Czech Republic - Belarus
Belarus AH+2 @ 1,952 pinnacle
1/10

The line has moved a bit as pinnacle opened with +2,5 hcp on Belarus. But the odds were not very good, so it might be even better to take this bet.

Belarus arrived to the Czech republic on Sunday morning in almost full strength. They had three trainings in havlickuv Brod, where the first friendly game is played today at 18:00 cet. The Belarussian team is getting ready for the WC in Canada. They are trained by a Canadian and an American trainer. Therefore I expect them to play a physical type of hockey, attacking their opponents roughly. This is not a game preferred by the Czech team. Czechs often have problems facing Germany trying to push them in a way similar to Northern Americans. Both first offensive lines of Belarus are formed by players from one club each. This should give them a good advantage. As one of the Czech players, visiting their training, said, they are pretty fast too.

The Czech team is rather unexperienced as many players are tired after the demanding play-off series and other apologized the trainer for not joining the team for the games with Belarus. In fact there are only 3 players with experience from bigger international games. On the other hadn there are 6 newbies in the team. All in all, there is only a few players having a chance to play in Canada.

I expect a tough and demanding match. The team of Belarus should be more compact as they are more used to play together than the combined team of Czechs. In February Belarus won Polesie Cup, defeating Slovenia, Denmark and Team Polesie. In November they won LG Hockey Games, where they beat Norway, Poland and Lithuania. This is surely not a team one should underestimate and I think the match is quite open.

OMG 7:2

The Belarussians were too shaky and nervous in the first period, which in fact was decisive for the whole match.

Today the teams will meet again, with the same squads. I suppose Belarussians taught a lesson, but I stay away this time - one snap is just enough for me.

Slavia - Karlsbad, 17:25

1.PO-Spiel der beiden gegeneinander. H2h diese Saison:
2:4 und 6:2 in dieser Konstellation.

Slavia setzte sich zuletzt, vor allem wegen der knappen Heimsiege, gegen Liberec durch:
2:2, 2:2 (jeweils 3:2 in OT), 5:1 und 2:1.
Liberecs Bilanz (8-10-8, 62:65) weicht nur marginal von der Karlsbader ab (6-10-10, 74:79).
Vor Liberec musste Trinec dranglauben, und abermals sah man daheim alles andere als souverän aus
4:1, 1:1 (1:2 in OT), 2:2 (3:2 in OT).
Trinec (7-6-13, 56:80) ist noch ein ganzes Stück schlechter auswaerts als Karlsbad und Liberec.

Karlsbad gewann (mit kleineren Verletzungssorgen!) gegen Budweis, die mit ihrer 17-6-3 (zum Vergleich: Slavia 17-4-5, 108:56), 86:51 in den POs daheim alles andere als glänzten:
3:2, 2:1, 2:2 (3:2 OT).
Vor Budweis kam ebenfalls ein Slavia fast ebenbürtiges Litvinov (15-8-3, 87:55), aber auch hier gute Auswaertsergebnisse: 2:2 (2:3 OT), 2:3.

Fazit:
Slavia mit 7 Heimspielen, 4mal X, 1mal hc 1 und 2x hoeher. Karlsbad mit 5 Spielen auswaerts: 1 Sieg, 2mal X und 2x hc 1...
Dazu kommt dass die Partie sehr stark nach einem allgemeinen Unter aussieht, der Schnitt dürfte so im Dreh bei 4 Toren liegen. Die Quote dafuer erscheint mir aber nicht wirklich Value genug... Umso mehr das Karlsbad +1 zu ~2,x (Einsatz niedrig/mittel - ich schätze die Trefferwahrscheinlichkeit auf ca 65%)... bzw ganz verwegene koennen sich an der ~5 für den Auswaertssieg wagen. Ist mir aber zu heiß,,,

4:5 (1:1, 0:1, 3:3) ....