USA vs Canada Best Bets Today | 4 Nations Face-Off Championship
Jake Burkey
Host · Writer
The United States and Canada are set to face off yet again in what will most certainly be must-watch hockey. Fans are in for a treat if it’s anything like the game last Saturday. The United States was able to pull out the win last time in a final score of 3-1, but team Canada certainly has all of the motivation in the world going into Thursday night’s tilt. Let’s break down the odds, and I’ll give you my thoughts.
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4 Nations Face-Off Central
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4 Nations Face-Off: USA vs Canada
- Location: TD Garden (Boston, MA)
- Date: Thursday, February 20, 2025
- Where to Watch: ESPN
- Where to Stream: ESPN+. Disney+
- Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
- Spread: USA -1.5 (+235) | Total: 5.5
- Moneyline: USA -110 Canada -110
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United States vs Canada Game Pick
The United States is expected to have Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk in the lineup tonight after Matthew missed Monday’s game against Sweden due to an injury, and Brady left mid-game. The Americans will need the two brothers if they want to win this game, so that’s great news that they’re suiting up.
Auston Matthews has yet to make his presence known, which is shocking since he’s one of the best goal scorers in the NHL and has to play better tonight. Jack Eichel has been great on both sides of the ice and will be a focal part of the offense on a line with the Tkachuk brothers. Jake Guentzel is another player who has been fantastic with the United States in this tournament, showing his goal-scoring ability on that top line and his unreal ability to remain poised with the puck. Matt Boldy and a guy like Kyle Connor will also be looked upon to play a big game. However, the United States’ biggest X-factor will be defense.
Quinn Hughes will not suit up for the game to replace the injured Charlie McAvoy. Tournament rules require at least one more player to be out with an injury before Hughes can come in. Overall, I view this game as coming down to whether Jaccob Slavin and Brock Faber can be as good as they were last Saturday. I also look at Zach Werenski, Adam Fox, and Noah Hanifin as important factors who will need to contribute on defense by shutting down Canada’s superstars. The Americans will also need Connor Hellebuyck to be at his absolute best.
Canada will need their top guys, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, Mitch Marner, Sam Reinhart, and Brayden Point, to show up on offense. The Canadians will have star defenseman Cale Makar back in the lineup, who wasn’t available against the United States in the first matchup, so that’s a massive boost for them. Sam Bennett and Travis Konecny will need to be the guys to go head-to-head against the Tkachuk brothers in terms of physical play. I’m fully expecting Jordan Binnington to be in goal yet again for Canada, and it will be interesting to see how he responds after last Saturday’s 3-1 loss.
Now for my best bet pick, since there is no value in the moneyline with both teams at -110, I look at the over here at a 5.5 total for +110. I think this game is higher scoring than the first game, and I do like the value.
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United States vs Canada Top Player Prop Picks
I really like Jack Eichel anytime goalscorer at +350 for the United States. He’s the shooter on that line with the Tkachuk brothers, and he’s due for a goal here in this championship game. Eichel was just in the Stanley Cup Finals two years ago when the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers, where he was fantastic, so I think that experience in intense hockey games is an advantage.
Top USA Player Prop: Jack Eichel Anytime Goalscorer (+350)
Now that he’s officially in the lineup for Canada, I really like Cale Makar as an anytime goalscorer at +600. He’ll be motivated after missing Saturday’s first matchup against the United States. Take Makar to put one past Hellebuyck tonight.
Top Canada Player Prop: Cale Makar Anytime Goalscorer (+600)
In what will be the final game of the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, it’s fair to say it exceeded many expectations as it’s been great seeing the increase in fan engagement and, in general, the overall success this event has brought. I expect tonight’s game between the United States and Canada to get even crazier than the one on Saturday night.
