Finland vs. Slovakia Odds and Prediction: Men’s Olympic Hockey Bronze Medal Preview
The Bronze medal game comes first, as Finland is set to take on Slovakia on Saturday.
The matchup between the Finns and Slovaks is a rematch from Group play, as Slovakia defeated Finland in an upset victory by a score of 4-1 back on February 11.
Will Team Finland be able to get its revenge? Or will Team Slovakia sweep the Finns and earn the final spot on the Olympic podium?
Finland vs. Slovakia Olympic Men’s Hockey Odds and Betting Trends
Team Finland began this tournament with the fourth-shortest odds to win the Gold medal. That wasn’t surprising to see, as Finland’s well-rounded roster is chock-full of proven NHL talent.
On the other side, Slovakia began the tournament in the No. 7 spot on the Gold medal odds board. The Slovaks can be considered the darlings of this tournament, as their impressive play has led to an eye-opening underdog run.
Given Finland’s NHL talent edge over Slovakia, it’s not surprising to see oddsmakers giving the edge to the Finns in this matchup. As the favourites, Team Finland has odds of -270 on the money line, while Slovakia has odds of +220 to pull off the upset and win the Bronze medal. When it comes to the puck line, Finland -1.5 has a +100 price, while Slovakia +1.5 carries a price of -120. The total is 5.5 with the Over sitting at +105 odds and the Under listed at -125.
Team Finland
Team Finland’s 4-1 loss to Slovakia was a tough way to start the tournament for Mikko Rantanen and company. However, the Finns were able to right the ship and put together a strong run to the semifinals. On Friday, Finland gave Canada all it could handle and held a lead for the majority of the game. Finland may have underperformed early in Italy, but they appear to be playing their best hockey at the right time.
Finland’s offensive inconsistency in this tournament is well-documented, but the skill is there to put things together in the Bronze medal game against Slovakia. Slovakia played a rough defensive game on Friday against Team USA, and the score could have been even more lopsided than 6-2 if it wasn’t for the strong play of Slovakian goaltender Samuel Hlavac. Look for Finland’s stars of Rantanen, Sebastian Aho, Artturi Lehkonen, and Mikael Granlund to come out firing. In addition, Slovakia is the most penalized team in this tournament, and Finland’s power play should be able to take advantage of its opportunities.
Juuse Saros has been sensational in net for Team Finland, as he owns a .934 save percentage and an impressive 1.80 goals-against average through five games. He held Canada’s explosive offense to just one even-strength goal, and will now face a Slovakian team that does not possess the same level of elite NHL talent. The defense in front of him has been steady all tournament long, as the Finns have allowed just 10 total goals through 5 games.
Team Slovakia
Despite being drastically overwhelmed by Team USA in the semifinals on Friday, Team Slovakia has put forth an impressive showing in this tournament. The Slovaks made a nice run to the semifinals before running into a USA team that was simply too much to handle. But Slovakia should still enter this matchup with plenty of confidence, and have a great opportunity to earn a Bronze medal with a win over Finland.
Juraj Slafkovsky has been one of the best players in this tournament, as he has accumulated the fourth-most points among all skaters in Italy. Slafkovsky has racked up eight points on four goals and four assists through five games, and figures to take on a leading role once again in this matchup. Slafkovsky scored a pair of goals and dished out an assist for a three-point night in Slovakia’s 4-1 win over Finland in Group play, and with the way he is rolling right now, look for him to create plenty of chances for his team in this one.
Hlavac has been great for Slovakia between the pipes in this tournament, and he put up a strong fight against Team USA on Friday. The Americans were just too overpowering and eventually potted 4 goals on 23 shots against Hlavac, but the game really could have gotten out of hand a lot sooner if it wasn’t for his great play in net. It’s likely that Hlavac draws the starting nod in net once again in the Bronze medal game, and he seems to have a more manageable matchup against an inconsistent offensive attack from Finland.
Olympics Prediction: Who Will Win Finland vs. Slovakia?
Finland is looking for revenge in this matchup. Slovakia won the first meeting 4-1, but Finland controlled puck possession for most of the game and outshot Slovakia 39-24. It was a 1-1 game entering the third period, but Slovakia erupted for three goals in the final frame to seal the deal. Put simply, I don’t believe that will happen again.
Team Finland has too much top-tier talent to underperform in this one. Finland gave Canada all it could handle, and should be able to take care of business against Slovakia to earn the Bronze medal. I expect Team Finland to win this game 4-1.