Tony Kelshaw 
Canada are priced at short odds to rattle off a fourth consecutive IIHF World Championship win when taking on Kazakhstan. Their opponents have lost three straight so far, although they have managed to score in each game and showed spirit in a 4-2 defeat by the holders last year.
Rangers have already knocked two German clubs out of the Europa League and are rated a value bet to beat Eintracht Frankfurt in the final. Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig both finished well ahead of Frankfurt in the Bundesliga this term, so the Glasgow outfit have little to fear.
Montreal did us a favour when winning at Charlotte as underdogs over the weekend and are now also backed to avoid defeat at Nashville. Wilfried Nancy’s side are unbeaten in their last eight matches and shooting up the MLS table following a poor start to the current campaign.
Liverpool can close to within just one point of Premier League leaders Manchester City if beating Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium. The Reds are still chasing a historic quadruple and victory here would set up a tense final day of the domestic season next weekend.
Canada are expected to maintain their 100 per cent record at the IIHF World Championship by taking care of today’s Group A rivals Slovakia. The underdogs did well to claim bronze at the Beijing Olympics but look mismatched with plenty of NHL players now back in action.
Calgary will be left kicking themselves if they can’t finally edge out Dallas in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Flames have outplayed the Stars for large parts of this series but find themselves facing a Game 7 decider after coming up short at some key moments.
Canada came through their World Championship opener safely enough and should enjoy an easy victory versus Italy in the second round of fixtures. The holders cruised to a 7-1 win when these teams met at this stage last year and this contest could be even more one-sided.
Edmonton have made hard work of getting past Los Angeles in the playoffs but still get a confident vote to come good in Game 7. The Oilers showed their mettle with a 4-2 triumph at Crypto.com Arena on Friday and will now be roared on by a vociferous home crowd.
Toronto versus Tampa Bay looked the pick of the first-round ties in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs and it has lived up to expectations. The Maple Leafs have forged ahead three times in the series, but on each occasion the Lightning have hit back like the champions they are.
Canada begin the defence of their IIHF World Championship crown by taking on Germany in Group A and are fancied to get off to a flyer. The teams will be different than when Canada won 5-1 in their Olympics opener this year, but another convincing victory is on the cards.
We’re taking a look at the 2022 Ice Hockey World Championship odds to see which nations are expected to challenge for top honours in Finland. Russia and Belarus have been expelled due to the conflict in Ukraine, but all the other leading IIHF countries will be giving it their all.
Juventus go into Wednesday’s Coppa Italia final as underdogs but may just have an edge over Inter Milan in hunger and desire to lift this trophy. The Bianconeri are the holders and fully focused on this contest, whereas their opponents still have the Serie A title as their top priority.
Home advantage could prove crucial when Vancouver entertain San Jose at BC Place, judged on the records of both teams this term. Each has performed with credit in front of their own fans but they have failed to pick up a single point between them on the road so far.
Following a miserable run of four straight defeats, Toronto will be desperate to stop the rot when entertaining Orlando at BMO Field. City’s form has been up and down this season, but they are also on a recovery mission here after last Saturday’s heavy loss at Montreal.