The 2024/25 Biathlon World Cup is back upon us, and we had an interesting event last year with Johannes Thingnes defending his title to pick up a fifth World Cup win, while Lisa Vittozzi won the women’s category. Our focus will be on the 2024/25 Men’s Biathlon WC, highlighting key events like the Relay race. Join us as we give an insight into what to expect this week in Kontiolahti, Finland.
The 48th edition of the Biathlon kicks off at Kontiolahti in Finland, beginning with the relay on 30th November and comes to an end on the 8th of December. As the Biathlon World Cup gains popularity, the total prize money has increased to €9.3 million.
| ℹ️ Tournament: | Men’s BMW IBU 2024/25 World Cup Biathlon, 2024 Kontiolahti Stage |
| ❄️ Venue: | Kontiolahti Biathlon Stadium, Kontiolahti, Finland |
| 🗓️ Dates: | Saturday, 30 November to Sunday, 8 December, 2024 |
This year’s schedule at the Men’s Biathlon World Cup begins with the 4×7.5 km Relay race and then the 15 km and 10km individual sprint races. There will also be a 15km mass start race for the men, and each sprint has its unique Kontiolahti 2024 Biathlon World Cup Odds.
Located in the Kontiolahti stadium in eastern Finland, the Kontiolahti race track will host the opening phase of the Biathlon 2024/25 World Cup. Norway made a clean sweep last year with the Boe Brothers excelling throughout the tournament. Thingnes Boe ended as overall winner but Tarjei Boe earned his place as the best sprint racer.
This will be the first time in two years to see IBU World Cup races at this track, and a lot of snow is expected throughout the event. There will be a warm area for competitors, and some players may experience some difficulties on this unique track. Up next, we shall take a look at the odds to win Biathlon World Cup 2024-25.
The Biathlon World Cup will feature on the betting odds for winter sports, and we have some interesting names among the top picks. Let’s take a look at the favorites to win the big prize this time:
Simply put, it’s Thingnes Bo’s tournament to win unless a big upset happens in Kontiolahti this year. The Norwegian biathlete has won the World Cup on five different occasions, and he brings a heavy favorite position for Norway to win the Men’s relay at the 2024/25 Biathlon WC.
Lagreid Holm is making a name as one of the big biathletes from Norway, and his progress in the last few years has been nothing short of impressive. The 27-year-old has participated in three World Cups, finishing 43rd on his debut and 2nd in his last two appearances.
Tarej Boe came close to winning the World Cup last year but ranked behind his brother by less than 200 points in the final standings. He is back as a favorite this year; although he isn’t at a great level compared to last year, he is a very experienced biathlete.
Johannes Dale-Skjevdal was on the podium last year, just a few points short of the 1000 mark, and he makes the top five contenders in Finland. His best performance came at the IBU World Championships in Pokljuka, and he will be looking to emulate that run.
Sebastian Samuelsson will be a ray of hope for Sweden, and he makes the top contenders, although it is unlikely he will emerge victorious in a track with so many better biathletes. The 27-year-old had his best outing at the World Cup in 2021 where he earned a sixth place rank on the final standings.
Who will take the Biathlon crown this year? Find out more on our Men’s Biathlon World Cup 24-25 predictions:
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Thingnes Boe is a popular name in the European Biathlon bookies, and barring any surprises, he should clinch his sixth title in the World Cup. Since his debut win in the 2018/19 World season, Thingnes Boe has won the title on five consecutive occasions, and he looks sharper than ever heading to Kontiolahti 2024. He shone at the World Championship, picking up gold medals in the individual, pursuit, and mass races. Thingnes Boe is the best bet to win the 2024-25 Biathlon World Cup.
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Tarjei Boe is in the later stages of his career and he has 68 individual appearances on the podium at the World Cup. He also shone at the 2024 World Championship, bagging silver behind his brother, and he can definitely make another top-three finish here. Tarjei Boe may go on to cause an upset, but a top-three bet has good value on Men’s Biathlon WC 2024/25 betting tips.
Moving away from the individual odds, we shall take a look at the chances of each team winning the relay races in Kontiolahti:
Norway has the most stacked team in this competition, and they have the most favorites in the top five. The only race Norway failed to win last year was the U25, and they are favorites to win this season as well.
The Germany team will feature the likes of Philipp Horn and Simon Kaiser, making them one of the best teams behind Norway. Roman Rees and David Zobel are another duo that boosts Germany’s chances.
France is level on odds with Germany behind Norway on the bookies, and they will be one of the teams that can compete for the title. Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, and Quentin Fillon are the experienced part of the team to compete in Kontiolahti.
Sebastian Samuelsson is Sweden’s star for the IBU WC but they have other good players like Jesper Neslin and Martin Ponsiluoma. They are a top-five favorite but with huge odds to win at 30.00 (29/1).
Italy will try to win the World Cup with the likes of Tommaso Giacomel, Lukas Hofer, and Didier Bionaz. Only Lukas Hofer is the experienced biathlete here, and they are heavy underdogs at 50.00 (49/1).
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Four out of the top five biathletes are all from Norway, and their chances of winning rge relay race in Kontiolahti are the highest here. In five relay races last year, they won four times, and with a stronger team this time, they can bag the gold medal in Finland. The Boe Brothers are the most suited for this track, and Norway should win this easily.
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The Germans will be the main rivals to Norway in the Biathlon races this year, and they did great at the relay races last time. The duo of Roman Rees and David Zobel have improved over the last few months, and the latter headlined their bronze medal last year. Roman Rees bagged a silver medal in the 4×7.5km at Oberhof in 2023, and they can win a medal in Kontiolahti to start the season well.
Ahead of the first phase in Kontiolahti, below are our best Men’s Biathlon World Cup 24-25 predictions:
The Biathlon World Cup kicks off this month, and we have our focus on the Men’s events. You can get the best offers in this competition by using our expert betting tips and predictions.
