NHL Four Nations Face-Off Hockey Tournament: Odds, Betting Lines, Props
For the first time in nine years, the NHL will host an international tournament pitting the best players from America, Canada, Sweden, and Finland against one another in a round-robin format over the NHL All-Star Break.
The tournament will take place at the Bell Centre in Montreal from Feb. 12-15 and at Boston’s TD Garden from Feb. 16-20. Sports betting sites are offering markets for the tournament with game lines, futures, and props already available, and the public should find these markets more interesting than anything the NHL All-Star Game might have presented instead.
Below, we go over how to watch the action and pick our best bets for the NHL Four Nations Tournament.
Format and Information
Each team will play three games in the round-robin portion of the tournament, and the top two teams will meet in the Four Nations Championship at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20.
Instead of the typical NHL overtime format, all overtime games will have 10 minutes of sudden-death three-on-three hockey before moving to a shootout. Wins in regulation net three points, wins in overtime or a shootout net two points, and teams receive one point for losing in overtime or in a penalty shootout.
If two teams end up in a tie for the most points after round-robin play, head-to-head results are the first tiebreaker. If there is a three-way tie, the next tiebreakers are regulation wins, regulation and overtime wins (excluding shootouts), and goal differential.
Games will air on ESPN, TNT, and ABC, with Team USA’s first game scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 13, on ESPN. The biggest game of the round robin is USA vs. Canada at 8 p.m. Feb. 15 on ABC. The championship will be broadcast on ESPN on Feb. 20 at 8 p.m.
Four Nations odds and betting lines
Best Team Futures for NHL Four Nations Tournament
Champion: Team Canada (+135)
- While Team USA should prove stiff competition for Canada in their round-robin matchup and could give the Canadians a run in the championship if they meet, there is too much firepower on Team Canada to consider anyone else here. Sidney Crosby (+500) is cleared to play through an upper-body injury, showing how much pride is at stake for this team. It might have the best player in the NHL in Connor McDavid and it’s drawing upon a pool of 41% of all NHL players to craft this all-star team. Canada has won nine of the past 13 best-on-best international tournaments, and it’s fortunate to get it here at plus money.
Best Player Futures for NHL Four Nations Tournament
Most Points for Team USA: Jack Eichel (+800)
- Auston Matthews (+500) is the favorite in this market, and Eichel is in a tie for the third-shortest odds. Matthews should see tons of attention from opposing defenses with the first line, and Eichel could rack up points while leading the second line against lesser defenders. Team USA is going to be a heavy favorite in round-robin games against Finland and Sweden, so Eichel could thrive in those matchups. He’s continued to evolve as an elite playmaker since leading Vegas to a Stanley Cup two years ago, and he ranks fourth in the NHL in goals scored (102) while he’s been on the ice this season.
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