The first best-on-best tournament since the World Cup of Hockey in 2016 begins Wednesday, February 12, with Team Canada and Team Sweden hitting the ice at the Bell Centre to kick-start the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Here are my top betting picks and 4 Nations Face-Off predictions for the tournament MVP, leading goalscorer, and more ahead of the much-anticipated tournament.
4 Nations Face-Off picks
MVP pick: Connor Hellebuyck, United States (+1200 at Bet99)
Team USA is loaded, and while there are plenty of stars on the roster, I anticipate No. 1 goalie Connor Hellebuyck shining brightest behind a dominant collection of blue-liners.
Hellebuyck paces NHL goalies with a .925 save percentage and 2.06 GAA, but he’s also running the table in the advanced metrics with an NHL-best 0.64 goals saved above average per 60 minutes, 2.20 adjusted GAA and 10.1 goalie point share.
Finally, Hellebuyck is a lock in the Vezina Trophy odds, and an MVP award in this tournament might also help soften the blow by voters passing on Hellebuyck in the Hart Trophy voting when the NHL regular season concludes.
Most tournament goals: Sam Reinhart (+1000 at Bet99)
Reinhart has the second-most goals in the NHL since the beginning of last year, and he’s opening the tournament skating with two elite puck distributors in Connor McDavid and Mitch Marner. McDavid has paced the league in assists per 60 minutes, and Marner is right behind him in fourth place.
Skating with the No. 1 power-play unit is also a huge boon to his goal-scoring upside, with Reinhart likely to be one of the primary shooters along with Nathan MacKinnon.
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Team USA most tournament points: Jack Eichel (+800 at Bet99)
Set for a top-six role and gig on the No. 1 power-play unit, Team USA center Jack Eichel ranks seventh in 5-on-5 points with 36, and his 2.58 points per 60 at 5-on-5 are sixth. He’s also been far more dangerous with the man advantage this season, with his 8.62 PP points per 60 a career-high mark.
Eichel is set to open the tournament centering Kyle Connor and Matthew Tkachuk, and I anticipate the trio being a true force. Tkachuk creates space, sees the ice well, and can finish, while Connor ranks right behind Eichel with 34 points at 5-on-5.
Team prop: United States Over 5.5 round-robin team points (-110 at Bet99)
Regulation wins are worth three points during the round-robin, with an overtime win good for two and an overtime loss still rewarding a point. Team USA has the scoring depth, elite blue liners, and goaltending to run the table, and I expect them to cruise past Team Finland in the tournament opener to earn three points on Thursday.
Then, the Americans will only need another regulation win against Team Canada or Team Sweden to clear this Over. Saturday’s tilt against Canada could be a finals preview, and if Team USA doesn’t pull off the win, I expect them to handle the Swedes in regulation on Monday.
