2020-21 Czech Extraliga betting tips
It’s been a delayed start to proceedings, although it finally appears as though the 2020-21 Czech Extraliga season is going to get under way soon, with the first match scheduled to be played on 8 November when Sparta Prague clash with Vitkovice.
There was no 2019-20 Czech ice hockey season due to the COVID-19 pandemic although the teams have been preparing for the new campaign and the latest antepost ice hockey betting odds suggests that it could be a close-run thing between many sides.
Who are the Favourites to Win 2020-21 Czech Extraliga?
The bookies think that the 2020-21 Czech Extraliga season is going to be a wide open affair, although they have Kometa Brno as the slight favourites, with betfair making them a 7/2 shot and they made the semi-final stage of the most recent tournament.
The team had previously won the Czech Extraliga ice hockey title in 2016-17 and 2017-18, with Libor Zábranský the head coach and owner of the club and he will be ambitiously targeting a third crown after missing out last time.
Ocelari Trinec were triumphant at the end of the 2018-19 renewal, with this being their second time being crowned champions after previously winning the 2010-11 heat and they could once again be a force to be reckoned with.
Václav Varaďa’s side were also runners-up in 2017-18 and will surely be very competitive based on recent seasons, although there are plenty more teams who could have a major say.
Bílí Tygři Liberec have a proud history when it comes to Czech ice hockey and they won a first title in 2015-16 as well as finishing as losing finalists in 2019 and 2017, with this expected to be an exciting season.
How to Bet on the Czech Extraliga Ice Hockey
There are fourteen teams who compete in the Czech Extraliga and there’s a regular season scheduled where each side will play a sum total of 52 games although that format is open to being shortened due to particular seasons starting later than planned.
Naturally, each side playing 52 matches means there are an enormous amount of pre-match and In-Play betting opportunities throughout the season, while the action really hots up when the leading teams go through to the play-off stage at the end of the competition.
The History of the Czech Extraliga
The Czech Extraliga ice hockey league has been in operation since 1999 when the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League was brought to an end. HC Olomouc were the first winners in 1994 and there has since been a spate of winners, with VHK Vsetín being the most successful side to date considering they have won on six occasions.
Kometa Brno have won two of the past three renewals and are potentially the team to beat, although the competition tends to be wide open and we’re always excited to see who will come out on top next.