4 Nations Hockey Final Attracts Surprisingly Large Betting Numbers

The 4 Nations Hockey title game between Canada and the USA attracted betting numbers bigger than anyone anticipated. Canada won the Thursday night rematch between the two squads and claimed the championship on US soil.

A Perfect Storm

The confluence of events leading up to the championship game could not have been scripted any better. Since President Trump reclaimed the Oval Office, he has threatened to make Canada the USA’s 51st state and has also signaled his administration’s willingness to levy taxes on Canadian imports.

This White House bluster has not gone over well with the citizens north of the border, and they made their feelings known in the first game, held in Montreal, between the USA and Canada, when a chorus of boos rained down during the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner.

Within nine seconds of the opening puck drop, three fights ensued, and the bad blood was on display for the world to see. USA would go on to win the game, 3-1, setting up a collision course for a championship rematch.

A Dream Final for Organizers and Bettors

Naturally, it attracted global attention when the two squads met again in the 4 Nations Final, which was a dream come true for the tournament organizers. It also turned out to be a boon to bookmakers, some of whom claimed it was the biggest bet hockey event ever. Conor McDavid lit the lamp in overtime to give Canada a 3-2 win and the first 4 Nations title.

It turns out the entire 4 Nations tournament drew a staggering number of viewers and overwhelming interest from fans and bettors alike. FanDuel said that the U.S.-Canada game received 11 times as many bets as the average number of wagers on an NHL game this season. Meanwhile, the entire four-team tournament averaged 6 times as many bets as an average NHL game.

People Are Talking

Bookmakers were swamped with action, and that usually portends a healthy bottom line for the sports betting platforms. After tallying the wagers and counting their money, the sportsbooks were more than willing to endorse the 4 Nations tournament.

“The 4 Nations tournament was a great success for BetMGM,” BetMGM trading manager Halvor Egeland said Friday in an email. “The USA-Canada final was not only the most bet (tickets) hockey event this season but the most bet in BetMGM history.”

NFL-Level Betting Interest

“It was incredible,” SuperBook vice president of risk Jeff Sherman said. “The two USA-Canada games were on par with an average NFL game handle. Other games were on par with the average NHL game.”

According to Caesars, the 4 Nations title tilt attracted more than twice as many customers, wagers, and total amount bet as any NHL game this season.

“A Game 7 atmosphere and style of play is what we anticipated, and it was exactly what we got in every which way,” Caesars head of hockey Karry Shreeve said in an email. “Customers were all over the USA out of the gates, especially when they went down 1-0 and were around +150 to bet on to win.

“Anytime goal scorer saw record handle, and customers were rewarded when McDavid scored the game-winner in overtime. The betting only ramped up when the game did go to OT, proving everyone was locked in until the very end.”