Finland U20 vs Latvia U20: prediction & betting odds December 31, 2024

The Matchday 6 encounter of the 2025 World Junior Championship between Finland and Latvia will be held on December 31 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa. Finland vs. Latvia: prediction and betting odds, statistics.

Finland

Finland secured their second victory of the tournament, defeating the USA 4-3 in overtime in their last match. Notably, the team has not scored more than three goals in regulation time in all three of their games, marking the lowest scoring rate in their group. Finland is currently third in the standings with five points.

• Finland has not won by more than two goals in regulation time in their last six World Junior Championship matches.
• No more than six goals have been scored in total over three periods in 6 of Finland's last 8 matches in this tournament.
• Finland has conceded at least three goals in regulation time in 6 of their last 7 World Junior Championship games.

Latvia

Latvia defeated Germany 4-3 in overtime in their last tournament match, marking their second win in the World Junior Championship. Once again, Latvia was significantly outshot by their opponent, but goaltender Linards Feldbergs made 36 saves out of 39 shots. Latvia is fourth in the standings with four points.

• Latvia has scored no more than one goal in regulation time in their last seven head-to-head meetings in the World Junior Championship.
• The team has not lost by more than four goals over three periods in 6 of their last 7 head-to-head encounters in this tournament.
• At least six goals have been scored in regulation time in 8 of Latvia's last 10 World Junior Championship matches.

Finland vs. Latvia: Match Prediction

Latvia is not aiming to secure a quarter-final spot, so they do not have significant objectives. For Finland, nothing changes drastically either. In the current World Junior Championship, Finland has only lost to Canada, and in all games, they have not been able to score more than three goals in regulation time. I do not expect Finland to have high scoring in the upcoming match, especially considering how reliably Latvia's goaltender Linards Feldbergs plays.

Latvia has only conceded more than three goals in this tournament against the USA, and even then, only five. Given the Americans' attacking potential, they could have scored much more. However, Latvia's shot activity was significantly lower in all their games in this World Junior Championship, with the goaltender playing a crucial role in their success.

In my opinion, Latvia should not concede a lot, especially when neither team faces a decisive tournament question. In 6 of their last 7 head-to-head World Junior Championship meetings, Finland has not scored more than five goals in regulation time, and I do not expect more in the upcoming match.

My prediction: Finland Individual Total Under 5.5