As the U.S. looks to get back into gold medal contention, only Finland has a berth for a spot in the championship final in Gothenburg. Check out Neil Parker’s best bet with the latest WJC picks and predictions.
Team USA has run over all challengers on its way to the IIHF World Junior Championship semifinals, and the World Junior odds make it the favorite to beat Finland.
The Americans lived up to their pre-tournament billing with a plus-25 goal differential, while the Finns entered round-robin play on the brink of playing in a relegation game with back-to-back losses.
Finland bounced back with an extra-time win over Sweden and a win over Slovakia in the quarterfinals. Can the Finns pull off a third straight upset, or can the Americans punch their ticket to gold?
Check out our WJC picks and predictions for USA vs. Finland on January 4th.
USA vs Finland odds
 united states of america |
Finland  |
|
|---|---|---|
| -222 | 3way (normal time) | +425 |
| +400 | tie | +400 |
| -1.5 (-133) | spread | +1.5 (+105) |
| 6.5 or higher (+140) | Total (normal time) | Less than 6.5 (-189) |
Odds provided by Sports Interaction as of January 2, 2024.
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USA vs. Finland picks and predictions
The Americans are loaded with talent, scoring a tournament-high 36 goals through five games. The biggest challenge for Finland will be his scoring depth.
All 20 U.S. players got on the scoresheet, but only two of the 13 forwards failed to find the back of the net. One of them, of course, is Frank Nazar, whose eight assists rank second on the club.
It’s a similar story for the Red, White, and Blue defense. Three returnees (Lane Hutson, Ryan Chesley and Seamus Casey) handle the point duties, and six of the seven blueliners were drafted into the NHL in the past two years. The lone wolf is draft prospect Zeev Bouium, who has played the third-most minutes (18 minutes, 55 seconds) for the U.S. through five games while scoring two goals and assisting.
Head coach David Karl has not announced the U.S.’s starting netminder, but Trey Augustin, a returnee who won gold at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship, and Jacob Fowler, who will play at the 2022 World Juniors I won the A challenge. Suffice it to say, both netminders lack international experience.
The Finns may be grumpy underdogs with a history of enjoying the upset role, but this was their third consecutive must-win game. I ultimately expect that luck to run out on Thursday against a good, strong lineup.
My best bet: USA wins and total goals are over 4.5 (-120 in SIA)
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USA vs. Finland money line and over/under analysis
The American moneyline price on DraftKings is -350, while the SIA three-way result has an American price of -222. For comparison, on the regulated market through DraftKings, the American trading price is -205.
Similarly, the total amount available in this game varies by industry. As highlighted, SIA has an over 6.5 price of +140 and an under price of -189. DraftKings has a total of 6.0 with an over of -105 and an under of -115.
USA vs Finland betting trends you need to know
The United States has defeated Finland in 11 of the last 15 games in the IIHF World Junior Championship.
USA vs. Finland match information
| position: | Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden |
| date: | Thursday, January 4, 2024 |
| Pack drop: | 1:30pm ET |
| tv set: | TSN |
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