Latvia U20 vs Canada U20: prediction & betting odds December 27, 2024

The Matchday 2 clash of the 2025 World Junior Championship between Latvia and Canada will take place on December 28 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa. Latvia vs. Canada: prediction and betting odds, statistics.

Latvia

Latvia finished the group stage of the last World Junior Championship in fourth place and faced the USA in the quarter-finals, where they were defeated 2-7. This marked their second appearance at this stage in the last four years. Notably, Latvia has never won a medal in the tournament's history.

Key players to watch in the squad include the third top scorer of the AIK junior team, Darels Uljanskis (5 goals, 16 assists). Also noteworthy are Erik Mateiko, who has 19 points in 23 games for the Saint John Sea Dogs (14 goals, 5 assists), and Bruno Osmanis, who has accumulated 23 points in 33 games across the main and junior Björklöven teams (5 goals, 18 assists).

• Latvia has not lost by more than four goals in regular time in 12 of their last 15 World Junior Championship matches.
• The team has scored at least two goals in 60 minutes in 4 of their last 7 games in this tournament.
• No more than seven goals have been scored in regular time in 12 of Latvia's last 15 World Junior Championship matches.

Canada

Canada began the tournament with a 4-0 shutout victory over Finland. The team scored in each period and capped off the win with an empty-net goal. Matthew Schaefer stood out with 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist). After the first day of the World Junior Championship, Canada ranked second in Group A, trailing the USA.

• Canada has not won by more than four goals in regular time in 9 of their last 10 World Junior Championship matches.
• The team has scored at least ten goals in three periods in 3 of their last 4 meetings in this tournament.
• Canada has scored no more than two goals in the first period in their last nine World Junior Championship games.

Latvia vs. Canada: Match Prediction

Canada's squad appears to be one of the strongest in the tournament in terms of offensive potential, so high efficiency is expected in the upcoming match. There should be no underestimation of the opponent by Dave Cameron's team, especially after last year's unexpected quarter-final exit against the Czech Republic, which was a significant blow. Playing at home, they cannot afford another mistake and aim to perform perfectly in the group stage.

While Canada's performance against Finland might not have been overwhelmingly convincing, against Latvia, who are certainly outmatched in class, Canada is unlikely to be limited to just four goals, especially since Latvia has never been known for exemplary defense.

I believe Canada will fully demonstrate their level of skill. In 3 of their last 4 meetings at the World Junior Championship, the team has scored at least ten goals in regular time. Perhaps not to that extent, but Canada's efficiency will be high.

My prediction: Canada Individual Total Over 6.5