Czech Republic vs USA World Juniors Odds & Pick: Americans Have Won Two Straight to Top Group
- Sportsbooks list the USA as prohibitive -575 favorites to defeat the Czech Repbulic in Monday’s Group B action at the IIHF World Junior Championship
- The 2-1 Americans are in top spot in Group B after posting successive victories
- Both the Czech Republic and USA have beaten Russia
In what’s looking like it will be a very wide-open IIHF World Junior Championship, both the USA and Czech Republic are very much in the hunt as they clash in Group B action on Monday.
A 3-1 win over Russia on Sunday improved the United States to 2-1 on the tournament and moved them to the top of the table in Group B. Canada, Germany and the Czech Republic are all 1-1, followed by the Russians at 1-2.
Oddsmakers are heavily in the Americans’ corner in terms of the odds on this game. They’ve established Team USA as prohibitive -575 odds-on favorites to win the contest.
Czech Republic vs USA Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | +375 | +2.5 (-125) | Over 7.0 (-115) |
| USA | -575 | -2.5 (-110) | Under 7.0 (-115) |
Odds taken Dec. 29.
The USA has won five straight from the Czechs, outscoring them 31-5 in the process.
USA Finding Its Footing
Since blowing a 2-0 first-period lead and losing 6-4 to Canada in their opener, the Americans have won two in a row.
The United States displayed offensive balance in a 6-3 victory over Germany. Six different players handled the scoring in that win. During Sunday’s 3-1 verdict over the Russians, goals six seconds apart by Arthur Kaliyev and Nick Robertson tied the tournament record for the fastest two goals in a game.
The Americans display plenty of firepower. Forward Trevor Zegras (0-7-7) shares the tournament scoring lead. Forward Shane Pinto (3-3-6) is one point behind him.
Kaliyev has scored three goals and Robertson has netted a pair.
Vital For Czech Republic To Get Result
The joy of an opening-day 4-3 victory over Russia was quickly deflated when the Czech Republic lost 4-3 to Germany. The host country desperately needs at least one more point to avoid the relegation round, since they would now lose the fourth-place tiebreaker to the Germans.
With Russia’s loss, if Canada wins out the Canadians will top the group. The Americans are well-positioned to finish second. Germany still must play Canada and Russia. The Czechs get the Canadians in their final group stage game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bi1Y8LuqCE
Special teams could prove decisive. The USA has allowed a tournament-high five power-play goals and is killing penalties at a dismal 64.29 pecent rate. The Czechs are operating at 26.67 percent with the man advantage (4-for-15).
Team USA is clicking at 35.71 percent on the power play (5-for-14). The Czechs have allowed three power-play goals in two games.
Spread Is The Best Bet
The Czechs are unlikely to win this game, and betting the USA at -575 is pointless. But based on the results of games involving these two nations, a spread play on the Czech Republic is enticing.
ICYMI: @deb_teams dominated for most of the game, but @narodnitym weren't going to let a 3-goal deficit get in their way.
Watch more 👇 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/wcKGXPJIAW
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) December 28, 2019
The Americans won a three-goal game and a two-goal game. They suffered a two-goal setback. The Czechs have played to a pair of one-goal verdicts.
Pick: Czech Repbulic +2.5 (-125)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
