Bø, seeking a third straight overall crystal globe, leads Lægreid by 25 points with three events of the campaign remaining.

The Olympic 20 kilometres individual champion and multiple world gold medallist has won three of the past six races after a slow start to the season and heads into the World Cup finale as favourite.

But he will be wary of his compatriot given the slender advantage he will take into the event, which includes a sprint, pursuit and mass start for men and women.

The men's pursuit and mass start crystal globes will also be at stake during the competition at the Swedish venue, set to begin tomorrow and conclude on Sunday (March 21).

Bø sits top of the pursuit standings, nine points clear of Frenchman Emilien Jacquelin, but trails his brother Tarjei by the same margin in the contest for the mass start title.

Tiril Eckhoff of Norway was this week confirmed as the women's champion in the overall, sprint and pursuit events.

Only the mass start crystal globe will be at stake for the women in Östersund, with Austria's Lisa Theresa Hauser and Dorothea Wierer of Italy sharing the individual total score honours.

Action is due to begin with the women's 7.5km and men's 10km sprint races tomorrow.