Sweden vs Finland 2020 IIHF World Juniors Bronze Medal Game Odds & Pick: Sweden Favored
- Sweden lost 5-4 to Russia in the semifinal at the IIHF World Junior Championship. They are -175 favorites to win the Bronze Medal
- Finland lost 5-0 to Canada and will not defend its Gold Medal title won at the 2019 World Juniors
- Read below for the odds and how to bet on Sunday’s matchup
Team Russia pulled off a huge upset and has sent Team Sweden to the Bronze Medal game at the IIHF World Junior Championship. The Russians won 5-4 over Sweden in overtime. Team Sweden will face Finland in the Bronze Medal game. The game takes place at 9:00 am ET on Sunday, January 5.
Finland vs Sweden Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | +1.5 (-200) | +145 | Over 6.0 (-110) |
| Sweden | -1.5 (+150) | -175 | Under 6.0 (-120) |
Odds taken Jan. 4.
Team Russia pulls off huge upset of Team Sweden
Team Russia pounded 44 shots on the Swedish net as they upset Sweden 5-4 in the semifinal. Ivan Morozov scored the winner which allows the Russians to continue their streak of having medaled in eight of the last nine World Juniors, including last year’s bronze. However, Team Russia has not won gold at the World Juniors since 2011.
There it is, Sweden takes the lead on yet another point shot! pic.twitter.com/3dFmRWofj0
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 4, 2020
Sweden may have suffered without top tournament scorer Nils Hoglander who was ejected 5 minutes into the first period. Hoglander came in with 10 points to lead all tournament scorers. Sweden allowed itself to get down 3-1 before getting up 4-3 on the Russians. Sweden scored 16 seconds into the game when Rasmus Sandin snapped a quick shot over Russian goalie Askarov’s glove.
Rasmus Sandin has been one of Sweden’s best players along with Nils Hoglander. He was selected in the first-round, 29th overall, by the Maple Leafs in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He had two goals and two assists in this game alone.
Sweden won gold in 1981 and 2012 at the World Juniors. The last Swedish medal was a silver in Buffalo in 2018. They were undefeated in the tournament heading in with a 5-1 record and were fresh off a 5-0 pounding of the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals.
Team Finland crushed by Team Canada 5-0
After knocking out Team USA 1-0 in the quarterfinal, some thought Finland might be the upset team of the tournament. Team Canada quickly squashed that thought by building a 4-0 lead by the end of the first period.
Finland had looked so good against the U.S. that many thought Canada might be in tough after losing to Finland at last year’s tournament. Finland also beat Canada 5-1 at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark.
Justus Annonen, a 2018 3rd round pick by Colorado, looked like a punching bag who was left without much help from the team in front of him. Canada scored less than two minutes into the game as Connor McMichael opened the scoring. The Finn’s turned the puck over which led to the second goal and despite calling a time out could not stop the bleeding. Canada scored two more goals before the end of the first.
| 1st Group A | Pool Play Finish | 3rd Group A |
| 5-1 | Tournament Record | 3-3 |
| 20 | Goals For | 19 |
| 8 | Goals Against | 10 |
| 40.0% | Power Play | 27.27% |
| 85.0% | Penalty Kill | 83.3% |
| 13.23 | Scoring Efficiency | 10.10 |
Finland did rebound as the first went on and had some good chances on Canadian goalie Joel Hofer. Hofer has been almost unbeatable allowing two goals in four games since he took over from Nico Daws.
The Best Bet
Despite being the underdog on the moneyline, Finland has something to prove after being pounded by Canada. It’s going to be tough for Sweden to recover from the emotional loss to Russia and win the bronze. Roll with the underdogs in this one.
Pick: Team Finland ML (+145), Spread +1.5 (-200)
Ben has been an avid sports fan since the 1980s. Specializing in hockey, baseball, and tech, Ben has contributed to CKNW via his tech blog Vancouver Gadgets and currently writes for SBD, as well as other online publications.
