USA vs. Finland: 4-Nations Face-Off Picks, Predictions and Odds

The 4 Nations Face-Off kicks off on February 12, and the must-watch international hockey play will see USA, Canada, Finland, and Sweden trying to make their nations proud, by winning this best-on-best tournament. Each will have three round-robin games before they will hope to claim glory in the winner-take-all championship game on February 20.

On Thursday, February 13, USA and Finland hit the ice at Bell Centre, Montreal, for their first games of the tournament. Both will be looking to start off with a bang but there is little reason to expect an easy opener for either with plenty of star quality in this best-on-best format. However, as we are witnessing the greatest NHLers of today taking center stage, you can bet on the fact that both will be ready to roll.

Auston Matthews leads the way for Team USA as the captain and one of the NHL’s top goal scorers, while Finland captain Aleksander Barkov is an elite all-around centerman and will lead the charge for Finland . These names are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the talent we will see in this game and the tournament.

To get you further prepared for the action, we are here with our USA vs. Finland predictions to see how their first game may play out.

USA vs. Finland 4-Nations Face-Off betting picks and predictions

USA -1.5 (-120)

As we know, all teams in the 4 Nations Face-Off are extremely strong, but the overall balance and strength of Team USA at both ends of the ice makes them the standout. These American forwards and defensemen are not exclusively owning the top spots of goals, assists, and points this season, but if you were to list the top players in the league overall, most would be right up there.

Their overall play and under-the-radar traits alongside their production are things that will make them special. Examples of this include Matthews and Brady Tkachuk’s physicality, as well as Jaccob Slavin’s defensive nous, and they will always be a threat as there is so much more to their games than pure offensive skill.

This extends to the crease, where their group of Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, and Jeremy Swayman is easily the best trio in the tournament. These three players are among the NHL’s best, proven by a great track record and league-leading statistics. Not only will Finland find it tough to beat them, but so will Canada and Sweden.

Finland does have some great NHL players like Aleksander Barkov, Mikko Rantanen, and Sebastian Aho, along with one of the best goaltenders in the league in Juuse Saros but depth is a major issue. This is especially true with their defensive group, which isn't filled with the best options to begin with as they have already lost stud defenseman Miro Heiskanen. This is a middling core of middle-pair defensemen that Team USA may exploit quickly. 

In forwards and goaltending, their frontline of stars quickly drops off to a group of top-9 NHL forwards, and 1B starters.

Team USA just has too much firepower, and will likely dominate them in all aspects of the game, and are expected to win by multiple goals.

USA 1st Period 3-Way (-106)

Everyone is fired up for this tournament, as they all look to make their country proud in this short tournament. The players have been together for a few days now building chemistry and catching up, but the time to play is now. I think both teams will be ready for puck drop, but with the extreme talent and depth on USA, they will be on Finland fast.

Finland knows they are up against a juggernaut, and knows that if they are to win this game, it won’t be done in the first period. They will need to play the long-game, which will include wearing their opponents down and not playing high-risk hockey early on.

The problem is, USA will likely take an opposite view and will looking to come out and light the lamp numerous times right away to get Finland on their heels, before utilizing a greater depth. They will likely be successful at this, and take the wind out of Finland’s sails, winning the first period.

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USA vs. Finland 4-Nations Face-Off odds

USA	-330 ML
Finland	+265 ML
Puck Line	USA -1.5
Total	O/U 5.5

USA vs. Finland 4-Nations Face-Off player props

Anytime Goalscorer

Kyle Connor (USA)	+170
Jack Hughes (USA)	+170
Auston Matthews (USA)	+170
Jack Eichel (USA)	+220
Jake Guentzel (USA)	+250
Mikko Rantaner (Finland)	+280

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.