Tip: Strengthened Latvia Stands Firm Against the Finnish Lions!

An exciting match is expected on Saturday between Latvia and Finland, battling for a quarterfinal spot in the World Hockey Championship, and I have a clear betting idea!

Latvian Reinforcement Could Tip the Scales!

Latvia has had mixed results in the tournament, starting with two wins and two losses. Against Canada and Sweden, the Latvians had little to offer. But let’s remember that they played the day before facing Sweden and Canada. In the match against Sweden a few days ago, I don’t think Latvia disgraced themselves either. Sure, 6-0 is hard to dismiss, but they tried to play their way out of situations and skated with all their might. It felt more like, similar to the Canada game, their energy ran out toward the end.

On Thursday, one of Latvia’s big stars, Rodrigo Abols, joined the team. The Latvian national team forward is likely familiar to most SHL fans from his time with Örebro and Rögle. This past season, he played in North America, getting a chance with the Philadelphia Flyers, where he performed well in a limited role. He played 22 games with the Flyers before continuing with their AHL affiliate, Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He impressed the Philadelphia organization enough to secure a one-year extension worth $800,000 just yesterday. He’ll be crucial for Latvia if they hope to snatch the final quarterfinal spot in Group A.

Finland Found Their Groove Against Slovenia

After a sluggish start to the tournament, heavily criticized Finland finally got things rolling. They defeated Slovenia 9-1 on Thursday evening. The NHL duo, Teuvo Teräväinen and Eeli Tolvanen, led the way. Teräväinen assisted on six goals, and Tolvanen scored four. It was a win Finland was expected to take, with odds of -1000 before the match, but still vital for a team criticized for its lack of edge.

The match against Latvia won’t end 9-1, and the Finns won’t have as easy a task against a rested Latvia, who haven’t played since Wednesday. With crucial points at stake for both teams, I expect a completely different game.

Conclusion and Betting Tip

Sure, Finland found their form against Slovenia. But Slovenia has no business in the A-tier World Championship and looks set to crash out after this tournament. Latvia has shown before that they can upset bigger nations, and I’m not particularly concerned about their losses to Sweden or Canada. On the contrary, I think Latvia played well for large parts of the Sweden game, and with a well-rested squad plus a fresh Rodrigo Abols, the Finns will have to fight for every inch of the ice.

Therefore, I think Latvia +1.5 at +105 on bet365 is generous enough to believe the underdog can keep the game closer than the market expects.