Canada vs. Germany Prediction: 2019 IIHF World Hockey Championship Odds

Andrew Rogers
Last Updated: May 17, 2019

Canada is starting to build momentum at the IIHF World Hockey Championship but they’ll face a truly difficult test Saturday as they tangle with unbeaten Germany in Group A action at Steel Arena. The Canadians have reeled off three consecutive victories since kicking off the event with a loss to Finland, most recently cruising to a 5-2 win over France. The Germans have been the surprise of the tournament, having surrendered just five goals through four games.

2019 IIHF World Hockey Championship Betting

Oddsmakers aren’t exactly dazzled by Germany’s incredible tournament performance, making the Canadian side a hefty favourite; Canada is also installed at -1250 to prevail in regulation.

But the more intriguing play here might be on the total, which is set at 5.5. The Canadians have seen an average of 7.5 total goals scored in their first four games of the competition, while Germany is at a paltry 4.25; the over is priced at -147, with the under set at +105.

Team Canada

It’s hard to get a gauge on just how much of a contender this Canadian team is for its first World Hockey Championship title since 2016. On one hand, it has lit up the scoresheet in its past three games, racking up 19 goals over that stretch. But those victories came against Great Britain, Slovakia and France, none of whom are expected to contend for the title. In the only “challenge” game of the tournament, the Canadians fell short in a 3-1 loss to Finland.

Still, bettors shouldn’t discount an offence that not only leads Group A in scoring with 20 goals through four games (as of the end of Thursday’s games), but has been absolutely lethal with the man advantage. Canada owns the top power-play efficiency in the tournament, having scored seven goals in 11 opportunities. That 63.6-percent success rate is miles ahead of the next closest team; by comparison, Germany is just 1-for-13 on the power play so far.

Team Germany

The German side might not provide as much offence as some of the heavier hitters in Group A, but that defence is one to be rivaled. Germany enters Saturday’s encounter with the heavily-favoured Canadians ranked third in the tournament in goals-against average (1.25) and save percentage (.957) as of the end of Thursday’s games, with Duesseldorf EG star goalie Mathias Niederberger (1.34 GAA, .956 SV%) leading the way.