Hungary vs Norway Prediction 19 May 2025
📣 Who will emerge victorious in the underdog clash of Group B? The well-rested "White Bears" seem to have an edge over the "Magyars," who suffered their third consecutive defeat on Sunday. But is the upcoming match as straightforward as it seems? Let's delve into it in our preview.
Head-to-Head
The teams have not crossed paths in World Championships, but they have faced off five times in the Euro Hockey Challenge. The Northern European squad claimed three victories in this competition (5-2, 4-0, 3-2), while the team in white and green secured one win (2-1), and one match ended in a 2-2 draw back in 2004. A noteworthy encounter from seven years ago saw Patrick Thoresen, known for his KHL performances, scoring for the Norwegian team, while Vilmos Gallo, who continues to play in the current tournament, found the net for Hungary. Additionally, it's worth mentioning that over the past two years, Hungary and Norway have played four friendly matches, all of which ended with victories for the Magyars.
Head-to-head statistics Hungary - Norway
Hungary Team Overview
Gergely Majoross's squad currently sits at the lower end of Group B, having secured 3 points from a victory against Kazakhstan (4-2). They have suffered defeats to Germany, the USA, Czech Republic, Denmark, and Switzerland with a combined score of 4-36. On May 18, the Hungarians managed only 6 shots on the Swiss goal, won just 14 face-offs, and took 3 penalties but successfully killed off all of Switzerland's power plays. The top scorers for the "Green and Whites" in this tournament are János Hári (1 goal, 4 assists) and Péter Vincze (2 goals, 1 assist). The Hungarians are striving to maintain their spot in the elite division, but they are struggling to score more than two goals against stronger opponents.
Match Results: Hungary
Norway Team Overview
The "Polar Bears" currently sit at the bottom of their group with just one point. Among the last four encounters involving the "Red and Blues," only the decent match against Team USA (5-6 OT) stands out, where the Norwegians managed to snatch a point. The hero of that game was Anaheim prospect Stian Solberg, who made five shots and notched a hat-trick. On Saturday, the "Polar Bears" faced off against Team Denmark, where they managed 27 shots on goal-almost half of what the Danes achieved. They won 28 faceoffs but were heavily penalized, conceding four power-play goals. The main offender was young forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, who racked up a staggering 27 penalty minutes.
Match Results: Norway
🏒 Projected Lineups
Hungary: Balizs - Nilsson, Horvat - Gallo, Hari, Erdei
Norway: Normann - Lilleberg, Engebretsen - Berglund, Salsten, Martinsen
🥅 Goalkeepers
The experienced Bence Balizs played 37 games for Norway's Sparta in the regular season, recording a goals-against average of 2.34. In the ongoing championship, he conceded 6 goals against Germany, 2 against Kazakhstan, and had a rough outing against Denmark on Friday, letting in 4 goals. His counterpart, 31-year-old Adam Vay, allowed a staggering 10 goals against Switzerland and will be replaced on Monday.
Norway's goaltending squad features Jonas Arntzen and Tobias Normann. We anticipate that the 23-year-old Normann will start as the last line of defense for the "Polar Bears." During his 26 matches for Sweden's Frolunda, he maintained a respectable goals-against average of 2.21. On Saturday, Normann stepped in for Arntzen and made 19 saves out of 20 shots from the Danes.
Editorial Prediction
The upcoming clash holds significant importance for both the "Magyars" and the "Polar Bears," as their place in the elite hockey division is at stake. Given Hungary's low scoring rate and Norway's inconsistent offensive play, we consider betting on a total under 4.5 goals. Such a low-scoring total has been common in most of their head-to-head encounters. Additionally, it's worth noting that both teams tend to take fewer shots on goal, which could positively impact our bet.No comments
Betting Tips: Hungary - Norway
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