The Canadian men’s Olympic hockey team will begin their bid for gold in Beijing Thursday morning as they take on the German national team that beat the Canadians in the semifinals of the previous Olympics in South Korea.
There may not be any current NHL players in this tournament but that doesn’t mean these games won’t be entertaining. Can the Canucks’ blend of NHL veterans, current overseas professionals, and young guns make some noise and start their run for gold off with a win versus the Germans?
Find out in our free picks and predictions for Germany vs. Canada.
Germany vs Canada odds
| Germany | Canada | |
|---|---|---|
| +195 | Moneyline | -235 |
| +1.5 (-133) | Puck line | -1.5 (-105) |
| Over 5.0 (-118) | Total | Under 5.0 (-118) |
Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction as of February 9, 2022.
The ML has moved slightly in favor of Germany as the Canadians were -278 on the moneyline two weeks ago and now sit at -235. The total opened at 5.5 and has plummeted to 5.
Germany vs Canada predictions
- Prediction: Canada 3-way ML (-140)
- Prediction: Under 5 (-118)
- Best bet: Germany team total Under 1.5 (+145)
Predictions made on 2/09/2022 at 12:05 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Germany vs Canada game info
• Location: Wukesong Sports Centre, Beijing, CN
• Date: Thursday, February 10, 2022
• Puck drop: 8:00 a.m. ET
• TV: CBC
Germany vs Canada betting preview
Germany vs Canada picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Moneyline analysis
Canada sit as heavy -235 ML favorites in their opener with reigning silver medalists Germany. The Canadian roster will be led by captain and former NHLer Eric Staal, who will be centering the top line with AHLer Josh Ho-Sang and 2021 third overall pick Mason McTavish. This is a team that is a great mix of former NHLers Daniel Winnik, Jason Demers, and David Desharnais, current KHL stars in Corban Knight (18 goals, 30 assists) Eric O’Dell (13G, 19A), and Jordan Weal (12G, 18A), as well as solid young talent in 2021 first overall pick Owen Power.
However, this is also a team that will be without their head coach (Claude Julien) who broke his ribs and didn’t make the trip to Beijing. He’ll be replaced by Jeremy Colliton. They played their first game together in over a month against the USA on Monday in an exhibition match. Team Canada also canceled two practices in Beijing and don't have much familiarity with each other. But can their talent and experience get them through the early parts of the tournament while they work on chemistry?
Canada’s best goalie, Devon Levi, who has international experience and has posted nine shutouts with a 1.55 GAA in the NCAA this season, might not get the start in the opener. The 20-year-old was in street clothes during the exhibition game versus the USA so that means that Colliton could go with Eddie Pasquale (1.99 GAA, .916 SV% in the KHL this season) or Matt Tomkins (2.32 GAA, .913 in Sweden this season). Pasquale won the KHL’s netminder of the year last season in Russia.
They'll face a German team that is led by former NHLers Dominik Kahun and Tobias Ryder. They were 58 seconds away from winning gold in South Korea but come into this event as the No. 8 betting favorite to capture the gold at +2,000. The German's strength is with their experience, as 10 players are returning from their silver medal finish in 2018 and 19 players are returning from the 2021 World Championship.
Another big advantage the Cancuks have is the ice size. These games will be played on the smaller NHL-sized rinks, which are 15-feet narrower than typical international ice surfaces. This will certainly help North American teams who are accustomed to the ice size. Defensive play will likely be the most important thing for team Canada out of the gates and we don't like the Germans scoring more than two goals here.
In net, the Germans will likely be at a disadvantage as well with Danny Aus den Birken, Felix Brusckmann, and Mathias Niederberger all from the best German professional league, the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, which is down the list on the top leagues in the world.
Ultimately, this game comes down to price and as we’re expecting a low-scoring contest with a Canadian team that doesn’t have a lot of reps with each other, we aren’t expecting a stereotypical Canada blowout. In saying that, we doubt the Germans will be able to dictate the play and create much time in the attacking zone. It could take the favorites some time to get going but they should ultimately take this game in regulation as they have the advantage at every position.
Canada to win 3-1 or 4-1 with an empty-netter sounds about right. Wins in regulation are very important and are worth three points in the standings. Canada is 14-2-1 over the last 17 international meetings.
Prediction: Canada 3-way ML (-140)
Over/Under analysis
This total is starting to sink and the opening games might have had something to do with this. The Russians won 1-0 versus the Swiss in their opener while Denmark beat Czechia 2-1. Zero power-play goals were scored as teams are still adjusting on the fly and the smaller rink has a lot to do with it as well.
It’s easier for the Canadians to commit to defense and let the offense develop later. We’ve seen this in tournaments in the past and with a ton of international experience on the Canucks, an emphasis on eliminating chances in their own end is likely prevalent.
Canada will be in great shape in net with Pasquale likely to draw the first start. He has been incredible in the KHL this season and owns a GAA below 2.00 across three seasons in the world’s second-most competitive league.
Canada went 2-1 to the Under 5.5 in the group stage at the 2018 Olympics that also featured non-NHL players. Of the 18 group-stage games in that tournament, only three games had seven or more goals.
We’re expecting a tightly-checked game where the Canadians will be making life tough on the small ice for the Germans. We doubt Germany gets more than 20 shots on net and for the Canadians to take a few games to get things rolling offensively.
Prediction: Under 5 (-118)
Best bet
Despite the recent success at the 2021 World Championships and the 2018 Olympics, we aren't very high on the Germans and neither are the books. The Canadians allowed just three goals in the opening round in the previous Olympics across three games and with a defense that has plenty of NHL experience, this team will be committed to smart play in their own end.
Pasquale is a goalie that has faced much better talent in Russia this season than what the German's will be throwing out Thursday morning. Just because he isn't a household name doesn't mean we can't back him. We're expecting this game to start with a slow pace and equal the output of the other two games that saw minimal scoring.
The Germans managed just three regulation goals in the last Olympics and don't have the surprise factor in this tournament with its recent results. We like the favorites to shut this team down and are hitting the plus-money play Germany team total Under 1.5 at +145. The Under on the 2.5 is -210 so nobody is expecting this German team to score with ease.
Pick: Germany team total Under 1.5 (+145)
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