Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
Canada
France
In the Ice Hockey World Championship, Team Canada will face off against France. The clash is set for Tuesday, May 13, at 20:20 Central European Time, and I’m offering a betting tip for this group stage encounter.
See also: Atletico Huracan vs Deportivo Riestra: prediction, H2H and probable lineups – May 12, 2025
Canada vs France: match preview
Canada has brought an incredibly powerful roster to this tournament and is considered the top favorite to win the World Championship. The legendary Sidney Crosby and Marc-André Fleury have joined the squad, alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Jordan Binnington. In other words, this is a star-studded team packed with NHL talent. They’ve already played two games in the tournament—first, shutting out Slovakia 4-0, then demolishing Latvia 7-1 with even more authority. Right now, Canada, along with the USA, boasts the tournament’s best offense with 11 goals scored. Defensively, they’ve conceded just one goal—the second-best record in the championship, with only the Americans allowing fewer.
France is the clear underdog, not just in this matchup but across the entire tournament. The French are among the main candidates for relegation from the elite division. Last year, they finished 14th overall. This time around, they’ve started with two defeats: first, losing to Latvia 1-4, then falling to Finland in overtime, 3-4. Not a single player on the French roster comes from the NHL. The only one with North American experience is Pierre-Édouard Bellemare, who played in the NHL until 2024 and is suiting up for this tournament. Survival in the top flight will be a monumental challenge for them.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Canada has won six consecutive games, scoring more than four goals in each of their last four outings.
- France has lost its last four matches, conceding at least four goals in each.
- Canada boasts the tournament’s best attack and second-best defense.
- In their most recent head-to-head, Canada crushed France 7-1. The last French win over Canada was back in 2014.
Prediction
Canada is the outright favorite here, and I see no reason why they shouldn’t claim a convincing victory. My bet: Canada’s individual total over 4.5 goals at odds of 1.5.
