Canada will look to keep rolling at the World Juniors following their opening round-robin victory over Finland on Boxing Day when they face off against Latvia on Friday night.
The Canadians, who are favored to win the tournament according to our WJC odds, should be in the driver’s seat against a Latvian squad that’s simply looking to avoid relegation.
Canada has historically dominated this matchup and I’ll be looking for them to cover the spread in today’s best bet for my Canada vs. Latvia WJC predictions for Friday, Dec. 27.
Canada vs. Latvia Odds, Puck Line, Over/Under
Below is an odds breakdown of the game between Canada and Latvia this Friday. Odds are provided by FanDuel Sportsbook, but are currently available across most hockey betting sites.
| Team | Puck Line | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | -5.5 (-110) | - | O 7.5 (-108) |
| Latvia | +5.5 (-110) | +2000 | U 7.5 (-112) |
Canada vs. Latvia Analysis
Canada cruised to a 4-0 win in its World Juniors opener against Finland with goals from Gavin McKenna, Easton Cowan, Luca Pinelli, and Matthew Schaefer. The Canadians could’ve easily had more goals if not for Finnish goaltender Petteri Rimpinen as Canada outshot Finland 38-27.
There was plenty of hype around both McKenna and Cowan heading into this tournament and both players delivered early on.
The 17-year-old McKenna isn’t even NHL Draft eligible until 2026 but leads all WHL skaters with 60 points in 30 games and has fit in nicely for Canada.
After scoring twice against Czechia in Canada’s final game of the pre-tournament, McKenna put his high-end skill and poise on full display once again vs. Finland as he stuck with his own rebound to score his nation’s opening goal of the tournament.
Cowan, who was selected by the Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft, is one of just five veterans from Canada’s roster at the 2024 WJC. The London Knights product displayed his two-way acumen and wicked shot to put Canada up 2-0 in their opener.
It’ll be a tough road for Latvia at this year’s World Juniors as they’ll simply be looking to avoid relegation in Group A with games against Canada, the United States, Germany, and Finland.
Latvia was outscored 20-0 in its first three games of the 2024 World Juniors but a win against Germany helped the nation reach the quarterfinals for the second time in three years.
The Latvians don’t boast a ton of NHL talent. They’ve got just two draftees on their roster: forward Eriks Mateiko (Capitals) and defenseman Darels Uljanskis (Ducks).
The six-foot-five Mateiko is having a solid season with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL with 14 goals and 19 points in 23 games, though it’ll be a challenge for him to generate offence without a ton of help around him.
Canada vs. Latvia Best Bet
Canada will be happy with its opening win over Finland, though they should still come out hungry to put a few more pucks in the net against a weak Latvian team.
The Canadians have unsurprisingly dominated this matchup in the past, outscoring the Latvians 31-4 across their three previous meetings at the World Juniors. Their last head-to-head meeting came in 2022 when Canada skated to a 5-2 win, outshooting Latvia 44-24.
The only way I can see Latvia keeping this game close is if they get a stellar performance from one of their goaltenders, though neither option looks like a world-beater.
Linards Feldsberg owns a 2.51 GAA and an .899 SV% with the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the QMJL this season and posted a brutal .774 SV% with a 9.58 GAA in his only appearance for Latvia at the 2024 WJC.
Aksels Ozols has put up better stats this year with a 1.96 GAA and a .922 SV%, but he’s doing so for Zemgale of the Latvian Hockey Higher League, which isn’t exactly known for boasting high-end talent. Ozols was also shelled in his only game at last year’s tournament with a .700 SV% and 11.15 GAA.
Latvia didn’t inspire much confidence during pre-tournament games either, with 5-1 losses to both Czechia and Switzerland, and Canada certainly has more firepower than those teams.
