2026 IIHF World Junior Championship: Canada vs. Czechia Semifinal Odds, Prediction
A spot in the gold medal game of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship is on the line Sunday night when Canada and Czechia face off for the second time in the tournament.
These teams opened the tournament against each other on Boxing Day, with Canada winning a 7-5 barn-burner. Can the Czechs get revenge, or will Team Canada flex their muscles again?
Canada is a -450 favourite to win on the WJC odds, with the total set at 6.0.
2026 IIHF World Junior Championship Betting Odds
Despite Canada winning the earlier game between these teams, it’s still a revenge spot for the Canucks. Czechia has lost 22 of 28 all-time meetings, but they’ve been much better in recent years, bouncing Canada in the quarterfinals of the last two tournaments.
The Czechs have become a legitimate threat at this tournament as they are guaranteed to play for a medal for the fifth straight year. Czechia won bronze in each of the last two years and won silver in 2023.
Of course, that silver medal came because of a loss to Canada in the gold medal game. It was Canada’s record 20th gold medal, but they followed it up with back-to-back fifth-place finishes. The Canadians have gone three straight years without a medal only once, from 1979 to 1981 before the Program of Excellence was established.
Heading into the semifinals, the updated World Junior futures board has Canada as a -135 favourite to win gold (-120 entering tournament), followed by Sweden (+225), Finland (+650) and Czechia (currently +900, started tournament +1500).
Team Canada
Canada claimed Group B with regulation wins over Czechia (7-5), Denmark (9-1) and Finland (7-4) and a 2-1 overtime win against Latvia. The Canadians followed that up with a 7-1 dismantling of Slovakia in the quarterfinals.
It’s no surprise to see Canada as the highest scoring team in the tournament as Zayne Parekh leads all skaters with 10 points (4G, 6A), while Gavin McKenna (3G, 6A) and Michael Hage (2G, 7A) each have nine points.
One significant change to the lineup from the first game against Czechia will be in net. Carter George, who allowed five goals on 33 shots against Czechia, will serve as backup after posting a 3.33 goals-against average and .844 save percentage in three games.
Jack Ivankovic will get the start after two strong games. Ivankovic turned aside 26 of 27 shots faced against Latvia and he had 21 saves on 22 shots in the quarters against Slovakia. That’s good for a 0.99 GAA and .959 SV.
Team Czechia
Czechia finished in second in Group B with regulations wins against Denmark (7-2) and Latvia (4-2) and a 2-1 overtime win against Finland in addition to the loss against Canada. The Czechs booked their ticket to the semifinals with a 6-2 win against Switzerland in the quarters that saw them outshoot the Swiss 43-20.
Like Canada, this team boasts high offensive threats throughout the lineup. Vojtech Cihar is tied for second in tournament scoring with nine points (2G, 7A), while Tomas Galvas (3G, 5A) and Petr Sikora (2G, 6A) are at eight points.
Cihar was the most productive player in the first game against Canada, notching a goal and two assists. Galvas and Sikora each had a goal and an a assist against the Canadians.
It should be Michal Pradel in net for Czechia on Sunday. Pradel has started three games for the Czechs, including the first game against Canada in which he allowed six goals on 20 shots. He’s looked much better since, with his 2.94 GAA and .870 SV largely inflated because of that game against Canada.
