Canada and Sweden open up action at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Wednesday.
The latest: Hockey fans are excited for the return of best-on-best international action. Canada enters this contest as a significant favourite but a key member may be out for this tournament. The Swedes have a stacked lineup, too, and could be a plucky underdog in this spot.
Check out the latest Sweden vs. Canada 4 Nations Face-Off odds for Feb. 12.
Sweden vs. Canada 4 Nations Face-Off odds
| Betting Markets | Betting Odds |
| Sweden moneyline | +200 |
| Canada moneyline | -275 |
| Sweden +1.5 | -143 |
| Canada -1.5 | +105 |
| Over 5.5 goals | -138 |
| Under 5.5 goals | +100 |
Canadian hockey fans are keeping close tabs on Sidney Crosby’s status as the tournament nears.
The Pittsburgh Penguins captain and two-time Olympic gold medalist missed his team’s most recent game and hasn’t decided on his participation in the tournament.
Crosby’s absence is significant as this could be his final opportunity to represent Canada in best-on-best international competition.
The Canadians do have enough star power, however, to overcome Crosby’s potential absence. Superstars like Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid alone provide enough offensive power for any lineup in any competition.
Sweden doesn’t have anybody who can match MacKinnon and McDavid offensively, but they do have blueliners that can help make up for that. Erik Karlsson and Rasmus Dahlin are two of the most dangerous offensive defencemen in the league, and they’re more than capable of chipping in and driving the play.
4 Nations Face-Off best bet
Best Bet: Sweden +1.5 (-143)
There’s a decent amount of juice to pay but this wager is sensible for several reasons.
Firstly, there are a lot of unknowns in a tournament like this. The players haven’t spent much time practicing together and team chemistry is difficult to gauge for either side.
Without knowing how each team will gel together, goaltending becomes increasingly important and Sweden holds the edge over Canada between the pipes.
The trio of Linus Ullmark, Jacob Markstrom and Filip Gustavsson carries a distinct advantage over Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault.
Crosby’s injury can’t be ignored, either. The hockey superstar is one of the greatest players of all time and has recorded 58 points in 55 outings this season.
Thirdly, this wager only requires Sweden to keep this contest competitive. A loaded roster featuring players like Filip Forsberg, William Nylander and Victor Hedman should be able to put forward a solid showing as they represent their country.
Key stat: Ullmark and Gustavsson have the best save percentage this season of any goalies in this matchup (.915). Hill has the best save percentage this season of any Canadian netminder (.900).
Stevie’s an avid NFL, NHL, and tennis bettor who has no problem talking himself into the underdog. His previous stops include Yahoo! Sports Canada and Toronto Metropolitan University, where he received a degree in Sport Media.