Finland vs France: prediction & betting odds May 11, 2025

The Matchday 3 clash in Group A of the 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship between Austria and Finland will take place on May 11 at Avicii Arena in Stockholm. Finland vs. France: prediction and betting odds, statistics.

Finland National Team

In their opening match of the World Championship on May 9, Finland defeated Austria 2-1. The teams started the game actively, essentially deciding the outcome in the first period: Finnish player Patrik Puistola opened the scoring in the fifth minute, followed by teammate Juuso Pärssinen doubling the lead in the eighth minute. Austria's Bernd Wolf managed to reduce the deficit in the fourteenth minute. The second and third periods were less eventful.

• Finland has won 10 of their last 11 head-to-head matches in the World Championship.

• No more than five goals have been scored in regulation time in 5 of Finland's last 6 World Championship games.

• Finland has scored at least three goals in regulation time in 11 of their last 12 head-to-head matches in the World Championship.

France National Team

France suffered a defeat in their first World Championship match, losing 1-4 to Latvia. In the first period, France scored their first goal in the 16th minute, with forward Dylan Fabre as the scorer, but they failed to build on that success. In the second period, Latvia equalized, and in the third, they extended their lead with three more goals.

• France has lost 14 of their last 13 World Championship matches (3 in OT).

• No more than six goals have been scored in regulation time in 8 of France's last 9 World Championship matches.

• France has scored no more than one goal in regulation time in 5 of their last 7 head-to-head games in this tournament.

Finland vs. France: Match Prediction

Finland didn't perform at their best in the previous match, despite winning, but it's likely the team didn't give their all in the tournament's opening game. In the upcoming encounter, the difference in class is evident, but the question is whether the team is ready to demonstrate it from the start. It's quite possible that Finland will start cautiously, as they have done before: in their last six head-to-head matches in the World Championship, they haven't scored more than one goal in the first period.

France didn't have the best performance in their last game, and their prospects for advancing in the standings are quite uncertain. However, it's worth noting that the team looks quite solid at the start of games, especially in defense: in 6 of their last 7 World Championship matches, France hasn't conceded a goal in the first period.

The outcome of the match is quite predictable: Finland should win. However, I think the team will find their rhythm closer to the middle of the game, and France will initially try not to cede the initiative to their opponent. My prediction: Finland Individual Total Under 1.5 in the first period