Wings would have already achieved more than they have in the last three decades. It has been 29 years since the dark blue and white team last reached a DEL play-off quarter-final.
Successful coach Steve Walker has not only achieved what no other coach has managed since the turn of the millennium. The 51-year-old has led the Wild Wings to sixth place in the table, five points ahead of ice hockey giants Mannheim, and straight into the quarter-finals without having to go through the qualifiers. For this outstanding performance, the Canadian was named DEL Coach of the Year.
Is the play-off fairytale in the Gäuboden city off to a good start for the visitors? Despite all the praise, it is understandable that Bet365, one of the best-known betting providers in the German-speaking world, is skeptical. Between the Straubing Tigers and Schwenninger Wild Wings in game 1, a bet at odds of 4.00 on the regular away win is possible with the bookmaker. However, if you want to take this risk, you are in good hands with the provider.
Schwenninger Wild Wings suffer from weakness on the road
Under head coach Walker, the surprise team from Schwenningen has blossomed into the best home team in the German Ice Hockey League. However, the away performances of the dark blue and whites at the end of the main round have remained a construction site. There is a huge discrepancy in performance away from home. With nine wins and 26 points from 26 games, the Wild Wings did not even get half as many points away from home as on home soil. Compared to their league rivals, this results in a twelfth place that is truly in need of improvement.
On the other hand, Schwenningen have not been stingy with goals over the course of the season. Only the teams in the top three places in the DEL table have scored more than 159 goals. Furthermore, the guests in the upcoming duel can build on their solid play when short-handed. In 84.36 percent of cases, the opponents bite their teeth out against Walker’s team in power plays.
Their own power plays, on the other hand, are not at all convincing. When the Wild Wings have been outnumbered this season, the reward has been a goal only 15.30 percent of the time. Only Düsseldorfer EG is worse in this respect. So it’s no wonder that a prediction of an underdog victory for the visitors in Game 1 between the Straubing Tigers and Schwenninger Wild Wings can almost triple the stakes – even in the event of an overtime triumph.
Straubing Tigers – Schwenninger Wild Wings head-to-head comparison / H2H record
In the overall result with 28:24 wins in 52 matches the Straubing Tigers have the edge against the Schwenninger Wild Wings according to the bookmakers’ predictions from our betting provider evaluation. This season, however, the two rivals have met on equal terms. The Tigers and Wild Wings each won two out of four duels. The home team always came out on top. Will the home side keep the upper hand again this time?
Straubing Tigers – Schwenninger Wild Wings betting tip
The euphoric Schwenninger Wild Wings could fulfill their dream of the playoffs, but start the series against Straubing with a difficult starting position. No other team shows such a difference in performance away from home as Schwenningen. What’s more, with the best shorthanded efficiency in the league, the Tigers are ideally equipped to take advantage of the visitors’ Achilles’ heel in the form of their weak power play.
We believe that the hosts, who are highly dangerous offensively, will not only score numerous goals, but also triumph with at least a two-goal lead. In the playoff series between the Straubing Tigers and the Schwenninger Wild Wings, a handicap bet in game 1 is interesting in our eyes.
