Sweden vs USA. Who will be the first in group A?

The key match, in terms of the distribution of final places, will be held on May 23 in Tampere. On the ice of the local arena "Tampere Dec" hockey players from the national teams of Sweden and the USA will take to the ice.

• Expert Predictions Analysis
• Statistics
• Odds
• Game Totals Prediction

Our Expert Predictions & Analysis on Sweden vs USA

Sweden

11-time World Champions, the Swedish team once again arrived at the main tournament of the year as one of the main favorites. Last year's failure, otherwise it is impossible to evaluate the departure of Tre Krunur already in the quarterfinals, cost his place to the head coach of the national team - Johan Garpenlev. He was replaced by Sam Hallam, with whom the Swedish national team confidently passed all four stages of the Euro Hockey Tour, having issued their own victory in the prestigious tournament ahead of schedule.

The current world championship for the Swedes is going well so far. The Scandinavians have already qualified for the playoffs, continuing to maintain excellent chances for the final first place in the group stage. The Swedes have the best defense in the tournament, in five games played, Tre Krunur conceded only two goals, managing to play to zero three times. The only point lost by the Swedes was in the match against the hosts of the tournament, the Finnish national team. Draw 1-1 in regular time, but in the post-match shootout, the Swedes were stronger than their geographical neighbors.

USA

The American team does not particularly shine at major international tournaments, having managed to take only a few bronze medals in the 21st century. The US team was close to bronze last year as well, but after the failure in the semi-finals in the match against the Finnish team, the Americans frankly fell apart in the consolation final, losing heavily to the Czechs 4-8.

Before the start of the tournament, the American team was not expected to do much. A fairly young line-up, the absence of star players, a large number of hockey players from the Student League - there were no special prerequisites for leadership in the group. However, already in the opening game of the championship, the Americans created a sensation, having managed to beat the reigning world champion and part-time hostess of the tournament - the Finnish team. The 4-1 victory was a kind of starting point, then the Americans scored four more victories in a row, alternately beating the teams of Hungary 7-1, Germany 3-2, Austria 4-1 and Denmark 3-0. Now the US team is single-handedly ranked first in Group A, one point ahead of the running second team Sweden.

Statistics

In the last five head-to-head matches of these teams played at the World Championships, four times the opponents jointly scored more than five goals in a total over (5.5) match 2.14. A year ago, these teams also met at the group stage and that match did not reveal the winner in regular time. Draw 2-2, and in the course of regular time, each of the teams led the score. The denouement came in the fifth minute of overtime, when an accurate shot by Adam Godette brought the victory to the American team. In total, in the 21st century, at major international tournaments, the teams of Sweden and the USA met 12 times and so far the Swedes have a serious advantage in the number of victories won, the Scandinavians have 9 victories, while the Americans have won only three matches.

Odds from download 1xbet

The statistics of personal meetings did not pass by the attention of the bookmaker and it is the Swedish team that will play the role of the favorite in the upcoming game. The coefficient for the victory of the Swedes in regular time is 1.97, while the possible success of the North American squad is estimated at 3.05. The option with a draw and further overtime can be taken for 4.8. As for the expected performance, 1xbet offers the following quotes here: total over (5.5) - 2.14, total under (5.5) - 1.71. Install the 1xbet app and place a bet on the favorite!

Game Totals Prediction

At stake is the final first place in Group A, which will allow either the Latvian national team or the Slovakian national team to compete in the quarterfinal stage. In case of defeat, there is a high probability of getting on the Canadian team, which is clearly not included in the plans of any of the teams. The strength of both teams in this tournament is the game on the defensive (only 7 missed goals for two), so it is hardly worth expecting an abundance of goals from the upcoming game. We are waiting for a cautious game, where both teams will first of all try to play reliably in defense. Our prediction - Total goals scored under 5.5 with odds of 1.71.