It's been a mixed bag for Canada so far at the world junior hockey tournament.
The Canadians finished third in Group A standings with a seven points (two wins, a loss and overtime defeat) during the preliminary round. They were scheduled to face Czechia in quarterfinal action Thursday.
Canada dropped a 4-1 decision to the United States in Ottawa on New Year’s Eve. But before that was after a stunning 3-2 shootout defeat to Latvia earlier in the tournament.
According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., one Proline bettor cashed in on the Canadians' loss to Latvia. The player wagered $70 on the Latvians to win, resulting in a $2,380 payout.
Sixty-six per cent of Proline players had the Americans winning their game versus Canada while 67 per cent had the contest under 6.5 goals.
The Canadian came back to earn a 3-0 win over Germany on Sunday. A solid 70 per cent of bettors correctly picked the Germans +6.5 goals.
However, 82 per cent figured lightning would strike twice and bet on Germany to win the game.
In NFL action Saturday, the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Denver Broncos 30-24 in overtime. Seventy per cent of Proline players picked the Bengals to win while 76 per cent correctly had the game over 50.5 points.
On Sunday night, the Washington Commanders needed overtime to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 30-24. A solid 87 per cent of Proline players picked the Commanders to win while 79 per cent of bets were on Washington -3.5 and 77 per cent had the game over 47.5 points.
The following night, the Detroit Lions came through for Proline bettors, rallying from an eight-point half-time deficit to down the San Francisco 49ers 40-34. Seventy-six per cent of players correctly picked the Lions to win the contest.
A total of 82 per cent of bettors picked Detroit by 3.5 or more points. In fact, Detroit was the most-bet on team to cover the spread last week and 67 per cent of Proline players had the game going over 50.5 points.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2025.
The Canadian Press