The 2023 IIHF World Championship begins on Friday, May 12, featuring a Group B matchup between Slovakia and Czechia.
- Slovakia vs Czechia Game Info
- Slova kia vs Czechia Odds & Spread
- Slovakia vs Czechia Betting Trends
- Slovakia vs Czechia Prediction & Pick
- Slovakia vs Czechia Best Bet
Slovakia vs Czechia Game Info
Czechia has its eyes set on more success after placing third at the 2022 IIHF World Championship, defeating the United States 8-4 to take home the bronze medal. Meanwhile, Slovakia was eliminated by Finland in last year's quarterfinals, extending its medal-less streak to nine consecutive tournaments.
Slovakia vs Czechia Odds & Spread
- Moneyline:'SVK: (+235) | CZE: (-300)
- Spread:'SVK: +1.5 (-120) | CZE: -1.5 (-102)
- Total:'5.5 — Over: (+104) | Under: (-128)
Czechia enters this contest as favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This group stage clash also features an over/under of 5.5 goals with the Under being favored at -128 odds.
Slovakia vs Czechia Betting Trends
- Slovakia is 0-0-0 in the 2023 IIHF World Championship group stage.
- Czechia is 0-0-0 in the 2023 IIHF World Championship group stage.
- Slovakia was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2022 IIHF World Championship.
- Czechia won the bronze medal at the 2022 IIHF World Championship.
- Czechia is 8-2 straight up in its last 10 head-to-head matchups against Slovakia.
Slovakia vs Czechia Prediction & Pick
Czechia is the heavy favorite in th is group stage clash and it's easy to see why. The Czech squad has a decent amount of NHL talent on their roster, boasting names like Filip Chytil and Dominik Kubalik. They also have goaltender Karel Vejmelka, who's played 50 games in each of the last two seasons for the Arizona Coyotes.
On the other side, Richard Panik is the only real name that sticks out for Slovakia. Although he has 500 games of NHL experience under his belt, he's past his prime and just played the 2022-23 campaign in Switzerland.
Czechia also proved that it can easily handle its upcoming opponent at the end of April, defeating Slovakia twice in friendly competition while outscoring it 7-3 on aggregate. Unless the favorite completely collapses, Czechia should win without much issue.
Final Score Prediction:'Czechia: 5 | Slovakia: 2
Slovakia vs Czechia Best Bet
For this game's best bet, I'll take Czechia scoring over 3.5 goals. As mentioned, the Czech team has a lot more NHL talent than Slovakia. While the tournament has seen its fair share of upsets, I just can't see the betting favorite having issues scoring after blowing out the Slovaks 5-1 in their latest meeting.