2019 IIHF U20 World Juniors Quarterfinal Odds and Picks
- Sweden and Russia take perfect 4-0 records into the World Junior Championship quarterfinals
- Canada (3-1) and the USA (3-0-1) are the No. 2 seeds
- Defending champion Canada also lost one preliminary-round game at last year’s tournament
As Canada seeks to become the first back-to-back winner of the World Junior Championship since the Canadians won five in a row from 2005-09, they will be following a familiar path.
Canada also entered last year’s medal round as a second seed with one loss on its resume.
Playing on home ice in Vancouver, Canada remains the favorite to win the tournament, but the Canadians have lost two of the last three World Juniors that they’ve hosted.
Though Russia and Sweden enter the playoff round as unbeaten No. 1 seeds, it’s been a long time since either the Russians (2011) or Swedes (2012) were champions of this event.
Finland vs Canada Odds
| Teams | Moneyline | Puck Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | +250 | +1.5 (-105) | O 6.5 (-110) |
| Canada | -345 | -1.5 (-125) | U 6.5 (-120) |
All odds taken 1/1.
Start Time: 6:30pm EST
Despite losing its final round-robin game 2-1 to the Russians, sportsbooks still list Canada as the +110 chalk to win the tournament.
Canada has never failed to win a medal in this event when playing on home ice – six gold, four silver, two bronze.
The loss to the Russians marked the first time Canada has trailed in the tournament. Canadian captain Maxime Comtois shares the tourney lead with five goals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJNjT9iBiPQ
The Finns whipped Canada 5-2 in a pre-tournament game, but the Finns are 0-11 all-time in the world junior tourney when facing Canada in Canada. Forward Eeli Tolvanen, favored to lead the world junior in goals, is still without a tally.
Pick: Canada (-345), under 6.5 (-120)
Czech Republic vs USA Odds
| Teams | Moneyline | Puck Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | +265 | +1.5 (EVEN) | O 6.5 (-105) |
| USA | -375 | -1.5 (-130) | U 6.5 (-125) |
Start Time: 8pm EST
Following up their four-goal third-period rally in a 5-4 overtime loss to Sweden, the USA handled the Finns easily 4-1 to finish with a 3-0-1 mark in pool play.
Forward Ryan Poehling leads the tournament with eight points and shares top spot with five goals. Jason Robertson (1-5-6) and Joel Farabee (3-2-5) give Team USA three of the top eight scorers.
.@usahockey wins 4-1 and clinches the #2 seed in Group B!#USAWJC #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/pW2g0Sbfh1
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) January 1, 2019
The Czechs have been one of the biggest disappointments of this World Junior tourney.
Filip Zadina, who scored seven goals last year, is still without a goal. Martin Necas, who shared the 2018 scoring lead with 11 points, shows 1-2-3 totals.
Pick: USA (-375), over 6.5 (-125)
Slovakia vs Russia Odds
| Teams | Moneyline | Puck Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slovakia | +450 | +2.5 (-105) | O 6 (-110) |
| Russia | -800 | -1.5 (-115) | U 6 (-120) |
Start Time: 10:30pm EST
The unbeaten Russians have allowed a tournament-low six goals in four games.
What a goal for Pavel Shen, Russia leads Canada in the 3rd #WJC2019 pic.twitter.com/kuHLBnxaDr
— Superdrunkmark69 (@cjzer0) January 1, 2019
The Slovaks have surrendered 14 goals, most of any medal-round qualifier.
Switzerland vs Sweden Odds
| Teams | Moneyline | Puck Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | +650 | +3.5 (-160) | O 6 (-115) |
| Sweden | -1400 | -3.5 (-120) | U 6 (-115) |
Start Time: 4pm EST
The Swedes are champions of pool play, with 48 consecutive victories. But they are 13-14 in the medal round and five players missed their last game due to illness.
ICYMI: Sweden continues its winning streak and beats Kazakhstan 4-1 to top Group B of the #WorldJuniors. @trekronorse
Read more: https://t.co/kiVD1p5T5p pic.twitter.com/Fk6VmZXkp2
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) January 1, 2019
Switzerland’s Philipp Kurashev shares the tournament goal-scoring lead with five.
Pick: Switzerland (+650), under 6 (-115)
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.
