Floorball: How do you play it and how do you bet on it
Floorball is one of the variations of hockey, and most often floorball is thought of as with hockey with the ball. In this article, let's consider the main features of betting on this sport, as well as to talk about which UK bookmakers, despite its unpopularity, are ready to take bets on floorball.
Game description: the love and hegemony of the Scandinavians
This dynamic sport was mostly developed in the Scandinavian countries, although the first information about floorball came from here in the United States in 1958. Cosom released clubs similar to modern floorball, and among children and teenagers, it becomes popular fun, called Cosom-hockey.
The new kind of hockey did not require ice, and the equipment was greatly simplified, so the discipline attracted attention at the amateur level. And when in the 70s Cosom clubs were brought to Sweden, the inhabitants of this country, passionately fond of both ice hockey and active rest, launched the development of floorball on all fronts.
From children's exercise floorball gradually grew into a real sport and in 1986 Finland, Switzerland and Sweden organized the International Floorball Federation. It now has 55 members, and more than 4,000 clubs and 280,000 registered floorball players play around the world.
Floorball in the format of matches is similar to hockey with the puck: games consist of three periods of 20 minutes each, the field has a similar size, and on the field, each team consists of five players and one goalie. Clubs in floorball, as in hockey with a puck, have a rounded hook. The ball in the floorball is round and holey, with 26 holes, it is very light, and sometimes its speed in the game exceeds 124 miles per hour.
The strongest floorball tournaments are the Swedish and Finnish championships, as well as the European Cup and the World Cup. Despite the qualitative development of ice hockey in recent years, Scandinavians still have an overwhelming advantage in floorball. At the World Championships, held every two years, Swedes and Finns often compete with semi-amateur teams, and the probability of a final between the northerners each time is extremely high.
Types of floorball bets
To the end. A line found in all game types. As in ice hockey, in Floorball bookmakers usually take bets on the outcome from the main time, with three options: one of the teams either winning or losing or a draw. In national championships, a draw is more common than in world competitions.
Double chance. Here you can give yourself a little insurance by making a prediction that one of the teams at least will not lose.
For a head start. Sometimes the team approaches a certain match in good shape, but their level is still not enough to secure the victory. Thus, with the help of a handicap of 1.5 or 2.5, there is an opportunity of a margin to predict that the lesser team is worthy of betting on - underdogs in floorball often press the favourites.
Total. The bet on the number of goals in the main time is above/below a certain bar. For example, in the Swedish men's championship, they score an average of 11 goals per game, and the most common totals among bookmakers are 10.5 and 11.5.
For separate periods. All of the above bets can usually be made not only for the match but also for the results of individual periods. Some teams roll into the game quickly finding good results, while others play more cautiously, so the line for periods may be of interest.
Long-term bets on the tournament. It is not so easy to determine the winner of the tournament is more popular sports in advance, but in Floorball, if we are talking about the world championship, the situation is different. The whole analysis here is mainly reduced to comparing the line-ups, preparation and current form of the two teams (Finland and Sweden), and for the final championship of the Swedes, the ratio is usually much lower than one and a half.
How to bet on floorball: attention to detail
Changes in the line-up. In floorball, as in other game types, there are star players. Therefore, in the case of an injury or illness of a strong floorball player, you should be the first to know about it in order to properly assess the line for the match.
In the off-season of the Swedish and Finnish championships, there are transfers, which also need to be watched: an underdog strengthened with good signings can suddenly turn into a contender for the championship. Particular attention should be paid to the readiness of the goalkeeper. In floorball, the goalkeeper experiences a triple load and is an important part of the team. The best goalkeepers of clubs do not often have a comparable replacement, so an unexpected injury of the goalkeeper can seriously affect the chances of one of the sides.
The current form. The fatigue factor is not so important in floorball, as the break between matches, as a rule, is a whole week. But some teams may be in a black psychological hole and consecutively perform below their level, which can be caused by problems with the coach, management and other unknown factors. It is worth noting that women's floorball is more prone to such positive and negative series, while in the men's championships the teams perform more evenly.
Effectiveness. This is a statistic that is easiest to find on the Internet, and it will help you in betting on the total. Some teams try to create more and stun opponents with fast combinations, while others rely more on goalkeeper swagger and massive defence. Most teams play better in the third period, but there are rare exceptions.
Removal statistics. In floorball, too, there are removals, some teams and players tend to play rougher and regularly earn fines. Often it is a strategic choice, as numerical superiority in floorball does not give such a huge game advantage, as in hockey with the puck. But this factor still has a price when assessing odds and totals.
The stage and format of the tournament. First of all, you need to understand the difference between male and female floorball. Women break the rules much less often, and in their matches, the performance is not as high as that of men.
Also important is the stage of the tournament - group stage, regular championship or playoffs. Teams have different motivations at different stages of the season and tournaments. For example, in the group stages of tournaments of national teams, the totals are much higher due to the relaxed and open game of favourites against deep underdogs.
In the national championships at the end of the "regular season", a struggling team is likely to have won for a long stretch of games to make it to the final. In the playoffs, the matches are mostly more tactical, and the likelihood of a loud sensation is noticeably reduced.
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