France vs Slovakia Prediction: Slovakia is motivated to win

Prediction for the IIHF World Championship France vs Slovakia match which will take place on May 18th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

France's task at the IIHF World Championship 2024 is to avoid relegation from the world's elite. There is a reasonable chance they will do so without too many problems. Philippe Bozon's wards had to beat the Poles 4:2 in their third match of the tournament. France could have clinched a place in the playoffs, but they made life difficult for themselves after their first game when they unexpectedly lost 3:1 to the Kazakhs and then lost 3:2 to the Latvians in OT, having missed out on a penalty shootout with one second to spare. The day before, the French were beaten 5:0 by the Americans, leaving them in sixth place in Group B.

Slovakia may have failed to reach the playoffs for the IIHF World Championship 2023, but they are absolutely determined to put their mistakes right. Faced with a direct rival for a top-four spot from the outset, they were unable to cope. Craig Ramsey's wards lost 6:4 on penalties to the Germans. The Slovaks defeated the Kazakhs 6:2, and the next day, they caused a sensation by beating the Americans 5:4 in extra time. The day before, France beat the Poles 4:0 . So far, they are second in Group B, which is not bad in itself, but the big games are still to come.

The French are enjoying mixed success at the IIHF World Championship 2024 and have almost solved the problem of maintaining their place in the elite division with minimal chances of making the playoffs. Now Philippe Bozon's wards can get back to enjoying hockey, but Slovakia has a lot of tournament motivation. Craig Ramsey's team is still second in Group B, but the standings are so tight that any slip-up could seriously damage Slovakia's prospects. The statistics are in their favor, having beaten the French four times in a row, each time by at least two goals. 

The confrontation between the French and Slovakian national teams at the World Championship in recent years has been a spectacular and productive one. In their seven previous meetings, the rivals have scored a total of 50 goals (an average of 7.14 per game) - a very high result for such a long distance. The Slovaks have been far more productive in attack over that period, scoring 32 goals (4.57 per game on average).