The 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship is being held in Switzerland from May 15 to May 31, 2026 with games split between Zurich and Fribourg.

The 16-team field is divided into two groups of eight, and the most likely title contenders are Canada, USA, Sweden, Czechia, Switzerland, and Finland, with Canada generally the betting favourite and USA close behind.

Quick Picks

• Our pick: Canada to win
• Value bet: USA to win
• Long shot: Sweden to win

Betting Preview

The 16 teams have been separated into the following groups:

• Group A (Zurich): USA, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Austria, Hungary, Great Britain
• Group B (Fribourg): Canada, Sweden, Czechia, Denmark, Slovakia, Norway, Slovenia, Italy

The format is straightforward: two round-robin groups of eight, with the top four from each group advancing to the quarter-finals. From there, it becomes a knockout bracket.

Looking at the makeup of the groups, Group A appears more balanced at the top, while Group B has the deepest concentration of elite teams and feels like the tougher overall pool.

Canada, Sweden, and Czechia all appear to be on equal footing, which should make the group stage more competitive.

Betting Markets to Watch

The upcoming 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship should be competitive, with betting value likely to be found across the tournament.

It wouldn’t be unreasonable to suggest before it starts that most of the value will be in Group B, due to the competitive nature and elite number of teams involved.

Canada will be considered one of the main favourites to win, as they have won the competition 22 times in their history.

They also appear to have a strong 2026 roster, with experienced NHL names and top young talent linked to the squad ahead of the tournament.

By that notion, the USA are also worth value as a potential outright winner. They won the 2025 title and could boast star power, pace, and elite goaltending. Players like Matthew Tkachuk and Connor Hellebuyck are expected to be involved.

If you’re looking outside of these two North American powerweights, the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship could be won by Sweden.

They will likely have value in the odds before the tournament starts, as they have a strong tournament habit and have finished third in each of the last three World Championships.

Additionally, the Swedes are usually very well-organised structurally and can beat anyone if their defence is sharp.

Our Prediction

You can check out all of the IIHF World Championship betting odds at Sportsbet!

We think it’s most likely that Canada will emerge as the victors in this year’s edition, with their experience and squad depth likely to be major factors.

By the same token, we think the USA offers value to defend their title because of what they can bring to the ice.