2021 world juniors betting preview: The best futures value isn't what you expect

The holidays are just around the corner, and you know what that means: The return of the World Junior Hockey Championship.

The annual tournament gets started in a few days, with four games kicking things off on Sunday.

Let's get you set for several weeks of what should be high-action, drama-filled hockey.

Canada (+140)

Team Canada enters this tournament as favorites, and for good reason. Its lineup is stacked, especially at forward. Up front, they have a plethora of highly skilled first-round picks in Kent Johnson, Cole Perfetti, and Mason McTavish, among others, and the latter two already have some NHL experience. There is quality depth throughout the forward group, including wild cards like Shane Wright and Connor Bedard - two youngsters expected to go first overall over the next couple of drafts.

More question marks lie with the defense. The Canadians shockingly left Brandt Clarke off the team despite him finding success in Slovakia's pro league last season, being the eighth overall selection, and producing at better than a point per game pace with the Barrie Colts this year. Canada expected Clarke to be a key cog on the backend, so his absence is questionable, to say the least - particularly with zero right-handed defensemen on the roster. Even so, it probably won't matter. Owen Power is more than capable of heading the defense, Olen Zellweger is quickly rising in the ranks in terms of top defense prospects league-wide, and Kaiden Guhle's brunt style should provide some stoutness to the blue line.

This squad seems destined to play for gold.

USA (+330)

Team USA looks like a very balanced side. Its forward group isn't loaded with future offensive stars, but there's enough talent to win a lot of games. Matty Beniers, Matt Coronato, and Sasha Pastjujov are the team's most skilled weapons and should cause problems, especially on the power play. I don't see a ton of firepower beyond those guys, but Team USA might not need it since its defense should be extremely stout. All eight defenders on the roster are on NHL teams, so there's a nice mix of high-end talent (Luke Hughes, Jake Sanderson) and experience (Tyler Kleven, Scott Morrow, etc.) that should neuter opposing attacks.

The big question for me: Can they keep up? USA should give up very few shots/chances against soft competition, thus winning handily. But against top teams, their goaltending could be problematic. There's only one drafted goaltender on the roster (Drew Commesso), and he has a .900 save percentage in the NCAA this year. If he can't hold up, I'm not sure USA can outscore its problems against top-end opponents.

I'll likely fade USA against other heavyweights, especially if favored.

Russia (+550)

Russia builds its lineup the same way every single year. The team has a few star players and surrounds them with a ton of veterans. Forget 16 and 17-year-olds - Russia even carries very few 18-year-old players. The Russians like to bring bigger, stronger, and more mature players who have been in the system longer. This year is no different, with 17 players on its roster who are 19 years old.

I expect Russia to make a lot of noise in this tournament. Minnesota Wild prospect Murat Khusnutdinov is one of the best-kept secrets in hockey. Khusnutdinov and Alexander Pashin will head the offense and no doubt pile up the points throughout. The defense, headlined by returnee Shakir Mukhamadullin, should be good as well, and Yaroslav Askarov is more than capable of masking any of the squad's mistakes and stealing games.

This team is going to give up very little to opposing offenses and rely on its stars for a push across the finish line. I think Russia's a legit contender in this tournament. Unders could be especially appealing when the side reaches the elimination round.

Finland (+650)

Finland is following the same model as Team Russia this time around, littering its lineup with 19-year-old players and having 10 returnees from last year's squad. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Topi Niemela is going to head what should be one of the tournament's best blue lines, and Finland's goaltending should be good as well. This team really won't concede many goals.

My worry is Finland struggle to score against high-end competition. While the roster does have seven drafted forwards, there isn't much in the way of high picks or top-end talent.

Finland's goal will be to beat up on the soft competition and hope to bleed offenses dry when playing against the best teams. Like Russia, this could be a side to target with unders when games matter most.

Sweden (+650)

I think Sweden is the most underrated team in the tournament by far. The team's not getting nearly enough respect on the betting market. There simply aren't many - or any? - holes.

We'll start with the forwards. The Swedes have 12 NHL-drafted players, including first-rounders like William Eklund, Alex Holtz, and Oskar Olausson. That trio expects to play together on what might be the best and most dynamic line in the entire competition.

Simon Edvinsson should play 25 minutes a night on the backend and absolutely dominate at both ends of the rink every time he's out there. Sweden doesn't have another defender close to his caliber, but they do have five other drafted players who should nicely compliment Edvinsson.

In the crease, Sweden has not one, not two, but three 19-year-old netminders on NHL franchises. If Jesper Wallstedt falters as the team's No. 1 goalie for any reason, the Swedes have the talented depth to pick up the slack.

I see value on Sweden to take the tournament outright, and I'll no doubt be looking to bag them as underdogs against other prominent countries.

The long shots

I don't think much of this Czech Republic side. They have a few nice pieces on the roster but none capable of dominating against high-end opponents. The Czechs could beat up on some weaker clubs - and potentially hang in some low-scoring affairs against a defense-first team like Finland - but there isn't much hope to claim a medal. The most value you'll get betting Czech Republic games might come after potential blowout wins, thus having the market overreact about its chances of hanging with a powerhouse team.

Germany made some noise in the past by playing their stars into the ground, which helped mask depth issues. Unfortunately, that's not an option this year. Tim Stutzle, J.J. Peterka, and Co. are all playing pro hockey in North America and were not released to play for their country, so Germany only has two drafted prospects rostered and no high draft picks. The Germans' ceiling - as in best case scenario - is likely stealing a game against the Czech Republic in which the former will get outshot 15-20.

It feels like every year, Switzerland upsets a squad far out of its weight class or at least comes close to doing so. I don't see that happening this year. The Swiss just don't have the horses to keep up with USA, Russia, or Sweden - all of whom they'll face in group play.

That leaves Slovakia as the only hope for a win, and I think the chances of pulling even that off are slim. Don't let just three drafted prospects fool you - this Slovakia team has talent. Behind two projected 2022 first-round picks in Filip Mesar and Simon Nemec, this team has quite a few budding stars poised to hear their names called in a few months. I think Slovakia could be a great value if remotely close to even money against Switzerland, and the side might be a puck line play against a team like USA due to potential issues in goal.

Lastly, we have Austria, an emerging hockey country that still has a way to go. The team doesn't (yet) have a drafted player, and structure can only take teenagers so far. Players this age are prone to being sucked into the emotions of the game, which can lead to missed assignments, bad penalties, and more. It's easy to get distracted into the lows, and unfortunately, there will probably be many for Team Austria.

Best bet to win the tournament: Sweden (+650)

The odds imply Sweden has a 13.5% chance of winning the World Junior Championship. I think that is well short. The Swedes have what could be the most prolific line in the tournament, an elite defender in Edvinsson, a top-tier goaltender, and a ton of depth at every position.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.