First, let’s take a look at the results in Wisla. We had a winner in Norway at the odds of around 7.12 to win the team event. Poland(1.66 favourite to win) and Austria tied for second, Germany came in fourth. Japan finished fifth, followed by Slovenia, Switzerland and Russia. The following match on Sunday ended with a surprising victory of Japan’s Junshiro Kobayashi.
Ski Jumping Ruka 2017 – Team Event
The men’s team World Cup event will be held in Ruka for the seventh time (all large hill) and for the first time since 2012/13, when Germany emerged victorious ahead of Austria and Slovenia. Austria have won three of the six team events in Ruka (2009, 2010, 2011), finishing in second place in the other three events behind respectively Norway (2007), Finland (2008) and Germany (2012). Austria have only won more World Cup team events in Lahti (7), Willingen (4) and Planica (4) than in Ruka. The 10 victories for Austria in team events in Finland are already most for one team in a single hosting country. Germany and Finland have both reached the podium of a World Cup team event in Ruka on three occasions, joint-second most.
The current favourite at bookmakers is Germany at around 3.30, which is not exactly a compelling bet as they are not in a great form. They have won one of the last 11 World Cup team events, the event in Zakopane last January. They had claimed four victories in a span of seven events prior to this current run.
Norway have won each of the last three World Cup team events, including the season opener in Wisla last weekend. They could now win four consecutive World Cup team events for the first time in their history. The only country to have won at least four consecutive World Cup team events was Austria between November 2010 and November 2011, who won six successive events. The first and last victory of that run came in Ruka. The last time Norway won consecutive World Cup team large hill events was in December 2011 – February 2012, when they won in Harrachov and Willingen. The last country to win both of the opening two team events of a World Cup season was Germany in 2015/16. Norway won the opening two team events in 2007/08 and 2003/04. Only Austria (28) have won more World Cup team events than Norway (19). Norway have won each of the last two team events in Finland, in Lahti in 2014/15 and in Kuopio in 2015/16. Only one of the last 11 World Cup team events have been won by a home nation, as Norway won in Vikersund on 18 March 2017.
Since the start of the 2014/15 World Cup season, Austria have reached the podium in 11 of the 18 team events but they won only once – the large hill event in Oslo on 11 March 2017. Norway (7), Germany (5), Slovenia (3) and Poland (2) have all won more team events since 2014/15 than Austria (1). In total, Austria have won 28 World Cup team events and finished on the podium 69 times, most of all countries.
Poland have reached the podium at each of the last seven World Cup team events, including a joint-second place in the season opener in Wisla last weekend. The last country to reach the podium at eight consecutive World Cup team events was Austria between November 2009 and January 2013 (17 events). Only in Poland (4) have they reached the podium of a World Cup team event more often than in Finland (3) – all three podium finishes in Finland were third places. Poland’s best result in a team event in Ruka was a fifth place in both 2009 and 2010.
As far as predictions go, we recommend two bets. First one is on Norway to beat Austria, second on Japan to beat Slovenia. As mentioned before, Norway are in a great form, they won the last three team events and they should be determined to extend their run. The Japanese team, with veteran Noriaki Kasai, Daiki Ito and the Kobayashi brothers, is looking very strong this season and should beat out of form Slovenians.
Prediction: Norway to beat Austria
Odds: 1.813 Pinnacle
Prediction: Japan to beat Slovenia
Odds: 1.900 Pinnacle
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