The first game of the group B of the Champions League (08.10.08 at 7pm) will oppose the champion of Sweden, HV71, to the Swiss champion coming from the qualifications, SC Bern. The Swedish team from Jönköping are the big favorites.
The
HV71 will rely as usual on their solid goalie Stefan Liv, and a good defensive group. The attack is solid too, and has even been reinforced with the arrivals of Teemu Laine (from TPS Turku), Yared Hagos (Mora IK) and Danish international Kim Staal (Linköping HC), who are added to a core including Andreas Falk, Jan Hrdina, Björn Melin, or Johan Davidsson. That's a lot of great guys, and there are some beautiful plays to be expected here.
The team of
Bern, even if they have some very good players, doesn't look loaded enough to battle. Sure, there's veteran Travis Roche in defense, or some very good forwards like Sébastien Bordeleau, Christian Dubé or Martin Plüss, but that's barely it. The team will battle hard on the Swedish ice of Jönköping, but it shouldn't be enough.
The odds for this game:
HV71: 1.85 (bwin and sportingbet)
Tie: 4.60 (sportingbet)
Bern: 3.35 (expekt)
Advice: bet on HV71.
