Can the Swiss beat the strong Finns too?
A showdown for first place in Group A in our Switzerland vs. Finland preview. The match could hardly be more high-caliber, as neither team has dropped a single point so far. Switzerland currently boasts a record-breaking goal differential of 35-5.
Does that make them the clear favorites? No, because while the Swiss, fueled by home-ice advantage, have at times dismantled their opponents right up until the final buzzer, the Finns have taken a more pragmatic approach. They’ve also been happy to conserve some energy along the way.
This Tuesday, however, they won’t be doing that anymore—and they can’t afford to. We see a completely 50-50 matchup ahead of us here, so our prediction for Switzerland vs. Finland is a close game that could even be decided in overtime.
Given the bookmakers’ status as favorites for the Swiss, the odds on Finland or X2 are slightly more favorable for Switzerland vs. Finland.
Switzerland – Finland Head-to-Head Record
Not only the current standings but also the head-to-head record from recent years is extremely even. The Finns have won three of the last five matchups. However, if we expand the sample to ten games, the record is tied at 5-5.
Both teams also lead the World Championship in several categories. The Swiss in goals (35) and defense (5 goals against) as well as on the power play (36.84%), the Finns on the penalty kill (92.86%). In addition, both teams have four players in the top 5 among the best faceoff specialists (Hischier, Barkov, Malgin, Raty).
With so many top stats, the betting odds for a draw in Switzerland vs. Finland are actually worth considering for once.
Switzerland – Finland Tip
The Swiss with their home-ice advantage or the Finns with their mentality for big games – who will come out on top? Since predicting a winner is incredibly difficult here, we have to look for alternatives—and there actually are some.
Our preferred option for Switzerland vs. Finland is a bet on Nico Hischier to score. He has already scored four goals in his six games and boasts a strong scoring rate of 28.57% and a +/- rating of +8.
However, as an interesting alternative, we can also bet on over 5.5 total goals. Switzerland alone is already averaging 5.8 goals per game—many of those were against weaker opponents, but since the Finns are also very prolific, the 5.5-goal mark is likely to be surpassed.
