Canada vs Czechia Prediction, Props, Odds & Starting Goalies for 2026 Olympics Men’s Hockey (Feb. 12)

• I’ve made my Canada vs Czechia men’s hockey prediction for Thursday’s Olympic game
• The Canadians are -485 moneyline favorites over the Czechs, boasting significantly more NHL roster talent
• See my Canada vs Czechia prediction and picks below, plus odds, props and starting goalies for Thursday morning

Canada opens their quest for a third straight Olympic gold Thursday morning at Santagiulia Arena, bringing three of the top four NHL scorers in Connor McDavid (96 points), Nathan MacKinnon (93) and Macklin Celebrini (81) into their Group A opener against Czechia.

Don’t sleep on the Czechs though. They return 17 players from the 2024 World Championship gold medal squad, and their top line of David Pastrnak, Martin Necas and Tomas Hertl can hang with anyone in this tournament.

Puck drop is set for 10:40 am ET on USA Network and Peacock, or CBC and CBC Gem in Canada. Here are my Canada vs Czechia prediction and picks, plus the latest odds, props and projected starting goalies.

Canada vs Czechia Prediction & Pick

• Canada Team Total Over 4.5 Goals (+115 at DraftKings)

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I’m not laying -485 on a moneyline, and I don’t love sweating a 2.5 puck line in a one-game Olympic setting where anything can happen. Instead, my Canada vs Czechia prediction targets the team total over 4.5 goals at plus money.

The talent gap is staggering. Canada’s skaters have 1,060 combined NHL points this season. Czechia has 267, with Pastrnak accounting for 71 of those. Canada can roll four lines with elite play-drivers, and their third line is Sidney Crosby centering Mitch Marner and Mark Stone. That depth will wear down thinner rosters over 60 minutes.

Czechia’s blueline is where Canada should feast. Beyond Radko Gudas and Filip Hronek, there isn’t much NHL-caliber mobility on the back end. Canada thrives on speed through the neutral zone, and that pressure should create layered scoring chances, not just perimeter shots.

Then there’s Canada’s top power play unit: McDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby, Sam Reinhart and Cale Makar. All five have at least eight power-play goals this season. Even one or two early Czech penalties could blow this open.

Slovakia’s 4-1 upset over Finland on Wednesday proved that anything can happen in a tournament opener, but Canada’s roster is just too deep. My projections have this finishing 5-1 or 5-2, so I’m comfortable betting the Canadian attack clears 4.5.

Canada vs Czechia Props

Sportsbooks offer several Canada vs Czechia props, including anytime goalscorer and point totals. It’s worth noting that a few Canadians are near locks to record a point in the eyes of the oddsmakers, so we are providing their more reasonable odds to record 2+ points.

Anytime Goalscorer & Points Odds

Seven Canadians crack the top 10 in the Canada vs Czech Republic anytime goalscorer market, which tells you everything you need to know about this matchup. Mackinnon has the best odds to score at +135, although Czechia’s Pastrnak has the third-best odds to find twine at +190.

McDavid and MacKinnon both have +105 odds to record 2+ points, while Crosby is priced at +160 and Makar is listed at +135. The latter two are interesting at longer odds given their power-play time. Stacking them in a longshot parlay isn’t the worst idea if you’re going all in on Canada.

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Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Best Canada vs Czechia Prop Bets

• Connor McDavid Over 1.5 Points (+105 at DraftKings)

McDavid leads the NHL with 96 points in 58 games, averaging 1.66 per game. He had 3 goals at the 4 Nations Face-Off, including the OT winner against the U.S. in the final.

The Ontario native is centering Canada’s top line with Celebrini and Wilson and will run the top power play. Against a Czech blue line that’s thin beyond Gudas and Hronek, I’m picking McDavid for a multi-point game.

• David Pastrnak Anytime Goal (+190 at DraftKings)

Pastrnak is sixth in the NHL with 71 points and has one of the best one-timers in hockey from the left circle on the power play. Czechia’s top line will play monster minutes in this game, and Pastrnak is the kind of scorer who can beat anyone on any given shift. I like the price at +190.

Canada vs Czechia Odds

Odds as of Feb. 12 via DraftKings. Check out SBD’s DraftKings promo code to bet on the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Canada’s -485 moneyline translates to roughly an 83% implied probability. Czechia’s +370 gives them about a 21% implied chance, which feels about right. They’ve got the goaltending to keep it interesting, but probably not enough firepower to win.

The puck line is set at 2.5, with Canada at -112 and Czechia at -108. That’s a tight line, and it tells you the books expect this to be competitive enough that a 3-goal margin isn’t a lock. The total sits at 6.5 goals, with the over at +120 and the under at -142.

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If you’re looking for gold medal futures, Bet99 has Canada to win gold with a 99%+ odds boost available through Feb. 16. It’s a good bet for casual bettors looking to ride Canada through the tournament.

Canada vs Czechia Starting Goalies

Neither team has officially confirmed its starter. Binnington is the likely Canada’s pick after he skated solo in net at practice, while multiple reports project Vejmelka for Czechia.

Jordan Binnington vs Karel Vejmelka Stats

Goaltending is the one area where Czechia has the edge. Binnington has had a brutal season, posting an .864 save percentage that ranks worst among qualified NHL starters. He did go 3-1 with a .907 save percentage at the 4 Nations Face-Off, so there’s a recent track record of him rising to the occasion. But those regular-season numbers are hard to ignore.

Vejmelka has been excellent in Utah, leading the NHL with 27 wins while posting a 2.58 GAA and a .902 save percentage in 44 appearances. Lukas Dostal is also an option between the pipes. Whoever gets the nod is going to face a much heavier workload than they’re used to at the NHL level.

Canada vs Czechia How to Watch

Puck drop is set for 10:40 am ET / 7:40 am PT from the Santagiulia Arena in Milan, Italy. The game airs on USA Network and streams on Peacock in the U.S. Canadian viewers can catch it on CBC, CBC Gem and TSN.