Switzerland vs Slovakia Prediction: Expect a Total Over

Prediction for the Hockey World Cup Switzerland vs Slovakia match, which will take place on May 18. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

For the second year in a row, Switzerland is unstoppable in the group stage of the world championships. At the World Cup 2022, they won all seven games with a combined score of 34:15, only to lose to the Americans 0:3 in the first round of the playoffs and remain without a tournament medal. At World Cup 2023, the Red and Whites started as energetic as they did the year before. In the opening game, they smashed the Slovenians 7:0, then left no chance for the Norwegians - 3:0, and the day before, they beat the Kazakhs - 5:0. We knew before that the Swiss were great offensively, but now they managed to surprise us by scoring three times in a row in defense.

Slovakia has another decent run at a major tournament. They managed to cause a sensation at the 2022 Olympics, taking the bronze medals and qualifying for the World Cup in 2022, although they lost 2:4 to the Finns in the quarter-finals. At the 2023 World Cup, they have also been pretty good so far. In the opening game, they lost to the stronger Czechs 2:3. Then they beat the hosts of the world championship, the Latvians, 2:1. In their last meeting, they snatched a vital point from the Canadians, losing to the Maple Leafs only in a shootout game 1:2.

Switzerland and Slovakia have always been matched against each other, and both teams have improved immensely in recent years. Still, Switzerland has a much more skilled and experienced squad for the 2023 World Cup, making them the favorites for the upcoming contest. The Red and Whites won their opening three games at the World Cup by a combined score of 15:0, which shows they are in fine form, with Nico Hyshire yet to debut for Patrick Fischer's side. As a result, we suggest betting on the Swiss team's victory with a handicap (-1.5).

In its World Cup 2023 debut, the Swiss team has played phenomenally well defensively without conceding a goal in three games, but their winning streak must end at some point. The Slovakian national team has a young offensive group that will give the first team plenty of problems, while the Red and Whites themselves will certainly have their chances on offense - they've got too strong a squad for the standards of the current World Cup. With this in mind, we would consider a total over 5.5 as a good prognosis and, separately, consider the odds of Each team to score over 1.5.