Team USA is on the cusp of playing for the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship title after a dominant 7-2 win over Latvia in the quarterfinal round.
The Americans rolled through preliminary round games en route to Thursday's semifinal matchup against Finland. NHL Network has live coverage starting at 1:30 p.m. ET.
More commonly known as the World Juniors, this year's tournament is taking place Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Let's now explore Finland vs. USA odds, props and predictions.
Finland vs. USA odds: Puck line, moneyline & total
DraftKings is among the top-rated sportsbooks dealing Finland vs. USA odds. Check out the betting line for the semifinal here:
- Puck line: Finland +1.5 (+102), USA -1.5 (-122)
- Moneyline: Finland (+240), USA (-330)
- Total: 6 OVER (-118), UNDER (-102)
The U.S. is coming off a bronze medal finish in 2023. The Americans have claimed five gold medals with the most recent one coming in 2021.
Finland betting news: Finns enjoying roller-coaster ride at 2024 World Juniors
Finland outlasted Slovakia, 4-3, in overtime in Tuesday's quarterfinal round. Finnish captain Jere Lassila tallied the game winner just 24 seconds into the extra session. Lassila leads the team with three goals and seven points. Kasper Halttunen, Lenni Hameenaho and Kasper Halttunen are also scoring threats for Finland.
It's been an up-and-down ride for Finland, which lost a 5-2 decision to Canada in the opening round. Finland became in danger of relegation after a 4-3 loss to Germany. The Finns then bounced back with wins over Latvia and pre-tournament favorite Sweden.
Finland now faces a tough task against Team USA, and it needs a big game from goalie Niklas Kokko to have a chance at the upset. The Seattle Kraken prospect has seen the majority of action in net with a 1-2 record and a 3.37 goals against average.
Kokko made 27 saves to help Finland slip past favored Slovakia in the quarterfinals.
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Team USA betting news: Americans are betting favorite to win sixth gold medal
The Americans have been a juggernaut in this year's World Juniors. Here's the list of wins to date entering Thursday's semifinal vs. Finland:
- USA 4 Norway 1
- USA 11 Switzerland 3
- USA 4 Czechia 3 (shootout)
- USA 10 Slovakia 2
- USA 7 Latvia 2
As you can see, Team USA has only been challenged by Czechia so far. The Czechs will face host Sweden in the other semifinal after eliminating Canada in the quarterfinals.
Gabe Perreault (Boston College) led Team USA with two goals and an assist in the 7-2 quarterfinal win over Latvia on Tuesday. He was drafted 23rd overall by the New York Rangers in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
MOVING ONNN 🇺🇸#WorldJuniors | @WinmarkResale pic.twitter.com/oE8RY4moua
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) January 2, 2024
The Boston College trio of Perreault, Will Smith, and Ryan Leonard has been productive for Team USA, but forwards Cutter Gauthier (team-high 10 points) and Gavin Brindley (team-high six goals) top the scoring sheet.
Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson and Devils prospect Seamus Casey are Team USA's top defensemen. Jacob Fowler (Boston College) is likely to get the start in net. He registered 23 saves in the quarterfinal win over Latvia.
Team USA is the -105 betting favorite to win the 2024 World Juniors at FanDuel.
Finland vs. USA prop bets
Here are Finland vs. USA team goal props from FanDuel including OT and shootout:
- Finland 1.5 OVER (-196), UNDER (+152)
- USA 3.5 OVER (-130), UNDER (+104)
The Americans have yet to score less than four goals in any of the five games played so far.
Finland vs. USA World Juniors semifinal prediction
The Americans are loaded with talent and depth, as evidenced by 12 different players contributing points in the 7-2 win over Latvia. Team USA has outscored its opposition by a combined 36-11 in this year's World Juniors.
Consider taking the American side on the puck line to win by at least two goals. Always shop around for the best prices, as DraftKings offered much better odds than FanDuel (-134) on the puck line.
Pick: USA -1.5 (-122 at DraftKings)
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