The'2023 IIHF World Championship'continues on Sunday, May 21, featuring a Group B matchup between Slovenia and Slovakia.
- Slovenia vs Slovakia Game Info
- Slovenia vs Slovakia Odds & Spread
- Slovenia vs Slovakia Betting Trends
- Slovenia vs Slovakia Prediction & Pick
- Slovenia vs Slovakia Best Bet
Slovenia vs Slovakia Game Info
- Date:'Sunday, May 21, 2023
- Time:'9:20 a.m. ET
- Venue:'Arena Riga — Riga, Latvia
Slovenia is coming off its fifth consecutive loss of the tournament, falling 3-2 to Latvia on Friday. On the other side, Slovakia hopes to keep its knockout stage hopes alive following a 4-3 loss overtime loss to Kazakhstan.
Slovenia vs Slovakia Odds & Spread
- Moneyline:'SLO: (+440) | SVK: (-650)
- Spread:'SLO: +2.5 (-128) | SVK: -2.5 (+104)
- Total:'5.5 — Over: (-106) | Under: (-114)
Slovakia enters this contest as the favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 9:20 a.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 5.5 goals with the Under being favored at -114 odds.
Slovenia vs Slovakia Betting Trends
- Slovenia is 0-0-0-5 (W-OTW-OTL-L) in the 2023 IIHF World Championship group stage.
- Slovakia is 1-0-2-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L) in the 2023 IIHF World Championship group stage.
- Slovenia lost to Latvia, 3-2, in its last game on May 19, 2023.
- Slovakia lost to Kazakhstan in overtime, 4-3, in its last game on May 19, 2023.
- Slovakia is 5-2 straight up in its last seven head-to-head matchups against Slovenia.
Slovenia vs Slovakia Prediction & Pick
It's hard to like much of what Slovenia has done thus far in the group stage. The Slovenians have scored only six goals through five games while boasting a minus-3.2 average goal differential – by far the worst in Group B. They're also the only squad in the tournament that's yet to pick up at least one point.
While Slovakia isn't a juggernaut, it still shines in some areas. The Slovakians currently own the fourth-best penalty kill and sixth-best save percentage in the tournament, making it extremely unlikely that Slovenia's goal-scoring issues end here.
Besides, Slovakia is the only country of the two that still has a chance to play in the knockout round. Motivated by that goal alone, I expect a Slovakian victory this weekend.
Final Score Prediction:'Slovakia: 3 | Slovenia: 2
Slovenia vs Slovakia Best Bet
If you're a huge fan of high-scoring clashes, this game isn't the one for you. Both Slovenia and Slovakia rank in the bottom half of tournament competitors when it comes to offense, only averaging a combined 3.2 goals per game.
On top of that, each of the last five Slovenia-Slovakia matchups has seen five or fewer goals scored. With both sides lacking high-end offensive talent, the Under on the 5.5-goal total is the best bet here.