Sports Interaction
Promotions
Sports Interaction
Promotions

2024 World Junior Championship Quarterfinal Odds, Prediction: Canada vs. Czechia

Add Sports Interacton as Your Preferred News Source

Canada finished the preliminary round second in Group A, recording wins over Finland, Latvia and Germany, while losing to Sweden. Czechia finished third in Group B with wins against Norway and Switzerland and losses against Slovakia and the United States.

Canada is a heavy favourite to win on the WJC betting odds, while the game total is set at 6.5.

2024 World Junior Championship betting odds

Canada enters the quarterfinals with the third-shortest odds to win the tournament at +300, while host Sweden is +250 and the United States are +160 favourites. Czechia is a fairly big long shot at +1800. The Canadians are two-time defending champions and they’ve won a record 20 gold medals. Czechia has only medalled four times at the World Juniors, but two of those are gold. The Czechs won back-to-back golds in Sweden in 2000 and Russia in 2001.

These teams met 10 times in this tournament over the last decade, including twice last year. Canada won eight of those games, but Czechia came out on top 5-2 in the preliminary round in 2023. Of course, Canada got revenge in the gold medal game, winning 3-2 on Dylan Guenther’s overtime goal. Czechia’s silver medal was the first time they reached the podium since winning bronze in 2005.

Team Canada

Canada was shut out 2-0 against Sweden in the preliminary round, but they had strong performances against Finland (5-2), Latvia (10-0) and Germany (6-3). Macklin Celebrini has come as advertised and enters the quarterfinals tied for second in tournament scoring with eight points (4G, 4A). Mathis Rousseau has been great in net, posting a .924 save percentage and 1.75 goals-against average in four games.

Forward Conor Geekie will not face further discipline after he was ejected just 11 seconds into the game against Germany for an illegal check to the head. The question mark for Canada right now is the status of another forward, Matt Savoie, who missed the final preliminary game against Germany with an undisclosed injury. Savoie returned to practice on Monday, but Jagger Firkus was added to the roster as a precaution.

Team Czechia

Czechia proved they can be giant-killers when they took the U.S. to overtime, although they ended up losing 4-3. They also lost 6-2 against Slovakia, but they beat Switzerland 4-2 and crushed Norway 8-1. Jiri Kulich (4G, 3A) and Matyas Melovsky (7A) are pacing the team offensively with seven points each. Michael Hrabal has played all four games in net, posting an .888 SV and 2.94 GAA.

Czechia has been a fairly disciplined team in the tournament, recording the second-least amount of penalty minutes (34). Their special teams units have been slightly above average, with the power play and penalty kill each ranking fourth-best. Czechia has scored four goals in 12 power play opportunities (33.3 per cent) and they have successfully killed off 13 of 15 penalties (86.7 per cent).

Canada vs. Czechia WJC score prediction

Canada 4, Czechia 3