Hungary vs Finland Prediction & Picks - IIHF World Championship
International - IIHF World Championship
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by Edgar Jibran | in IIHF World Championship Picks
The 2026 IIHF World Championship is expected to be a very concerning tournament for Hungary, as they appear to be the weakest team in Group A. Taking these factors into account, they should increase their defensive performance against very competitive teams like Finland; otherwise, they will most likely get relegated to Division I in 2027.
With that scenario in mind, Hungary should try to keep a strong defense just like the one they had during their last two friendly matches against Slovenia and Canada. However, it’s worth noting that most of their players are currently playing in their local league, which isn’t known for being one of the strongest in Europe. Considering this, Bence Bálizs is expected to be one of the most relevant Hungarian players, as he has plenty of goaltending experience.
Meanwhile, Finland met the expectations with a 3-1 victory against Germany in their opening game, so it makes sense for them to compete for leading Group A with Switzerland. With that objective in mind, the Finnish team should score as many goals as possible in this game against Hungary, as goals could become the tiebreaker by the end of the group stage.
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Hungary vs Finland Form
Table
| Teams | Pts | P | W | L | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2
|
18 | 7 | 6 | 1 | +20 |
|
7
|
3 | 7 | 1 | 6 | -24 |
Hungary and Finland Latest Matches
0/6 (0%)
6/6 (100%)
May 13, 2026 - International Friendly Games
May 7, 2026 - International Friendly Games
May 2, 2026 - International Friendly Games
May 1, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 25, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 24, 2026 - International Friendly Games
1/6 (17%)
5/6 (83%)
May 13, 2026 - International Friendly Games
May 1, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 25, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 24, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 17, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 16, 2026 - International Friendly Games
0/6 (0%)
6/6 (100%)
May 7, 2026 - International Friendly Games
May 2, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 24, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 23, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Sep 1, 2024 - Olympic Qualification, Group D
Aug 29, 2024 - Olympic Qualification, Group D
4/6 (67%)
2/6 (33%)
May 15, 2026 - IIHF World Championship
May 10, 2026 - Rosno Cup
May 9, 2026 - Rosno Cup
May 7, 2026 - Rosno Cup
May 3, 2026 - Rosno Cup
May 2, 2026 - Rosno Cup
3/6 (50%)
3/6 (50%)
May 15, 2026 - IIHF World Championship
May 9, 2026 - Rosno Cup
May 7, 2026 - Rosno Cup
Apr 30, 2026 - Rosno Cup
Apr 24, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 22, 2026 - International Friendly Games
3/6 (50%)
3/6 (50%)
May 10, 2026 - Rosno Cup
May 3, 2026 - Rosno Cup
May 2, 2026 - Rosno Cup
Feb 21, 2026 - Ice hockey - Men's Olympic Tournament
Feb 20, 2026 - Ice hockey - Men's Olympic Tournament
Feb 11, 2026 - Ice hockey - Men's Olympic Tournament
Players list
A. Vay
B. Balizs
M. Csollak
R. Kiss
G. Tornyai
T. Ortenszky
Z. Hadobas
M. Horvath
B. Stipsicz
Z. Garat
D. Szongoth
K. Papp
T. Sarpatki
B. Horvath
C. Ravasz
R. Nemes
I. Terbocs
B. Sebok
J. Hari
I. Sofron
C. Erdely
P. Vincze
J. Korpisalo
H. Sateri
V. Heinola
N. Matinpalo
H. Jokiharju
M. Lehtonen
O. Maatta
U. Vaakanainen
V. Saarijarvi
W. Merela
P. Puistola
A. Lundell
E. Erholtz
A. Raty
L. Hameenaho
S. Maenalanen
S. Manninen
A. Barkov
J. Puljujarvi
H. Bjorninen
J. Kuokkanen
Most goals and assists
Hungary
Finland
J. Puljujarvi
(4 Goals)
,
A. Lundell
(4 Goals)
,
A. Raty
(4 Goals)
,
P. Puistola
(4 Goals)
B. Horvath
(4 Assists)
A. Barkov
(8 Assists)
Hungary - Finland Key Points
- Hungary had Peter Vincze and Andras Mihalik, the top goal scorers in the 2025 IIHF Championship, but none of them were included in the 2026 roster.
- Finland scored two power play goals in their opening game against Germany, so they are expected to increase their offensive effectiveness for this game.
- Hungary were able to score only 1 goal in the two games they had against Finland in the World Championship.
- Finland scored more than 5 goals in their last two meetings against Hungary.
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Our Hungary vs Finland Prediction
Taking all these factors into account, Finland is expected to dominate this game from the first period on; however, scoring more than 5 goals isn’t expected to be as easy as it was during the 2023 World Championship.
To conclude, this game will be a fantastic opportunity for Aleksander Barkov to score his first goal in this edition of the World Championship, a scenario that would increase his self-confidence for the rest of the tournament. Therefore, the pick for Finland – Hungary is: Finland to Cover -5.5 Puck Line!
All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
