Ice hockey fans are in for a treat. The IIHF Men’s World Championship starts this week alongside the NHL playoffs. Finland was the winner of last year’s edition and the reigning champion. This tournament will be held across two countries, Finland and Latvia, and it’s expected to be a competitive edition.
The event is held in Tampere, Finland, and Riga, Latvia. It will be played over 17 days, starting on May 12. The Finnish team is the current champion after beating Canada in overtime last year. Finland will start their title defense with a game against the United States on the opening day, which should be a fascinating game.
This year’s edition consists of 16 teams, split into two groups with eight teams each. The top four teams from each group will qualify for the IIHF World Championship playoffs. The last team from each group will be relegated to Division I in 2024.
| ℹ️ Tournament: | IIHF 2023 Men’s Ice Hockey World Championships |
| 🏟️ Venues: | Arena Riga, Riga, Latvia & Nokia Arena, Tampere, Finland |
| 🗓️ Dates: | 12 May – 28 May 2023 |
Here’s a look at the best ice hockey odds for the IIHF Men’s World Championship:
As shown in the odds, the IIHF Men’s World Championship is expected to be between Finland and Canada. The Finnish team will have home field advantage in this edition, and they will be eager to defend their title. The Canadian team is always a contender and will have great chances in Group B.
Sweden won it back-to-back in 2017 and 2018 and has been absent from the finals since then, but they have a strong team for this year. The Czech Republic is 6th in the IIHF rankings; they last won it in 2010 and could make a surprise. The United States are missing some players, but they are expected to have a good run at least.
The first official men’s ice hockey championship was held in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium. The Canadian team dominated the early stages of this tournament, as they won the first six editions. After that, the Russian team showed up with a good team and got their fair share.
This will be the 86th edition of the IIHF Men’s World Championship. Canada and Russia/Soviet Union both have the most titles, with 27 trophies each; after them comes Sweden with 11 gold medals. Finland is the reigning champion, as they won their fourth title last year. They will also be the co-hosts for this year’s edition.
| Group A Participants | Group Stage Prediction |
|---|---|
| Finland* | 1st |
| Sweden* | 2nd |
| United States* | 3rd |
| Denmark* | 4th |
| Germany | 5th |
| Austria | 6th |
| France | 7th |
| Hungary | 8th |
The top four teams from Group A will qualify for the IIHF World Championship Playoffs, while the last team will be relegated to Division I. Finland, the defending champion, is the standout favorite in this group and should qualify. Sweden and the United States have good rosters and will compete for the qualifying spots alongside Denmark as well.
Germany could make an upset and qualify over the Danish or American teams. Austria and France are significantly weaker than the top teams in this group, while Hungary is the favorite to finish last and get relegated.
| Group B Participants | Group Stage Prediction |
|---|---|
| Canada* | 1st |
| Czech Republic* | 2nd |
| Switzerland* | 3rd |
| Latvia* | 4th |
| Slovakia | 5th |
| Slovenia | 6th |
| Norway | 7th |
| Kazakhstan | 8th |
As in Group A, the top four teams will qualify for the playoffs, while the last team will be relegated to Division I. Canadian bookies are sure their compatriots will stand out in this event and win the tournament outright. The Czech Republic and Switzerland are the best two teams in Group B besides Canada and should qualify.
The fourth qualifying spot is expected to be between Slovakia and Latvia. Both of them are strong, and Latvia will have the home-field advantage, but it could go either way. Slovenia would make a big surprise by qualifying, but they are a good team. Norway and Kazakhstan are the weakest in the group, and one of them is probably getting relegated.
Finland is the defending champion, and they will give it all at home to win back-to-back titles. This Finnish squad contains too much talent not to be favorites. Finland has gone to the finals five times in the last ten years and won two of them. They have a total of four gold medals and will be going for the fifth.
The superstar Mikko Rantanen and many other NHL players like Joel Armia, Kaapo Kakko, and Olli Maatta will all be big threats to the other contenders. Unfortunately for Finland, Patrik Laine will be out of this tournament with an injury, but they have some excellent players to replace him.
The Canadians are arguably the most successful nation in the history of this tournament. Canada has gone to the finals in six of the last ten years and won three of them. They have won 27 titles, which is the most by any country except for Russia, which is tied with them. One of the most important players for Canada, Tyler Toffoli, is in great form this year, scoring a career-high 34 goals for the Calgary Flames. Team Canada has a mix of good offensive and defensive players.
Denmark will start this tournament with a relatively easy task: beating the Hungarian team. The Danish team has outscored Hungry 18-7 in their last five head-to-head games. Denmark has also won four out of those five matches. Hungary has an eight-game losing streak right now, and they are out of form.
The Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen will represent the Finnish team in the IIHF World Championship. Mikko scored a team-record 55 goals for the Avalanche this season, but they lost early in the playoffs to the Kraken, and that’s why he is ready for this tournament. Finland will rely on Rantanen, as their veteran, Valtteri Filppula, didn’t get called for this edition. Choosing players similar to NHL betting picks should be a good strategy for this tournament.
Here are our tips to start your BetZillion’s exclusive betting journey.
This should be a fun and competitive edition in Finland and Latvia. The co-host team, Finland, is the deserved favorite to win back-to-back trophies. Make sure you use our 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship predictions and bet them at the best highest odds betting sites to have more fun watching the game.
