France vs Kazakhstan Prediction: the Frenchmen Will Start Briskly

Prediction for the Hockey World Championship 2024 match between France vs Kazakhstan, which will take place on May 11th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

The French team is gearing up for their 15th consecutive World Cup. Last year's championship was a real challenge. In their first three games, they beat the Austrians in overtime 2-1, then lost to the Danes and Hungarians in overtime 3-4 and 2-3. This breakthrough helped them stay in the strongest division, even though they failed the next four matches (3:23). This time, the French are sending an experienced squad with some veterans, including Stephane Da Costa and Pierre Bellemare. They played their last two games before the tournament against the Germans, winning 5-3 and losing 3-4.

Kazakhstan made a comeback in 2021; after that, three championships went approximately according to a similar scenario. They managed to float somewhere in the middle, seriously fighting for the playoffs only in 2021. After that, the results went down. This year, it'll be tough for them as their group is too complicated. The Czech Republic tournament will see an experienced squad, including Valeri Orekhov, Maxim Mukhametov, and Nikita Mikhailis, who recently won the Gagarin Cup. Before the World Cup, the Kazakhs lost to Russia and Belarus, 0-1 and 4-5, while beating Great Britain, 5-2.

In 2023, the Frenchmen put all their chips on the table in their first game when the level of competition wasn't the highest. In the first three games, the team earned four points. They then lost four games but did keep their place in the top division. Now, the schedule has them facing off against the Kazakhs, Latvians, and Poles in the group stage, so they'll do their best to gain points immediately. Also, the French have beaten the Kazakhs in the last three H2H matches at the World Cups, so they're the favorites now. 

France and Kazakhstan will have the hardest time making the playoffs, but they won't be fighting for survival either. The Poles are the clear outsiders. So, the opponents have every reason to have fun, enjoying the tournament opener. At the last World Championship, both teams played boldly. That's why in seven games, the Frenchmen scored and conceded 41 pucks (5.88 average), while Kazakhstan had 45 (6.43 average).