The 4 Nations Face-Off starts Wednesday night, with Canada listed as a -250 favorite over Sweden. USA is favored at -340 over Finland in Thursday's game.
The 4 Nations Face-Off begins Wednesday night with Team Canada facing Team Sweden. Team USA and Team Finland open play on Thursday.
As of Wednesday morning, Canada is -250 with a total of 6 goals at Bet365. The puck line has Canada at -1.5 goals and +105.
On Thursday, USA is favored at -340 with a total of 5.5. The United States is -125 on the puck line.
The tournament continues Saturday and Monday to round out pool play. All the lines are posted at Bet365, which also has future prices listed on each team to win the event.
Canada (+140) if favored, followed closely by USA (+150). Sweden (+425) is the third choice, while Finland (+850) is the longshot.
Let's skate inside the numbers with this event:
34 – If you're into in-game wagering, be on alert for catching the right price at the right time with the team losing mid-game, as there have been 34 comeback wins during the eight previous NHL International Tournaments were not uncommon, with 85% pulled off by Canada (13), Sweden (7), the United States (6) and Finland (3). That includes seven multi-goal comeback wins – by Canada (2), Sweden (2), the United States (2) and Finland (1) – and two victories after trailing by a whopping three or more goals. Be sure to check the in-game number after two periods, as there have been eight third-period comeback wins - all from a one-goal deficit.
12 – Canada is a heavy favorite in its opener against Finland, and rolls into this year's event having won 12 straight at NHL International Tournaments since the 2004 World Cup of Hockey opener - the longest such winning streak in history.
11 – If you try to cheat the books and eliminate the juice by playing a puck line so you have plus-price, just know there have been 11 overtime games in NHL International Tournament history, with four of them coming during the final round.
10 – In what might be his last appearance at the international level, make note that Sidney Crosby is the only active player with a double-digit total entering the 4 Nations Face-Off, with 10 career points. Crosby is +1100 to be the first or last goal scorer in Wednesday's opener, and +220 to be an anytime scorer.
7 – If you like to wager per period, and are wondering how many goals have ever been scored in a period, the record for most goals by both teams in a period at an NHL International Tournament is seven, set by Canada (5) and the United States (2) during the 1981 Canada Cup. And, the record for most goals by one team in a period at an NHL International Tournament is five, achieved 10 times.
6 – Looking to play the future on who might win the MVP? Important to know that Canada accounts for six of eight MVPs at NHL International Tournaments, as well as six of eight championships. The other two MVPs and championships were secured by the Soviet Union and United States. A little more insight, here is the breakdown of MVPs by position: Forward (5), Goaltender (2), and Defenseman (1).
5 – Brad Marchand scored five goals at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and heads into Wednesday's game carrying long odds to score against Sweden. Marchand is +1900 to score the first or last goal and is +350 to be an anytime scorer. Marchand is one of three active players with a multi-goal game.
4 – Who might settle quickly and be good value for a player prop in the opening round? Four active players have served as captain at an NHL International Tournament, with Sidney Crosby (Canada), Anze Kopitar (Europe), Connor McDavid (North America) and Alex Ovechkin (Russia) all having worn a "C" at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Crosby and McDavid are playing in this event, and their experience in skating internationally could help in their team's first games.
(stats source: NHL PR)