Canada celebrates a goal against Sweden during the third period of the title game of the IIHF world junior hockey championships, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
- Canada is a 5.5-goal favorite as it opens the World Junior tourney facing an understaffed Germany
- Nine German players are out due to COVID-19, leaving the team with just 14 skaters
- See below for a preview of the game and betting odds for the game
Both Canada and Germany will be understaffed when they clash on Saturday in World Junior tournament preliminary round action. However, the situation is far more dire for the Germans.
The Canadians lost team captain Kirby Dach to a broken wrist he suffered during a 1-0 pre-tournament victory over Russia. The Germans, however, are missing nine skaters due to COVID-19.
The favorites to win the tournament, Canada is a solid 5.5-goal favorite to open the tourney with a victory over the Germans.
Germany vs Canada World Junior Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | OFF | +5.5 (-105) | O 7.5 (-110) |
| Canada | OFF | -5.5 (-115) | U 7.5 (-110) |
Odds taken Dec. 25th at DraftKings
The puck is slated to drop at 6pm EST on Saturday in Edmonton. The game will be broadcast live on the NHL Network.
Dach Departure A Blow To Canada
Dach, the third overall pick at the 2019 NHL entry draft, spent all last season in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks and was expected to be a key cog in the Canadian machine. During last season’s Stanley Cup, Patrick Kane was the only Chicago forward who logged more ice time than Dach.
Canada will likely miss the presence of the hulking power forward at some point this tournament, but his absence shouldn’t play a factor against a weakened German club.
Video of Kirby Dach’s injury in Team Canada’s exhibition game vs. Russia. He went straight to locker room. Not great. #Blackhawks
(
: @JDylanBurke) pic.twitter.com/gIdlPY4CJu
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 24, 2020
Even minus Dach, Canada still suits up 19 players who were NHL first round draft picks, including four players selected among the top 10 of the 2020 draft.
Germans In Dire Straits
It’s already been a rough tournament for Blackhawks first-round picks. Dach is out and so is 2020 first-rounder Lukas Reichel. He was lost to the German team when he tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the club’s departure for Edmonton. Reichel tallied three goals and five points in seven tournament games last year.
Of the nine who’ve tested positive who are still with the team in Canada, three will be eligible to return from quarantine on Sunday. Another five could be back in action by Tuesday.
Team
holding its first practice after 10 players were released from quarantine this morning
They had an additional positive test since the last update so … down to 14 skaters and two goalies for the first two games of #WorldJuniors (v
and
) pic.twitter.com/y0ZFebdyui
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) December 24, 2020
Another 2019 NHL first-round pick, defenseman Moritz Seider, a Detroit Red Wings prospect, opted out of the tournament.
The Germans do have forward Tim Stutzle, who was selected third overall in the 2020 NHL draft by the Ottawa Senators. But with just 14 available skaters, they’re going to be up against it facing the defending champions from Canada.
Ready To Face The Music
The IIHF offered to reconfigure the schedule in order to enable the Germans to regain their health, but team officials declined the offer. They lost 5-3 to Finland in Friday’s tournament opener.
Canada is another matter. The Germans recognize that even with their full squad available, they aren’t going to beat Canada. There’s sound reasoning behind that thought process.
The Canadians and the Germans have clashed 26 times on the ice in Word Junior tournament play. Canada owns a 25-1 edge in those games.
Like I said on @SiriusXMNHL last night, the fact that Canada has Quinton Byfield and Connor Zary on a 4th line is crazy. Nice addition of Dawson Mercer with them. Sure. #WorldJuniors
— sportsology (@sportsology) December 23, 2020
Those 25 victories include seven shutout decisions and just three occasions when the final margin on the scoreboard was less than three goals in favor of the Canadians. Germany’s lone win was a 7-6 verdict over Canada in the consolation round of the 1981 tournament.
Even at -5.5, Canada looks to be a sound investment in the puck line, and the over (7.5) looks like an inviting play as well. This game should get ugly. Remember, goal differential is a key tiebreaker at the World Juniors. Canada will be looking to fill the German net.
Pick: Canada -5.5 (-115), over 7.5 (-110).
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
source https://casinonewsblogger.com/germany-vs-canada-world-juniors-odds-preview-and-how-to-watch/
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