Team Canada comes to the Winter Olympics with the most talented hockey roster ever assembled.
Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby and Cale Makar lead the way, but it’s the depth that makes this group truly terrifying.
Mitch Marner, Mark Stone and Crosby are projected to make up the third line for the Canadians. That trio would be a No. 1 unit on just about any team on the planet.
Anything short of a gold medal would be considered a massive failure for this group.
And anything short of a convincing win over Czechia in their tournament-opener Thursday morning would be unacceptable.
Canada vs. Czechia odds, prediction
It’s easy to see why Czechia is a popular dark horse pick in this tournament. There are plenty of NHLers throughout the lineup, and there are a couple of superstars at the top of the lineup.
David Pastrnak is one of the world’s best pure goal-scorers, Martin Necas is on pace for 98 points with the Colorado Avalanche this season and Tomas Hertl is a bona-fide No. 1 center in between them.
Those three will need to do the heavy lifting offensively for the Czechs, but they’ve got capable role players behind them in Ondrej Palat, Radek Faksa,and Ondrej Kase, plus a blueline that features plenty of NHL experience.
And the Czechs may have an edge in this game in a crucial area: Goaltending.
While Canada is the most skilled team in this field, it does have a potential weakness in net.
Jordan Binnington was terrific for the Canadians in the 4 Nations a year ago, and he’s got a reputation as a big-game goaltender, but he’s really struggled with the St. Louis Blues this season, opening the door for discussion on who should get the starting gig between Binnington, Logan Thompson and Darcy Kuemper.
Betting on the NHL?
From a numbers perspective, the answer would be Thompson, but Canada seems ready to lean into Binnington’s experience.
Czechia’s goaltending situation is a lot less convoluted. Lukas Dostal will almost certainly get the call, and he has every chance to be a game-stealer for the Czechs in this tournament.
Dostal has been exemplary behind some poor defensive teams in Southern California over the past few years, and he’ll need to bring that form with him to Milan on Thursday because he will be under siege from the opening whistle.
What’s especially worrisome for the Czechs is what happens when Pastrnak Necas, and Hertl are off the ice. Even if that trio wins their minutes, it likely won’t be enough to make up for the pummeling that Czechia will take when they’re catching their breath.
The depth of Team Canada should be what turns this game into a rout, and that’s why I like sprinkling a player or two on Cooper’s third and fourth line to have an impact in a high-event game.
I landed on Bo Horvat because of the price and his goal-scoring prowess, but you could apply the same logic to the likes of Nick Suzuki and Brad Marchand, as well.
As for the game, I think the Czechs have enough scoring punch to help get this contest over the 6.5-goal total.
The Plays: Over 6.5 goals (+106, FanDuel)| Bo Horvat 2+ goals (60/1)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
