United States vs. Finland Prediction and Picks-4 Nations Face-Off
Finland Hopes Stars Compensate for Injuries
Finland enters this tournament with one of the worst rosters and the injuries, notably with Rasmus Ristolainen out, haven’t helped their cause. The good news is that the forward unit has plenty of star power to carry them with Sebastian Aho, Mikko Rantanen, and Selke Trophy-winning center Aleksander Barkov making an impact on both ends of the ice. The hope is that Roope Hintz, Anton Lundell, and Patrik Laine can round out the forward unit to allow Finland to compete with the elite teams.
The forward unit is a strength but the defense is a question mark, especially with Ristolainen out. Niko Mikkola and Esa Lindell lead the top pair but the rest of the unit is questionable and the hope is that Olli Maatta and Henri Jokiharju can step up to round out the unit. Likewise, Juuse Saros is one of the best goaltenders in the game but looks to shrug off a rough season in the net.
USA Enters Tournament With Minimal Flaws
The United States has arguably the most talented roster in this tournament and it begins with the forwards. Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Eichel, and Kyle Connor lead the top line but the entire unit looks great. Jack Hughes, Auston Matthews, and Jake Guentzel lead the middle of the unit while Brady Tkachuk and JT Miller round it out to leave minimal weaknesses.
If there’s any question mark, it’s the defense with reigning Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes out of the tournament with an injury. However, the United States has plenty of star power to anchor the unit in his absence with Jaccob Slavin, Zach Werenski, and Brock Faber leading the way. Moreover, the best goaltender in the game is in the net with Connor Hellebuyck on his way to running away with the Vezina Trophy for the second season in a row.
Prediction
United States -1.5 (-110)
Finland looks to pull off the upset but I see the United States taking over this game on both ends of the ice. USA looks to create plenty of scoring chances with Auston Matthews, Kyle Connor, Jack Eichel, and the rest of the forward unit establishing a strong offensive zone presence and creating open shots with effective puck movement. USA also looks to limit Finland’s offense with Brock Faber, Jaccob Slavin, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone while limiting shots on the net, allowing goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to make plenty of big saves. The United States should win the game and cover the spread in a dominant win to start the tournament.
Under 6
Finland’s defense is questionable but I see this game being a low-scoring one from the opening puck drop. Finland looks to limit the USA offense with Esa Lindell, Niko Mikkola, and the defensive unit creating turnovers while Aleksander Barkov controlled the middle of the ice and goaltender Juuse Saros steps up and makes plenty of big saves. The United States should eliminate and potentially shut out Finland with Brock Faber, Zach Werenski, Jaccob Slavin, and the rest of the defensive unit forcing turnovers in the neutral zone and defensive zone while goaltender Connor Hellebuyck blanks the shots on the net. The Under should cover in a low-scoring game controlled by both defenses. Take the Under on 6 goals.
