4 Nations Face-Off: Best Bets and Player Props for Canada vs. Sweden

The NHL’s mid-season hiatus gives way to the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off, starting on Wednesday night. The tournament takes place in two cities, beginning with four round-robin games in Montreal before shifting to Boston. Canada and Sweden have the honor of kicking off the tournament, with puck drop at 8:00 p.m. ET at the Bell Centre.

Using FanDuel Sportsbook's 4 Nations Face-Off odds, let's dive into the best bets for tonight.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All NHL betting odds and totals are from the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All advanced statistics are used from MoneyPuck.com and NaturalStatTrick.com. Lineup notes come from Daily Faceoff.

Today’s Betting Picks for Canada vs. Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off

Sweden +1.5 (-126)

The best players from Canada and Sweden take to the ice in what should be a wildly entertaining tournament-opening contest. The Canadians are installed as hefty favorites, but the Swedes' possession-driven systems and solid goaltending could turn this into a closer-than-anticipated battle. With that, we see value in taking Sweden on the puck line.

Assuredly, Canada’s top two lines are loaded with offensively skilled players. Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon center the first two units. McDavid is projected to skate next to Sam Reinhart and Mitch Marner, with an ailing Sidney Crosby and Mark Stone flanking MacKinnon. While there’s no shortage of firepower, breaking through Sweden’s defensive zone structure could prove difficult.

The Swedes feature some of the best two-way players in the game. Viktor Arvidsson, William Nylander, Mattias Ekholm, and Rasmus Dahlin play with unrelenting determination in the defensive zone while featuring a ton of offensive upside. Moreover, Sweden possesses skilled players like Joel Eriksson Ek, Mika Zibanejad, and Elias Pettersson, who can keep pace with the Canadians in the attacking zone.

Goaltending remains a question mark for Canada. Jordan Binnington is the starter for the Canadians, but his .896 save percentage doesn’t inspire much confidence. Conversely, Sweden's Linus Ullmark has maintained his status as one of the best in the game and can handle high-volume games.

This game should be closer than the betting line implies. On that basis, the most advantageous position is taking Sweden +1.5.

Sam Reinhart Any Time Goal Scorer (+185)

As Sam Reinhart is about to discover, skating next to Connor McDavid comes with many benefits. The three-time Hart Trophy winner consistently gets the most out of his linemates, and Reinhart will be the beneficiary against Sweden.

So far this NHL season, McDavid has produced a mind-numbing 60.5% expected goals-for (eGF) rating at five-on-five. Predictably, that number skyrockets when we factor in his time on the powerplay. McDavid’s eGF rating jumps to 64.9% across all strengths. Reflected in that are 15.3 scoring and 6.6 high-danger chances per game, which matches the per-game production metrics of some teams.

Those metrics are matched by equally impressive benchmarks on Reinhart’s end. The Florida Panthers' forward has a 60.6% expected goals-for rating across all strengths, maximizing output. Reinhart has proven to be one of the most elite goal scorers in the league, tallying 88 goals since the start of last season on a mind-numbing 23.0% shooting percentage.

Reinhart has a magical scoring touch and is about to experience the McDavid boost. We’re betting that connection pays off early for Canada. We see value in backing Reinhart as an anytime goal scorer.

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