Jukurit yllätti vedonlyöjät – Mikkelin kultajoukkue tekee SM‑liigan syksystä rahasateen

This fall, something unexpected has been brewing in Finnish hockey — and not just on the ice. The SM-liiga standings tell one story, but for anyone who’s placed a few euros on a game or two, another, far more profitable tale has unfolded.

Roughly a fifth into the season, the usual powerhouses aren’t necessarily the ones making bettors smile. Instead, teams once written off as underdogs are suddenly turning small wagers into small fortunes. And at the center of it all stands Mikkeli’s very own Jukurit.

From Long Shot to Gold Mine

Before the puck even dropped this season, most experts had Jukurit pegged as a team destined for the bottom of the table. Few expected much. But somewhere between the cautious predictions and the opening faceoffs, something shifted — and Jukurit have become the biggest story in Finnish hockey’s early months.

For bettors, their rise has been nothing short of a jackpot. If you’d faithfully placed a €10 bet on Jukurit to win every game in regulation time, you’d now be sitting on a return of €239.50 — a profit of nearly €140 from just €130 wagered. No other team in the league even comes close to that kind of payout.

They’re not the only ones rewriting expectations. Ässät, JYP, and KooKoo have also defied preseason predictions and delivered some surprisingly sweet returns for those who believed early. Because the betting market hasn’t yet caught up to their strong form, odds have remained generous — leaving sharp-eyed bettors with plenty to smile about.

The Most Profitable Teams So Far (10 € per game):

• Jukurit: +€139.50
• Ässät: +€108.90
• JYP: +€76.50
• KooKoo: +€52.90
• Tappara: +€36.70

If those numbers prove anything, it’s that even the best forecasts can be hilariously wrong — especially early in the season. Teams expected to just survive have instead become the most valuable picks on the board.

The Other Side of the Coin

Of course, where there are winners, there are always losers — and this fall, several big-name clubs have given bettors headaches.

Take Ilves, for example. On paper, one of the strongest teams in the league. In practice, they’ve been a costly disappointment for anyone betting loyally. So far, betting €10 on Ilves every game would have left you down over €70.

Pelicans haven’t been much kinder to bettors, sitting at –€64, while Kärpät (–€9) and HIFK (–€8.30) have also been quietly unprofitable.

The Letdowns:

• Ilves: –€71.50
• Pelicans: –€64.20
• KalPa: –€16.90
• Lukko: –€13.20

The funny thing? Ilves actually have one of the best expected goal differences in the entire league (+11.43). Statistically, they’ve played well. Reality just hasn’t rewarded them — not yet, anyway.

“There’s a Lot of Randomness in This Game”

If you ask Teemu Eirtovaara, the man behind Veikkaus’ SM-liiga odds, the story of early-season betting is mostly about small-sample chaos.

“Jukurit and Ässät are still ranked in the lower half of our models,” he explains. “The odds might stay high for a while even though the results look great right now.”

And as for Ilves, Eirtovaara isn’t ready to count them out. “Standings will change as the season goes on. Even if Ilves sit 15th right now, our data still sees them as one of the league’s top three teams.”

Translation: Jukurit might be a fairytale for now, but hockey has a way of flipping the script fast.

What Makes Jukurit a Bettor’s Dream?

It’s not magic — it’s math, timing, and a touch of grit. Jukurit’s sudden profitability comes down to three clear factors:

1. Low early expectations. Preseason models had them near the bottom, so their winning odds have been consistently high.
2. A grounded playing style. The structure left behind by former coach Olli Jokinen still holds — and now it’s paying off.
3. Big performances in key moments. Strong goaltending and clutch special teams have turned tight games in their favor.

Put those together and you get a recipe for what every bettor dreams of: a team that consistently beats both the odds and the analysts, at least for a while.

What Happens Next?

The SM-liiga betting landscape is a living, breathing thing — constantly adjusting as teams rise and fall. And while Jukurit may be this autumn’s golden goose, sharp bettors already have their eyes peeled for the next hidden gem.

Do you follow the surprising results, or trust the deeper stats waiting to balance out? That’s the eternal question.

For now, one thing’s clear: this season, the underdogs have given hockey fans — and bookmakers — plenty to talk about. Whether Jukurit’s magic holds or fades, they’ve already proven one old truth of sports betting: the only thing predictable is unpredictability.

So, who’s your money on next?