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Quarterfinals

Sweden (1F) - Denmark (4E)

Sweden start the play-offs from first place after they finished the group stage with four wins and one defeat. Their confidence is high too after easily beating Switzerland 5-0 in the match for the top spot. Sweden were the better team on that occasion and showed a great advantage in shots on goal. Young talent such as Svenson, Hednam and Harju are all playing excellently this year and have made up for the famous NHL stars who are missing from this championship. Three Crowns will take nothing but a win here but they cannot afford to underestimate the unpredictable Danish side.

Denmark have reached their first championship`s play-off ever and thus are rated as a pleasant surprise here in Germany. Their organized and disciplined play was enough to overcome big teams like USA, Slovakia and even Finland. But on the other hand they need to keep their consistency as the defeat to Belarus sent them to the 4th spot which means they face the best team of Group F. They are under no pressure here but we still do not expect any more surprises by coach Per Backman’s side.

Betting Suggestion:

• Sweden to with with -1 hcp @ 1.35 at Betsson
  
• Sweden to score over 3.5 goals @ 1.40 at Bwin

Switzerland (2F) - Germany (3E)

This might not be the best match to watch as two out-of-top-seven sides meet here. Though Germany are the home team and their fans are excited, Switzerland are getting better and better every year and have proved it by their recent results to the favourites. So nobody dares to underrate them anymore. They beat Canada(4-1) and Czech Republic(3-2) on their way to the play-offs and these results speak for themselves. Their reputation however was flawed after they were crushed by Sweden(5-0) in their last group match. Today, Switzerland come as favourites to this match which might not be the position they want. The pressure is on their shoulders but we think they will get past Germany in the end and continue on the quest for the medals.

Germany have already gone further than expected after reaching the top eight. And they will show no less will in this match as an appetite comes with eating. What is more, there confidence is already high after sending the Slovaks home as well as the USA to relegation battles. The games to Switzerland are always very balanced with only a few goals and so we should not be surprised if this match was decided by a single one. The home side counts on their great disciplined defence and all they need do here is not to be too open.

Betting Suggestion:

• Switzerland to win @ 2.05 at Bwin
• Under 4.5 goals @ 1.85 at Expekt

Finland (2E) - Czech Republic (3F)

Finland earned its spot in the quater-finals with a 5-2 win over Slovakia. It was another must-win game for them of which they have had four now, this was good for their self-confidence. But then they were defeated 5-0 by Russia in their last group game when they were outplayed for two periods. The Russians were better with their systems and they were better on the puck. Jukka Jalonen is going to demand a better effort against the Czechs. They have to put a lot of accountability on themselves to be prepared.

The Czechs needed at least a point against Canada to secure a play-off berth at the expense of Norway, and they beat the Canadians 3-2 in this very important game on Tuesday. But the Czech Republic have to play much better at the start of games. Almost at every single game they have definitely started poorly which is a little bit concerning. On the other hand, I think they will be a different team in the play-offs. They should play more aggressively. I think it’s going to be a different task to beat them in the play-offs. Their biggest star, Jaromir Jagr, still plays at a high level and has a great deal of experience from these games.

Betting Suggestion:

• Czech Republic to win @ 2.50 at Betsson

Russia (1E) - Canada (4F)

The Russians are going to win a third straight world championship and they are not going to stop. Pavel Datsyuk scored a hattrick and Alex Ovechkin added his fifth goal in five games as Russia eased past Denmark 6-1 on Sunday. They then went on to trash Finland 5-0 and earn their sixth straight victory at the event. Russia, a record 25-time champion, also extended its unbeaten streak at the Worlds to 23 games, dating back to a 2-1 overtime loss against Finland in 2007. Today, they have to come out and play the way they want to play at the start of the game.

Canada needs to find some urgency at the IIHF World Hockey Championship. The team saw another tepid start turn into a 3-2 loss to the Czech Republic on Tuesday, which means they will be playing against the biggest favourites in the tournament – team Russia. Canada seemed unable to muster much of a response - no big bodychecks or signs of life to swing the momentum in their favour. But coach MacTavish expects the 24 players in the dressing room to make sure they’re ready for the play-offs on Thursday. Despite that Russia should win.

Betting Suggestion:

• Russia to win @ 1.55 at Betsson
• Over 5,5 goals @ 2.00 at Bwin