Face-off: 1820 BST, 13/05/2022
Arena: Helsinki Ice Hall
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 flying start.
The teams will be very different than when Canada won 5-1 in their Olympics opener this year, but another convincing victory is on the cards.
We’re taking 2.0 for the margin to be more than 1.5 goals in our Germany vs Canada predictions.
To see how this tournament works out, we’ve posted a great infographic for our viewers.
Germany Odds
Germany will take heart from the fact that they have managed to upset Canada before at major tournaments.
They shaded a 4-3 success in the 2018 Olympics semi-finals and enjoyed a 3-1 triumph in the group stage of this event 12 months ago.
The Bearers of the Eagle went on to finish a very respectable fourth in Latvia and do have several familiar faces this time.
Tim Stutzle finished the NHL regular season strongly with Ottawa Senators and Moritz Seider, named the best defenceman last year, is rated a hot prospect by Detroit Red Wings.
Seattle Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer has great experience at international level, but Edmonton Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl will be missed due to playoffs duty.
Germany’s supporting cast also looks a level below that of some past squads and they are as big as 21.0 to lift the trophy.
Looking at the Germany vs Canada odds, we like 2.8 for the favourites to oblige and concede less than two goals.
Canada Odds
Canada have assembled a strong squad both on and off the ice as they seek to strike gold for the 28th time.
Former Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien will be backed up by assistants DJ Smith of Ottawa and Andre Tourigny of Arizona.
CEO Tom Renney said: “This is a group that combines many years of experience at the NHL, CHL and international levels.
“We look forward to building a team that will wear the Maple Leaf with pride.”
All bar two of the 24 players are with NHL teams and a useful blend of rising stars and seasoned veterans should serve them well.
Former rookie of the year Mathew Barzal had another solid campaign with the New York Islanders, posting 15 goals and 44 assists.
Pierre-Luc Dubois had 60 points for Winnipeg Jets, while Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens, nicknamed the ‘Workhorse from Whitehorse’, brings great energy.
Ottawa Senators duo Drake Batherson and Thomas Chabot and Josh Anderson of the Montreal Canadiens are others who stand out.
It may take a little while to warm up, but 4.75 for the holders to win by three goals is added to our Germany vs Canada betting tips, along with 11.5 for a 4-1 scoreline.
Additional stats
Head-to-head: Canada 5-1 Germany, Germany 3-1 Canada, Canada 8-1 Germany, Canada 3-0 Germany, Canada 3-4 Germany
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