The 4 Nations Face-Off took hockey betting to another level.
The NHL’s four-team tournament final between the USA and Canada was a game for the ages, filled with thrilling moments and an intense, 3-2 overtime win for the Canadian squad.
4 Nations commanded the attention of viewers and bettors, exceeding any and all expectations. Thursday’s championship was the most-bet hockey game ever at BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel, surpassing Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers.
🚨 Historic night on @DKSportsbook! 🚨
— DraftKings News (@DraftKingsNews) February 21, 2025
The Canada vs. USA 4 Nations Face-Off finale broke records, becoming the most bet hockey game of all time on @DKSportsbook by both handle & bets—surpassing Game 7 of the '24 Stanley Cup Final. 🏒
BetMGM took 2.5 times as many bets on the final than any other NHL regular-season game and five of the top seven most-wagered games this year came during the Face-Off.
"The 4 Nations tournament was a great success for BetMGM,” trading manager Halvor Egeland said. “USA-Canada final was not only the most-bet (tickets) hockey event this season but the most-bet in BetMGM history."
At FanDuel, the championship game drew a 48% increase in bet count over its previous most-bet hockey game, Game 7 of Oilers-Panthers.
On par with the NFL
ESPN BET told Covers it was the second most-bet hockey game behind Game 7, but the amount of money wagered on 4 Nations held an impressive distinction.
“4 Nations was a huge betting event for us, from the first game through the final,” said Adrian Horton, director of North American trading at ESPN BET. “Handle for the 4 Nations Final surpassed last year’s World Series games and was on par with Sunday afternoon NFL games, which is remarkable when comparing the general scale of hockey and football betting.”
The four games involving USA produced ESPN BET’s four top handle hockey games this season. Thursday’s final received nearly double the money of the first game against Canada and brought in 58% more bets.
It was the second-most bet hockey game at Caesars Sportsbook, as well.
USA v. Canada last night ranked second all-time in total bets placed on a hockey event at Caesars Sportsbook only behind the Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers Stanley Cup Game 7 last year 😱 pic.twitter.com/7O1nYvad43
— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) February 21, 2025
House comes out on top
Despite all the action, the outcome of the game didn’t favor the majority of bettors.
BetMGM reported that 64% of the bets and 58% of the money were on USA. Both teams closed at -110. Over 5.5 goals scored took in 58% of the money and more than 60% of the wagers.
“Canada winning was a good outcome for the sportsbook,” Egeland said.
The USA-Canada final received more handle and bets than any NBA game on Thursday night at ESPN BET. The American side at -115 was the most popular moneyline bet of the day, and the over 5.5 goals scored led all total wagers.
ESPN BET added that 79% of moneyline bets and 77% of the handle were on the U.S. team. In Ontario, the Canadian team received 84% of the moneyline tickets and 87% of the money at theScore BET.
The game that had it all
How did the first-ever NHL four-team tournament create such a betting craze?
Thursday’s match was a perfect storm. The Super Bowl had come and gone, ending the NFL season. The NBA All-Star weekend took a backseat to hockey last Saturday, and by the time a full slate resumed on Thursday, people were already hooked on USA-Canada.
The NHL took time off to allow the best players from Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the U.S. to compete in the tournament. The timing helped make 4 Nations must-see-TV and a must-place-bet event.
There was also an enormous amount of national pride with a little bit of political controversy thrown on top. Fans in Montreal booed the U.S. National Anthem in last Saturday’s game in protest of President Donald Trump placing tariffs on their country.
Three fights broke out in the first nine seconds of that match, which USA won 3-1. That only intensified Thursday’s final in Boston. There was only a smattering of upset fans during Canada’s National Anthem, and the brawling took a back seat to winning.
Injured and ill players refused to sit out and miss the epic final. Canada star and Edmonton Oiler Connor McDavid scored the game-winning goal in overtime, leading to an epic celebration for the team from the Great White North and cashing plenty of betting tickets.
“Just to see the reaction, just to know what it means to us,” McDavid said during the ESPN broadcast about the win. “I know it’s just a quick tournament. It’s not an Olympic gold medal or anything like that, but it means the world to our group as you can see. Everybody battled so hard all week so it was special.”
