Finland vs Sweden: Suomi to Finish the Group Stage Without Losing Points

Sweden has beaten Finland in their last four head-to-head encounters at the Euro Hockey Tour. Will Jukka Jalonen's team end their unsuccessful streak? Check the teams’ conditions and expert betting tips. Several betting options are available!

Finland

Finland came in Beijing as one of the top favorites. In the last two World Championships, they took gold and silver. Now they brought many players from that squad to gain the coveted title. The tournament's debut makes it clear that Jukka Jalonen's wards have all chances to succeed. In the first game, Suomi managed to defeat 6:2 Slovakia. The meeting against Latvia was much more challenging for the Finns, but they showed the ability to press their opponent, scoring two crucial goals before the end - 3:1. After two rounds, Finland leads Group C.

Sweden

The Swedish team is another traditional favorite at significant hockey tournaments. They have a very curious lineup for the Beijing Olympics, abandoning several skillful players in favor of bigger and stronger performers who can work on defense. So far, things looked pretty good for Tre Kronor. First, Johan Garpenlov's charges beat Latvia with difficulty - 3:2. The match against Slovakia was much easier since, by the end of the first period, the Swedes were already winning - 3:0, succeeding finally - 4:1. At the moment, the Yellow and Blues took an interim second place in the Group C standings.

Expert Betting Tips

Finland and Sweden share the lead in the Group C standings. The Finns make a much more pleasant impression. The Suomi coaching staff brought a very experienced, stable, and talented squad, but there are serious questions about the Tre Kronor lineup. Even though the Swedes have won their last four Euro Hockey Tour games, the Blue and Whites will be more assertive in Beijing. Betting on the victory of the Finnish national team seems possible.

According to the hockey tournament regulations at the Olympics, all teams make it into the playoffs, so we do not see many matches in the group stage where something meaningful is decided. The upcoming game is one such example. The winner of this confrontation secures entry to the quarterfinals. For this reason, the price of points is exceptionally high. The players will pay great attention to defense, so the best option for the prediction is a total under 4.5.

In the game against Latvia, Markus Granlund didn't appear on the ice, which destroyed the first line of the Finnish team. It is not certain that Salawat Yulayevs forward will recover, so we draw special attention to Suomi's second attacking combination, where Miro Aaltonen plays. The Vityaz player has been incredibly efficient this season, scoring 42 points (10 goals + 32 assists) in 44 games in the KHL. He has already made two goals and an assist for two games in Beijing, which confirms his excellent form. It is worth looking at a bet on the total over 0.5 by Miro Aaltonen.