Betting on the 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship will take place in Canada. Futures on what country will take him the gold medal are the first market to open for betting. Once the games start on December 26, World Junior hockey odds are available on every game until the final on January 5.
World Junior Hockey Betting Odds
World Junior hockey betting odds are open on what country will take home the gold in 2023. The United States won the competition last year and will likely start as the favourites to win it this year. Alongside Canada are Russia, and Sweden, which make up the top teams that oddsmakers at online sportsbooks will post as favourites to win. The odds were last updated on May 23, 2022:
| 2023 World Junior Hockey Odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| USA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Russia | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Finland | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Sweden | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Czech Republic | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Full Schedule For Group Stage
The World Juniors Hockey Championships 2022 schedule is set for the Group Stage. See odds and times for upcoming games below, with the playoff round populating once the group stage concludes on New Year’s Eve. Also, continue reading below for more useful information for betting on odds for the World Junior Hockey Championship, or check out our World Junior betting predictions.
Division 1
Group A
Belarus, Denmark, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Norway.
Group B
Estonia, France, Japan, Poland, Slovenia, Ukraine.
Division 2
Group A
Great Britain, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, South Korea, Spain.
Group B
Belgium, China, Croatia, Iceland, Netherlands, Serbia.
Division 3
Pool A
Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Mexico, Turkey.
Pool B
Bulgaria, Chinese Taipei, Kyrgyzstan, New Zealand, South Africa.
Best Games to Watch and Wager
The Group Stage at the 2020 World Juniors offers some intriguing matches for betting. A few games are worth focusing on in the Group Stage, including the much-anticipated renewal of the Canada-U.S.A rivalry.
Canada vs. United States
The United States was knocked out by Finland back in the 2020 competition, meaning the teams didn’t mean in the Playoffs. This year, the only option for these two teams to meet is during the knockout stages, as they are in separate groups. This is the rivalry we all want to see, as both nations look to prove a point to themselves and the rest of the world.
When the Group Stage Ends
The Group Stage of the tournament lasts from December 26 to December 31. Throughout the Group Stage, there are between four games per day across both groups, with games taking place at 12:00, 16:00, and 19:30.
Best U20 Players in the 2021 Tournament
Every year, hockey fans around the world get a chance to see the best U20 hockey players in the world compete for their country. The tournament is rife with future NHL stars, and this year is no exception. Below is a list of the brightest names in this year’s competition. Expect to see them amongst the favourites on hockey betting props to win the tournament’s MVP.
Alexis Lafreniere, Left Wing, Canada
After being selected to the New York Rangers, Alexis Lafreniere is hungry to retain Canada’s medal going into the 2021 competition. Lafreniere was crowned MVP at last year’s tournament but is unlikely to make an appearance in the 2021 event.
Lafreniere is set up to have a monster year and it would be good to get things going with the IIHF Juniors. He is continuing to develop but would make all the difference here. We hope to see his participation either in camp or once Team Canada enters the bubble.
Marco Rossi, Austria
Recently drafted into the Minnesota Wild’s roster, this exceptional player is able to find space both on and off the puck. He’s the David Silva of Ice Hockey, moving seamlessly between attack and midfield. He’s able to play in the most high-traffic and highly sensitive areas on the ice.
He’s rarely touched as he plays his game this way, which is of great value considering he’s a younger player. Given Rossi an opportunity and he’ll ruthlessly exploit it. Look out for him to light things up at the tournament this year, as he puts in a lot of work supporting the defence and offence.
Jake Sanderson, USA
Sanderson plays for the Ottawa Senators as a winger and looks to be a very exciting young prospect. He has an excellent choice of passes and can play off of both wings, with the ability to prevent breakouts from opposing teams.
He will be important for the USA and can cause trouble if he has time on the puck. He’s smart, physical and has that creative flair we often see in the new generation of players coming into the big leagues. He’s defensive sound and comprehensively covers all bases, so expect him to be at the core of this USA team.
Tim Stuetzle, Germany
Stuetzle is an offensive forward for the Senators, with a broad range of abilities and one of the top European players for his age. He has first-rate handling and isn’t afraid to take players on.
He’s firstly a goalscorer and causes the opposing team’s defences a nightmare. He’s a natural skater and finds space well on the ice as he skips around with a quick change of pace and excellent foot-speed. He doesn’t have a slight build, but he still needs to bulk up if he wants to compete properly in the NHL. He’ll be an important player for Germany this tournament.
How Many Teams Move On?
Eight of the ten teams in the Group Stage advance to the Quarterfinals of the tournament. The Quarterfinals all take place on January 2, 2020. It is a single-elimination tournament once it reaches the playoff round, with the higher two seeds from Group A playing the lower two seeds in Group B, and vice-versa on the other side of the bracket. The tournament ends with the Gold Medal game on January 5.
How does Relegation Work?
The two countries that finish at the bottom of their groups play against each other to avoid relegation. The countries play two games for relegation, with the loser sent down to the Division I World Junior tournament (replacing the 2021 winner).
Prop Betting Options on the World Juniors
Once each roster is finalized, typically only done a few days before the start of the tournament, more World Junior hockey prop betting odds open for betting. Popular options to beat include where teams will finish in their standings, how far they will go in the tournament, what players will lead the tournament in goals and who will take home tournament MVP.
NHL Draft Betting
Watching the tournament is a great way to gain some insight into the top picks at the NHL Draft. The top two picks in the 2020 NHL Draft were Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield. If you watch the 2020 World Juniors, it will help your 2021 NHL Draft betting.
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships FAQs
There are a variety of hockey bets available, as you’d see in the NHL, with a focus on the money line, over/under and prop bets. We would strongly advise checking these out.
Yes. There is a broad selection of prop bets available, all of which offer their own unique betting markets depending on the sportsbooks you use.
We cannot say which is the best, but we can point you in the direction of some of the best bookmakers available. Take a look at our list of recommended bookmakers.
As is the case with any sports betting market, depending on how much you research the odds, will depend on the overall success of your wager.
Hockey bets are often profitable, but it just depends on how lucky you get and whether the odds you’re working with turn out to be accurate. You never know with sport, anything can happen.
