4 Nations Face-Off Won by Canada, Most-Bet Hockey Event in History

This highly anticipated final not only glued hockey fans to their screens but also shattered records, becoming the most-bet hockey event in the history of legal sports betting.

The Final Eclipsed All Other Hockey Events 

Betting giants like BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel, which also recently recorded 16.6 million Super Bowl bets, reported that the 4 Nations championship game had eclipsed all previous hockey events regarding betting activity.

According to DraftKings, the event also achieved the highest betting handle ever for a hockey game. 

Caesars and ESPN BET acknowledged that while the 4 Nations final fell just shy of their all-time records, set during the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between Edmonton and Florida, it still delivered exceptional numbers for a mid-February hockey contest. 

“Handle for the 4 Nations Final surpassed last year’s World Series games and was on par with Sunday afternoon NFL games, which is remarkable when comparing the general scale of hockey and football betting,” said Adrian Horton, ESPN BET’s director of North American sports trading.

The championship game significantly outperformed earlier games in the tournament. 

While Saturday’s opening matchup between the USA and Canada had previously been the most-bet hockey game of the season, Thursday’s final attracted nearly double the wagers at ESPN BET and 2.5 times the number of bets at BetMGM.

The betting trend for the final closely mirrored national loyalties, with 79% of bets and 77% of the total money placed on the United States money line at ESPN BET. 

In contrast, Canada’s money line drew 84% of tickets and 87% of the total handle at theScore BET, a sportsbook owned by Penn Entertainment. 

The game closed as a near-even pick ’em, with both sides set at -110 odds.

Despite the betting focus on the Americans, Canada’s victory proved to be a “good outcome for the sportsbook,” according to BetMGM’s trading manager, Halvor Egeland. 

“The NHL Absolutely Nailed It With the 4 Nations Face-Off”

Overall, the 4 Nations Face-Off emerged as a major success for the sports betting world. ESPN BET highlighted that the USA’s games were the most-bet of the season, while BetMGM noted that five of its top seven highest-bet hockey events came from the tournament.

“The NHL absolutely nailed it with the 4 Nations Face-Off,” said DraftKings sportsbook director Johnny Avello. 

“Bettors saw how seriously the players took it and reacted accordingly. Every game of this tournament yielded significant action.”, Avello added. 

At the end of last week, we reported on Fitch giving a junk-grade rating to DraftKings as a result of ongoing risks. However, the giant continues to be a major contender in the industry, experiencing steady revenue growth.

As the NHL season resumes, bookmakers anticipate a surge in bets once the playoffs begin, especially if exciting matchups emerge. 

“I really think it’ll ramp right back up again once we get to the playoffs,” said Karry Shreeve, head of hockey at Caesars Sportsbook. 

“The playoffs can really ride off this momentum more than maybe the rest of the regular season as a whole.”, he further commented.