Finland and Slovakia put up tough fights in the semifinal round, but both teams ultimately fell short and will now compete in the Bronze medal game on Saturday. A Bronze medal holds plenty of importance for both of these countries, so this matchup should produce a highly competitive and entertaining contest. This meeting is also a rematch, as Slovakia defeated Finland in the opening game of the tournament by a score of 4-1. As puck drop draws nearer, let’s take a look at a pair of best bets for this Bronze medal matchup.
Don’t forget you can also get our Winter Olympics hockey picks throughout the remainder of the tournament.
Winter Olympics Men’s Ice Hockey Bronze Medal best bet: Finland vs Slovakia Under 5.5 (-130)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing
Team Finland’s offensive attack has been wildly inconsistent throughout this tournament. The talent is there, but it’s clear that the Finns have been out of sync and unable to string consistent offensive success together so far in Italy. Finland was able to put together an 11-goal outburst against Team Italy in group play, but Italy is arguably the worst defensive team in the Olympic field. In 4 other games against much tougher competition, the Finns managed to score just 2.5 goals per game. That inconsistency is a bit concerning heading into the Bronze medal game against Slovakia.
Slovakia’s offensive attack is led by Juraj Slafkovsky, who continues to shine on the world stage. He is among the tournament’s highest scorers, boasting 8 points on 4 goals and 4 assists in 5 games. However, Slovakia’s scoring depth gets rather thin after Slafkovsky, and it’s tough to expect him to single-handedly carry Slovakia to a high-scoring effort.
Juuse Saros got the start for Finland against Canada in the semifinals on Friday, but it’s quite possible that he is back between the pipes again for the Bronze medal game. Saros has been spectacular in this tournament, owning a strong .934 save percentage to go along with a 1.80 goals-against average. He held Canada’s high-flying offense to 3 goals, and just 1 came at even strength.
Slovakia has been the most penalized team in this tournament, but the penalty kill is operating at a strong 81.9% clip. Team USA took advantage of its power play chances against the Slovaks, but I expect Slovakia to be more disciplined in this matchup against Finland. All in all, it would be a bit surprising to see a goal fest in this one. Look to the under.
Winter Olympics Men’s Ice Hockey Bronze Medal best bet: Juraj Slafkovsky Over 3.5 shots on goal (+108)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing
As previously mentioned, Slafkovsky is by far and away Slovakia’s most dangerous scorer. He has put forth an extremely impressive Olympic tournament, but hasn’t received much help from Slovakia’s other forwards. Looking to claim a Bronze medal, I expect Slafkovsky to be aggressive in the offensive zone in this contest.
Along with leading Slovakia with 8 points and 4 goals, Slafkovsky is ranks in the top-5 of all skaters in this tournament in terms of shots on goal. The 21-year-old has fired 22 shots on goal through 5 games, which equates to 4.4 shots per game. He put just 2 shots on goal against Team USA in the semifinals, but I am looking for him to at least double that shot total in this matchup against Finland.
The Finns are not as defensively stingy as the Americans, which could bode well for Slafkovsky. Team USA dominated puck possession until late in the game against Slovakia, and didn’t allow many shots on goal until the final 10 minutes of the game when the game was out of hand. This matchup against Finland should be more evenly matched, which could open up more opportunities for Slafkovsky.
It’s also worth mentioning that Slafkovsky found plenty of success in the first meeting between these teams in Italy, as he scored two goals and dished out an assist while also firing 4 shots on goal. Looking to lead his team to a Bronze medal, look for Slafkovsky to fire pucks on net early and often.
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