2026 IIHF World Junior Championship Odds, Prediction: Canada vs. Finland
First place in Group B is on the line on Wednesday night when Canada clashes with Finland to close out preliminary action at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
The Canadians hold a one-point lead over Finland as they look to build on a 9-1 blowout victory over Denmark. Team Finland dropped a 2-1 overtime decision against Czechia last time out and now need to beat Canada to take the group.
Canada is a -295 favourite to win on the WJC odds, with the total pegged at 6.0.
2026 IIHF World Junior Championship Betting Odds
If you think Canada and Finland seem to meet every year at that tournament you’re not far off as Canada has only faced the United States (50 times) more than they have faced Finland (43) at the World Juniors. Team Canada leads the all-time series 28-9-6 (1-1 in OT/SO) and they are riding a six-game win streak.
These teams opened last year’s tournament in Ottawa against each other, with Canada cruising to a 4-0 victory. Two returning players were key as Gavin McKenna opened the scoring, while Cater George pitched a 31-save shutout.
These are two of the most decorated countries in the tournament’s history. Canada has the record for most gold medals (20) and total medals (35), while Finland has the fourth-most total medals (18). The Canucks last won gold in 2023 and the Finns last won in 2019.
Team Canada
It’s been a bit of a mixed bag for Canada, who opened the tournament with a barn-burner win over Czechia, followed by a shootout win over Latvia and then they dominated Denmark. Despite dropping a point in the shootout win, Canada leads Finland by one point so they can claim top spot in Group B with a regulation or extra time win.
With a team loaded with first-round and future first-round NHL draft picks, it’s no surprise Team Canada has scored a tournament-high 18 goals through three games. Gavin McKenna, the projected first overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft, leads the tournament with seven points (3G, 4A) and he is the only player in the tournament with multiple points in every game.
Team Finland
After blowout victories over Latvia and Denmark to open the tournament, it looked like Finland was in the driver’s seat to win Group B. However, a 2-1 shootout loss to Czechia means Finland now has to beat Canada to win the group. The first tiebreaker is the result between the two tied teams, so even if Finland wins in extra time and finishes with the same amount of points as Canada, the Finns will win the group. It’s as simple as win in any manner and you win Group B for both Finland and Canada.
There’s no shortage of talent on this Finnish team that boasts 14 NHL-affiliated players, although Emil Hemming (taken 29th overall by the Dallas Stars in 2024) is the only first-round draft pick. This team’s biggest strength is their experience. There’s no one star who has carried the load, it’s a combination of 11 returning players from last year’s silver medal-winning team. Jasper Kuhta leads the team with five points (1G, 4A).
