Sweden vs Slovakia: the Failure will not Stop Tre Kronor from Winning Medals

Slovakia has failed to beat Tre Kronor in five head-to-head encounters. Will Craig Ramsey's squad end their losing streak now? Check the teams’ conditions and expert betting tips. Several betting options are available!

Sweden had a good tournament in Beijing, although they were hardly favorites. Johan Garpenlöv did not invite bright and creative players from the KHL to the Olympics, betting on a bigger and stronger lineup depriving the team of helpful offensive options. Yet, the strict defensive playing and high-quality counterattacks were enough for Tre Kronor to reach the quarterfinals and defeat the Canadians 2:0. They came up against a similarly defensive Russian team in the semifinals, and it came down to the shootout, where the Swedes lacked creativity and ingenuity.

Slovakia is the main discovery of Beijing. Their only difference from 2018 Olympic Germany was that they came up against a far too experienced and skilled Finland, who left them 0:2. Making it to the semifinals - a tremendous success for Craig Ramsey's charges. The tournament in the Chinese capital also got off to a poor start, losing two opening games, but then sealed three straight wins, including 4:0 and 3:2 play-off victories over Germany and the United States.

The Swedish team brought to Beijing a hard-working team, which is unlikely to be heartbroken by defeat from Russia. It is a shame, but Tre Kronor did not rely much on courage and good mood in their previous matches. They will continue to fight while their tournament motivation remains the same. The Slovak national team has already jumped over the top. It is too difficult to win awards for the efforts of one 17-year-old player. To bet on the victory of the Swedish team with a handicap (-1.5) is possible.

If the bronze medal match is fun and relaxed at the World Championships, then at the Olympics, any award is a great success. There is no doubt that the Slovak and Swedish teams will battle, as they did in the semifinals. Moreover, the last two head-to-head encounters were tied, so a total under 5.5 seems to be a good option.

At the Beijing Olympics, Slovakia scored 14 goals, five of which were scored by the incredible Juraj Slafkovsky. Surprisingly, in his adult career, he scored only 4 points (1 puck + 3 assists) for Finnish TPS, and in such a high-profile tournament, he surpassed his sniper record five times. The 17-year-old is in fantastic form, which is why he moved from the fourth to the first tier in the competition. A bet on Juraj Slafkovsky's total over 0.5 points is worth considering in such a situation.