A spot in the Gold Medal game is on the line when Canada takes on Switzerland at the IIHF World Hockey Championships. Our hockey expert Neil Parker believes the Canadians are good value to get the job done on the strength of their dept goal-scoring.
Canada and Switzerland meet in the semifinals of the World Hockey Championship on Saturday with a trip to the gold-medal game on the line.
The Canadians remain undefeated and can win consecutive championships for the first time since 2015 and 2016, while Switzerland’s lone loss came to Team Canada in the round-robin.
Here are our best free picks and top Switzerland vs. Canada predictions for the semifinal showdown on Saturday, May 25.
My best bet
Canada to win in regulation (-120 at DraftKings)
My analysis
Make no mistake, the Swiss have multiple stars jumping the boards, and defenseman Roman Josi might be the best player in the tournament. Add center Nico Hischier and winger Kevin Fiala combining for 12 goals and 10 assists to goaltender Leonardo Genoni sporting a third-ranked .926 save percentage, and beating Switzerland won’t be a walk in the park.
The Canadians just have more scoring and overall depth with similar star power leading the way. Additionally, No. 1 goalie Jordan Binnington hasn’t been sharp with a .870 save percentage across his six starts. Considering he posted a rock-solid .913 mark across 57 starts for the St. Louis Blues this season, I expect better results against the Swiss on Saturday.
Canada’s undefeated run to this point of the tournament also includes a 3-2 round-robin win over Switzerland, and Binnington stopped 20 of 22 shots while Genoni allowed three goals on 23 shots. All three of the Canadian goals came with the man advantage, and the Swiss also scored a power-play goal.
I also particularly value the motivation and makeup for this version of Team Canada. They can win back-to-back golds for the first time since 2015 and 2016, and the blend of proven two-way players and talented young scorers makes the Canadians a matchup nightmare for the Swiss.
Finally, I’m confident in the Canada offense coming through given its tournament-high 4.75 goals per game.
Canada to win in regulation
Over 5.5
Team Canada has been involved in high-scoring games for the majority of this tournament, with six or more total goals in six of its seven games. Additionally, there’s always the potential for a trailing team to pull its goaltender a little earlier in an elimination game, and especially if down by multiple goals.
While I do expect the Swiss to be largely held in check, and for Binnington to have a strong game, Canada has also allowed the most goals per game (2.63) of the four teams in the semifinals.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook on May 24.
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Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs with Sportsbook Review, USA TODAY, theScore, DraftKings Playbook, and RotoWire, among many others. He also co-hosted the Daily Fantasy Edge podcast and can now be seen offering expert golf and hockey advice on Covers’ Before you Bet broadcast.
Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.
Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.
Neil’s top pieces of advice for recreational bettors are to stay within your means and to remember sportsbooks aren’t bank accounts. Don’t be afraid to pull those winnings and treat yourself to a lifetime experience courtesy of a big win.
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