What TV channel is USA vs. Finland on today? Schedule, time for 2021 World Juniors semifinals The United States will be looking for a little payback just days into the new year when they face off against Finland in the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship semifinals. Each of the last two tournaments it was the Finns that sent the Americans home without the ultimate prize of a gold medal: 2020 was in the quarterfinals and 2019 in the gold-medal game. Eight players return for Team USA from last year and one, goaltender Spencer Knight, who is expected to be in net for the U.S., was on the team for both tournaments. This one will be another battle between two evenly matched teams with soon-to-be NHLers littering the roster. The one thing that could give the Americans the advantage is that Finland is one of the most penalized teams in the tournament and the U.S. has the most efficient power play (8-for-19). These two teams did meet up in a pre-tournament tune-up that saw the Americans win 3-2 backed by two Cole Caufield goals but now it's go-time. "I remember it was both of our first games coming into the tournament, and both teams were getting a feel for each other," said defenseman Ryan Johnson after the U.S. advanced with a quarterfinal win over the Slovaks. "I think both teams have progressed. Watching Finland they look a lot better but, same with us as well. I think it'll be a good matchup." Here's how to watch the United States and Finland go toe-to-toe with a spot in the gold-medal game on the line. How to watch USA vs. Finland TV channel (Canada): TSN Live stream (Canada): TSN Live TV channel (USA): NHL Network Live stream (USA): fuboTV (7-day free trial) USA vs. Finland: When is puck drop? Date: Monday, Jan. 4 Time: 9:30 p.m. ET USA vs Finland: Latest news IIHF World Juniors: 2021 Semifinal Odds, Canada vs Russia Prediction, and USA-Finland O/U Pick I try not to publish WagerBop predictions less than 24 hours from kickoff (or puck-drop) due to the blog-traffic factor. Even the site’s most-popular pages aren’t clicked-on by a million people at once. (There aren’t that many sports-gambling aficionados in the world, but at least they hail from all over.) That’s why we make a big deal out of weekly league schedules and events with weeks between legs – at least the sportsbook odds and the dates create a window in which to feature games and cultivate interest in our wacky, unorthodox touts. Why is the IIHF worth an exception? Well, if you don’t make a shotgun-prediction on an IIHF medal round, you’ll never get to make any at all. Like most IIHF tournaments, the World Junior Championship allows for 1 precious day off following the quarterfinals, after which the stamina of the 4 surviving medal-hopefuls is tested along with the speed, skill, defense, shooting, checking, and mental fortitude of national U20 squads. Medal winners will have played up to 8 periods in 24 hours and managed to prevail at least once. There’s barely enough time for bookmakers to realize IIHF Semifinal odds with 24 hours to spare. We’re supposed to advise “fading the public,” but as of of Sunday night, most “line-movement” on the WJC Semifinals consists of people waiting-in-line to wager once their sportsbook gets around to it. (“Division 1” Q-tournaments are rapid round-robins with zip, zero, and zilch windows to squeeze a prediction in and have it read by 30+ people, giving UK bloggers another reason to celebrate Britain’s surprise arrival in the World Championship’s elite field of 16.) But there are still valuable lines, starting with odds on Monday’s twilight face-off between 2 ancient rivals in pond shinny. Neither the Puck Line or moneyline for Semifinal #1 between Russia and Canada, or the O/U total for USA vs Sweden in Semifinal #2, match the line-forecast WagerBop was able to make in the long hours between Quarterfinal results and opening action on the semis. Here’s a closer look at how WJC odds-makers could be going wrong this week. 2021 WJC Semifinals: The Canada vs Russia Odds Ignore History (Again) Canada (-310), Russia (+250) feels like a home-brewed moneyline. 7 Days Don’t miss our free picks After decades to perfect, it's finally here. Try for Free While it’s true that some United Kingdom betting sites aren’t pricing the Russians any more kindly, other offshore sportsbooks have the Junior Red Machine at thinner than 2-to-1, a more-logical handicap of a virtual toss-up of a hockey game, which Canada vs Russia almost always is, by all historical trends and standards. Russia’s national teams have racked-up .750 records against Canada in the Olympic Games, senior Worlds, and a few other series. NHL junkies have some legit and some illegitimate excuses to make for those numbers, but if a U20 match-up of NHL Draft picks and young European stars is the “fairest” battle on the international stage, then the history of the World Junior Championship has shown that Canada and Russia, like Godzilla and Mothra, remain virtual equals on the pond. Canada leads the all-time WJC series 20-19-2. While the Habs are 5-3 against the Junior Reds since 2012, last January’s gold-medal-game comeback heroics could cloud the fact that Russia destroyed the Maple Leaf 6-0 in a Group Stage contest. It’s true that Canada looks to have the more-explosive attack this time. Several Team Canada U20 skaters dot the list of the top-dozen scorers of the 2020-21 Group Stage, and sniper Dylan Cozens leads the tournament with 7 goals. By contrast, the Russians haven’t placed anyone among the top 12 scorers, and appear to have an Achilles Heel not unlike the 2019 Men’s World Championship team. Russia sent a “PlayStation” roster to the recent Worlds, but lost to 20 European professionals skating for Team Finland. Czech Republic U20 shut-out Russia 2-0 on NHL Network just a few days ago, using similar methods – a “left-wing lock” defensive trap in the neutral zone. Russia’s tack back to its ice-hockey roots from a tactical POV, underscored by Igor Larionov standing behind the bench, does seem to have opened-up a vulnerability against the staid defending teams of Europe. Like the “Russian Five” of the Detroit Red Wings, the U20 Russians want opponents to chase the puck, leaving play-makers like #15 overall pick Rodion Amirov to find space and counter-attack. Standing your ground in the neutral zone leads to a lot of complaints from TV announcers, but it’s helped Finland and the Czech Republic upset the Russians under bright lights. It’s also helped Team Germany nearly upset Russia twice – once in the gold medal game of the 2018 Winter Olympics, and once in Saturday’s WJC quarterfinal round in Edmonton. But the Canadians won’t play Russia that way – in fact if there’s an easily-defined weakness of Team Canada and Team USA at the Worlds and the WJC, it’s a lack of singleness-of-purpose and a corresponding inability to adapt in different situations. Russia wants to win gold and would be happy playing a boring neutral-zone trap in the 3rd period to prevent a repeat of last year’s blown lead. Canada wants to win gold while showcasing 20 draft picks playing hell-for-leather, All-Maple Leaf style hockey. It’s worked against Team Russia just over 50% of the time at the World Juniors. But it’s not a 1-to-3 scenario, and there’s no Plan B to speak of. Russia has about a 50% chance to lose on Monday, but won’t trip over its Heel again, thanks to Canada’s counterattack-friendly style. Last but not least, NHLN pundits often spend whole tourneys trashing whoever the Russian goalie is for his supposedly “bad” form. Translated out of “meathead,” that means KHL goalies have different skill-sets than NHL goalies do. Devon Levi has turned into a terrific find for the Florida Panthers, a 7th-round NHL Draft Pick who has stonewalled 2 teams at the World Juniors so far. But the Canucks had a slightly easier round-robin than GK Yaroslav Askarov and the U20 Russians did, considering Team USA and Team Austria were the only teams Russia really matched-up well against from an X & O’s standpoint. Team Germany had its worst outing by-far against Canada, and the 2 weak sisters in Group A – Slovakia and Switzerland – combined for 10 goals-scored. In contrast, the Czechs scored 10 goals, allowed 14, and finished 4th in Russia’s loaded Group B.