Well, here we are one step away from the fulfillment of our main forecast for the World Championship - it is necessary for the Russians and Canadians to win one victory each in order to give us all hockey classics. And we have every reason to expect that this will happen.
Canada and Russia will play in the hockey final
Finland - Russia
Bets: passage of the Russian team for 1.74
Total over 4.5 for 1.75
Shipachev will score more than 0.5 points in 1.55
Throughout the tournament, the attacking line of the Finnish national team was characterized as one of the strongest in the World Cup. By the full-time match, the Russians have slightly better statistics - 36 goals against 34. The defeat from the Czechs relieved tension, freed from the feeling that we are the favorites. And Oleg Znark's wards approached the decisive matches at the peak of their form, demonstrating smart and beautiful hockey in attack. We have problems playing defensively, our defenders make too many mistakes, mistakes, for one of which we were punished in the quarterfinals by the Germans. The danger is that in the semi-finals the percentage of sales will be many times higher, even despite the presence of Bobrovsky at the gate. Although the bookmakers think otherwise, they predict a low match based on the strength of the goalkeepers. Although 4.5 for 1.75 looks incredibly "delicious". And we will stop at this total.
The coaching staff of the Russian squad continues to look for the best use of Alexander Ovechkin's abilities, giving him decent playing time, including on the power play. Sometimes this happens to the detriment of the interests of Vadim Shipachev, who, in company with Artemy Panarin and Evgeny Dadonov, demonstrates fantastic hockey. They will certainly prove themselves in a meeting with the guys from Suomi. Vadim is a key figure in this combination, he is a conductor, so the odds for him to score one point or more in a line are 1.55. But here the probability of such an event is incredibly high. If you want a little more, bet on Panarin or Dadonov. As for the main bet, the Russian team will reach the final.
USA - Canada
Bet: Canada to win with "-2.5" handicap at 1.9
Total over 5.5 for 1.88
It is customary to say that there are no weak opponents in the semi-finals. Nevertheless, it is very problematic to imagine that the Americans will be able to seriously compete with their neighbors. How reliable are the goalkeepers in the first semi-final, they are just as unpredictable in the second. We dare to suggest that in the evening at the VTB Ice Palace arena we will have a scoring extravaganza, first of all, performed by Bill Peters' wards. The founders of hockey will win a landslide victory.
Our site never ceases to amaze users, twenty-four hours a day the pages are filled with new predictions for sports events of almost all sports. Our analysts work around the clock, providing you with the most accurate information. And of course, this tournament will not go unnoticed. We will cook predictions for the 2016 Ice Hockey World Championship. Each event will be carefully analyzed and the result will be published in the "Sports Predictions" section, as well as the latest analytical reviews you can find them here.
Betting on the 2016 Ice Hockey World Cup
1 Despite the failures of previous championships, according to bookmakers, the Russian national team is the favorite. According to BC Pari-Match her victory is estimated - 3.00, these are the most profitable odds at the moment. The second place in the tournament has every chance to be taken by the Canadian team - 3.25, and the third position for today remains with Sweden - 5.50.
2 According to the bookmaker William Hill quotes for the winner of the competition, the Russian team, are slightly less, which, of course, adds confidence to Russian fans. Also unlike Pari-Match, the analytical department of the European bookmaker believes that the Czech team has a slightly better chance of taking a place above the American team. And what can be said about the weakest opponent - Hungary has practically no chance of success, here without talking - 1001.00 to win.
3 BC 1xBet they stepped even further, and offer additional bets that the Russian team will not win the World Cup, and evaluate the outcome - 1.46, against Canada they accept - 1.38, against Sweden - 1.15. For lovers of small odds, it is Sweden that has the least chance of winning the tournament. With a bet on this outcome - 1000 US dollars, in two weeks you will calmly put in your pocket - 150 greens. In extreme cases, during the tournament you can always insure the bet and return the money.
4 Perhaps the most decent odds for betting enthusiasts were provided by the bookmaker Sportingbet. For the victory of an outsider - the Hungarian team, experts offer a sky-high odds - 3001.00, while the chances of Russia and Canada are almost the same - 3.00 and 3.30, respectively.
| № | national team | Pari-Match | William Hill | 1xBet | Sportingbet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 3,00 | 2,75 | 2,80 | 3,00 |
| 2 | Canada | 3,25 | 3,50 | 3,15 | 3,30 |
| 3 | Sweden | 5,50 | 4,00 | 5,90 | 5,50 |
| 4 | Finland | 9,00 | 7,00 | 9,70 | 9,00 |
| 5 | USA | 13,50 | 15,00 | 18,00 | 21,00 |
| 6 | Czech Republic | 14,80 | 9,00 | 12,50 | 10,00 |
| 7 | Switzerland | 45,00 | 34,00 | 41,00 | 51,00 |
| 8 | Slovakia | 65,00 | 51,00 | 67,00 | 51,00 |
| 9 | Belarus | 100,00 | 81,00 | 101,00 | 101,00 |
| 10 | Norway | 150,00 | 201,00 | 151,00 | 201,00 |
| 11 | Germany | 175,00 | 101,00 | 151,00 | 151,00 |
| 12 | Latvia | 175,00 | 101,00 | 201,00 | 301,00 |
| 13 | France | 250,00 | 501,00 | 251,00 | 201,00 |
| 14 | Denmark | 250,00 | 301,00 | 251,00 | 301,00 |
| 15 | Kazakhstan | 250,00 | 701,00 | 301,00 | 501,00 |
| 16 | Hungary | 255,00 | 1001,00 | 751,00 | 3001,00 |
A little about the tournament
Anniversary - the eightieth World Ice Hockey Championship will be held in Russia. From May 6 to 22, inclusive, ice hockey battles between national teams from sixteen countries of the world will be played at the VTB Ice Palace in Moscow and the Sports Complex in St. Petersburg. For the hosts of the tournament, this is the third championship after the collapse of the USSR, and the third opportunity to show everything they are capable of. In the first two, the Russian team did not show the results that were expected from it. In 2000, they took only eleventh place, but significantly improved their performance at the next home World Cup in 2007 - they deservedly finished in third position.
The participants of the championship will compete for the 2016 World Cup trophy in two groups of eight teams. The Russian national team will play its matches in Moscow at the VTB Ice Palace arena, the company will be made up of the national teams of Sweden, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Latvia, Norway, Denmark and Kazakhstan. The first four places will continue to fight, the last one will be relegated to the first division following the results of the group stage. The Russian national team will play the first match with the Czech team, which last won the championship back in 2010, when they beat the Russians 2:1 in the final.
Group B is filled with no less weak rivals, the first three being Canada, Finland and the USA, the main contenders for the podium. Slovakia for twenty years, only once became the owner of the Ice Hockey World Cup. Belarus and Hungary will most likely not be in the top eight, all the more so it is necessary to try hard not to end up at the bottom of the standings, since Germany and France host the next World Cup, and do not automatically relegate to the first division.Teams for a victory will receive three points each, but if the main time (60 minutes) ends in a draw, then the opponents will be counted one point each, and the third will be played in extra time, or in post-match shootouts.
When choosing a bookmaker for a bet, the rating compiled by the 24hBet.Ru team will help you.
Each of the teams in the group stage will play seven matches, the teams that took the first four places in the standings will continue to fight in the quarterfinals. The first team of group A will play with the fourth from group B, the second from gr. And from the third gr. B, etc. The winners of the quarter-finals on May 21 will compete for the finals. The semi-final and final matches are scheduled to take place in Moscow. The winner will be determined on May 22 at 16:15 Moscow time at the VTB Ice Palace arena.
On May 6, 2016 at 20:15 (Moscow time) in Moscow, at the VTB Ice Arena, the match of the first round of the group stage of the Ice Hockey World Championship will take place, in which the national teams of the Czech Republic and Russia will meet.
In the first round of the group stage, the finalist and semi-finalist of last year's draw will meet. This will be one of the most interesting matches in Group A. The Russian team is the main favorite for the championship from the point of view of bookmakers. The World Championship at home for them is a certain advantage. The Czechs are also among the favorites, but if you arrange the teams by probability relative to the coefficients, they are fifth.
The compositions of both teams have leaders through whom the bulk of attacks are built and on which the outcome of the game sometimes depends. As part of our team, 5 hockey players stand out at once, with approximately equal statistics. But the best result is the leader of the St. Petersburg "SKA" Sergey Mozyakin. In last year's tournament, he managed to score 12 points in a goal + pass system. Among the Czech national team it is worth noting Jaromir Jagr, known to Russian fans for his performances for Avangard Omsk. The striker scored 6 goals and gave 3 assists during his performance in the 2015 World Cup.
Forecast for the match of group A Czech Republic - Russia
The last 5 face-to-face meetings between these opponents ended as follows: 13.02.2016 Czech Republic - Russia 2:4 11.02.2016 Czech Republic - Russia 3:2 (shootouts) 20.12.2015 Russia - Czech Republic 2:4 08.11.2015 Russia - Czech Republic 3:4 (Shootout) 07.02.2015 Czech Republic - Russia 4:3
Bookmakers believe that Russia will be the favorite in the upcoming match.
They provided the following odds quote for the main outcome: P1 - 4.95 in Parimatch bookmaker; X - 5.40 in BC 1Xbet and Marathon; P2 - 1.58 in BC 1Xbet.
In our opinion, the duel will turn out to be really interesting and fascinating. The abundance of dangerous moments, battles and, accordingly, abandoned washers is provided. We believe that such an advantage of the Russian team determined by the bookmakers is not accidental. Both teams are strong, but our hockey players have an advantage in the form of fans and native walls. Therefore, we believe that it will be easier for them to win. Our forecast – "P2" for a coefficient of 1.58 in BC 1Xbet.
Comparison of betting offers for the duel Czech Republic - Russia
 |  |  |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.75 | 5.40 | 1.56 | |
| 4.62 | 5.40 | 1.58 | |
| 4.95 | 5.05 | 1.53 |
*The coefficients may change, the figures given in the table are current at the time of publication of the material.
Forecast for the match of group A Sweden - Latvia
On the same day, a few hours earlier - at 16:15 (Moscow time), another interesting match will take place, between "Sweden" and "Latvia". The Swedes managed to overcome the group stage a year ago, but at the 1/4 stage they lost to Russia and their participation ended there. As for the Latvians, they won only two times in the group, twice by means of overtime, and took only the penultimate place. Then these teams met in a personal confrontation, and the representatives of the Scandinavian Peninsula achieved a crushing victory 8:1. We believe that Sweden will again be able to win Latvia. The gap in goals will be at least 3 in favor of the former. Therefore, we suggest that you consider the option "Handicap 1 (-2.5)" for a coefficient of 1.72 in Marathon bookmaker.
Comparison of betting offers for the duel Sweden - Latvia
Canada and Russia will play hockey
Of all the “black” for our column on Monday, the most offensive is the “flight” with bets on the Russian team. Shipachev scored one point for performance, but even in the first period he gave the pass three times (!) for a goal, but the puck got to know all the bars ... A big disappointment. Nevertheless, the measured course of the tournament is moving into a much more dynamic stage, where the teams will give all their best. We take a sieve in our hands and try to extract something worthwhile from the line.
Russia - Sweden
Bets: total goals under 5.5 for 1.88
The number of minor penalties is less than 9.5 per 1.9
The Swedish squad was not initially considered as a contender for awards of the highest standard, not the same composition. However, the skills and understanding of the game, experience and desire to win are not to be occupied by them. Oleg Znarok hinted that Datsyuk could stay on the line with Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. The calculation is on the creativity of Evgeniy and Pavel, but the problem is that all the efforts will be leveled by one Tre Krunur player, who will correctly position himself a meter away from Alexander. Everyone in the hockey world knows what the Washington captain's shot is, and the way to neutralize it is also known. Please note that during the majority of the draws, Ovi is blocked tightly, with no chance of rebounding. And the meticulous Per Morts will bring the right tasks to the right players. So it turns out that if Ovechkin is used incorrectly, he becomes a burden for the link. In addition, Kuznetsov did not feel well after the match with the Norwegians, acclimatization rolls. So far, the Washington forwards have not joined this team.
The price of the match is incredibly high, because the loser will fight with Canada or Finland, which is highly undesirable before the semi-final stage, and therefore both teams will be extremely attentive and careful. One of the main tasks is not to leave. Honey mushroom suggests that at the end of the match at this tournament, the arbitrators give play, once again not giving one of the opponents the opportunity to decide the outcome at the expense of special teams. Yes, 9.5 small fines for two is a serious risk, but massive trips to the penalty box are simply excluded here. Therefore, we will bet on less. It would be logical to assume that the match will be grassroots. Bobrovsky was given a rest, he is in excellent shape and will be an important factor in this.
Canadians and Finns will frolic, and Russia will suffer
Canada - Finland
Bet: total shots on target over 5.5 per 1.9
Total goals over 5.5 for 1.92
The most anticipated match of the group stage will be held in St. Petersburg. Two contenders for getting into the final complete their glorious path in the preliminary round with a full-time duel, which will not guarantee anyone the opportunity to play with Russia until the final. Such are the alignments now that the second team of group B may stumble upon the team of Znarka already in the first round of the playoffs. True, the calculation of options with whom to play, even in the minds of hockey players, these squads will not arise. For the Canadians, this is the first real challenge in the last 10 days, and Bill Peters' wards will finally play at full strength, demonstrating their potential. Yes, and the guys from Suomi have taught us in recent years that they have no authority, they aim at the highest places, their attack is freaky, the youth is daring, and the goalkeeper is reliable. We have the right to expect that the teams will show aggressive attacking hockey, there will be no chess on ice. The players have missed the serious opposition, they themselves will want to prove themselves from the best side.
Over the past few rounds, the Finns have given up in terms of shots on goal, in several matches they did not play in the third period, but finished it. Here such an arrangement is excluded. Regardless of the team's score, before the final siren, they will load the opponent's defense with throws, climb on a nickel, finish off the puck. The bookmakers offer us 55.5 throws for two, but the potential of the opponents is much higher, and we have no reason to assume a closed game. Let's bet the total more and enjoy high-quality hockey.
On May 6, 2016, at the Yubileiny stadium in St. Petersburg, a hockey match will be held under the loud US-Canada sign. This will be the opening match of the 80th Ice Hockey World Championship 2016. The final match will take place on May 22 at the VTB Ice Palace sports complex, which is located in Moscow.
The right decision of the organizers was to use two arenas for the game at once. Group A matches will be held in Moscow, while St. Petersburg will get group B and only 2 quarterfinal matches.
Tournament website – www.iihfworlds2016.com
Tournament history
The first Ice Hockey World Championship took place in 1920 in Belgium. It was won by the strongest team on the planet at that time - Canada. She also became the winner of the next 5 tournaments. Only in the 7th draw, the Canadians were sensationally beaten by the USA in the final with a score of 2:1.
The USSR national team took part in the 1954 World Championship for the first time. By that time, the Canadians were already 15-time champions. 8 teams played round-robin among themselves, and by the will of the lot the USSR and Canada were to meet only in the last round. Before the match, Canada won 6 convincing victories, while scoring 57 goals and conceding only 5. The statistics of the USSR were also impressive, but a little more modest. Our team won 5 victories and tied with the Swedes. The difference between goals scored and conceded was 30-8. The whole world was waiting for Canada to put the upstart in his place, and as a result, the USSR put the masters on both shoulder blades, beating them with a score of 7:2.
In the next World Cup, Canadians were able to take revenge by beating the USSR national team with a score of 5:0 and winning the world championship. In the next 6 tournaments, the USSR was invariably among the winners, having won the championship once. Then there was a tournament missed in the USA, and then the era of Soviet hockey began. The team managed to become world champion 9 times in a row. Even glorified Canada does not have such an achievement. Until the moment of its collapse, the USSR was able to win the World Cup 22 times, surpassing the Canadian team in this indicator (the Canadians had 20 gold medals in 1991).
The Russians have a lot of expectations from this tournament, which will be the third domestic championship for our country since the collapse of the USSR. We hosted the tournament 4 more times during the existence of the USSR.
The hosts of the tournament at the world championships, as a rule, are unlucky. In the entire history of the World Hockey Championship, teams were only able to become winners at home championships 8 times, in other championships other teams won. The last two attempts of the Russian team to win the home championship were also unsuccessful. If in 2007 Russia was able to take only third place, losing in the semi-final to Finland, then in 2000 our team could not even overcome the group stage, eventually taking the shameful 11th place. According to the results of that tournament, Belarus, Latvia and Norway were higher than Russia.
The rivalry in the number of World Cup gold medals between the Canadian and Russian teams will certainly become an additional incentive for these teams. So far, Russia is ahead with 27 gold medals, Canadians have 25 first places, and the Czech Republic is in third place with 12 medals.
Tournament Regulations
16 participants of the tournament are divided into two groups. 4 teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals. The teams that finish last in the groups will be relegated to the first division. They will be respectively replaced by the 2 best teams of the first division. In the quarter-finals, the first places from one group fall into the fourth places of the other. Accordingly, two more pairs are formed from the second-third teams of the groups. In the playoffs, teams play one game per elimination.
Groups and chances of teams to reach the playoffs
Group A
Group B
As you may have noticed, group A turned out to be more serious in terms of representation, but the struggle for reaching the 1/4 finals is likely to be more fierce in group B. Norway and Latvia have little chance of overtaking Switzerland in the group, not to mention the TOP teams , but Belarus and Germany may well impose a fight on Slovakia for the 4th ticket. Recall that at the last World Cup, Belarus was able to take 4th place in the group, ahead of its closest pursuer by 5 points, which turned out to be the Slovakian team. Last year's face-to-face meeting of the opponents, however, ended with the victory of Slovakia in overtime with a score of 2: 1, but in the end the team still left the tournament after the group round. Belarus was able to reach the playoffs, where in the first game it was knocked out by future champions Canadians with a score of 9:0.
Odds and predictions for the Ice Hockey World Championship
Odds for the match for 3rd place from the most popular bookmakers.
| Russia - USA | P1 | X | P2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.45 | 5.30 | 5.80 | |
| 1.44 | 6.00 | 6.00 | |
| 1.50 | 5.75 | 5.45 | |
| 1.47 | 5.69 | 5.36 | |
| 1.49 | 5.70 | 5.40 |
Odds for the final match from the most popular bookmakers.
| Finland - Canada | P1 | X | P2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.65 | 4.32 | 2.25 | |
| 2.65 | 4.40 | 2.25 | |
| 2.58 | 4.62 | 2.42 | |
| 2.50 | 4.65 | 2.40 | |
| 2.63 | 4.21 | 2.37 |
Betting on favorites and outsiders of the Ice Hockey World Cup 2016
After the sensational victory of the Slovakian team in 2002, only 5 teams won the World Cup. Canada and Russia have 4 wins each, Sweden and the Czech Republic have 2 wins each and another championship for Finland. It is not surprising that these 5 teams are considered the main favorites of the tournament and one of them will surely win. Although the example of Switzerland in 2013 is indicative, then the team lacked one victory for the championship.
Bookmakers give Russia the role of the favorite largely due to the fact that the championship will be held at home, but the statistics show that this is not at all a plus for our team. Last year's silver in the country was seen as a disgrace due to the weak-willed final match against the Canadians. Surely there are revanchist moods in the national team, but it is not a fact that the Canadian team will be our main rival in the tournament.
Now the positions of the Swedes are very strong, which so far occupy the first line of the table in the Euro Hockey Tour. The last success of the team dates back to 2013, when it was able to take gold in the home championship. In general, in recent history, the results of the team are mixed. Since 2000, she has been able to become a champion twice, lost three times in the final and took bronze 5 times. Sweden is the only national team that won the domestic championship for the USSR. It happened in 1957. In the remaining three championships, the victory invariably went to the Soviet team. In the IIHF world rankings, Sweden was the leader in 2013-14, but in 2015 it was overtaken immediately by Russia and Canada.
Despite the fact that Finland is a very strong team, it was only able to win the Ice Hockey World Cup 2 times. The success of the team dates back to 1995 and 2011. At the 2014 World Cup, Finland reached the final, losing there to Russia with a score of 2:5.
The Czech national team is going through hard times now. She dropped in the IIHF rankings to 6th place, even ahead of the United States. The last time the Czech Republic made itself known loudly in 2010, when they were able to defeat Russia in the final match with a score of 2:1. After that, the Czechs reached the semifinals four times, managing to take two bronze medals.
Although the United States is ranked among the favorites of the tournament from year to year, in fact, the team managed to win gold only 2 times, and the last success dates back to the distant 1960. Of the recent successes, the team has bronze medals at the 2015 World Cup and 2013 World Cup. When the bookmakers give a deeper line for the tournament, it will be possible to risk betting on the passage of the USA to the semi-finals, but most likely this will be the ceiling for the team. The result of the team will largely depend on the composition of the Americans will bring to Russia.
The rest of the teams have only ghostly chances for medals, although Slovakia reached the final back in 2012, knocking Canada and the Czech Republic out of the tournament along the way. Switzerland also made a splash at the 2013 World Cup, also taking second place. With favorable hands, these teams may well overcome the barrier of the quarterfinals.
The outsiders of the tournament are the national teams of Kazakhstan and Hungary, which last year still participated in the first division. The statistics of the world championships are not in their favor, rarely any of the debutants manage to gain a foothold in the first year.
It is worth recalling that in 2016 another major national team tournament will take place. Canada will host the revived one, where the teams are likely to send their strongest squads. Given this fact, the excitement for the upcoming World Cup is somewhat subsiding. Surely the teams of Canada and the United States will bet on the World Cup. This will be an additional plus for the Russian team, which can take gold for the first time at home.