After an exciting qualifying round of Olympic men’s ice hockey on Tuesday, a total of 4 games are set for the quarterfinals on Wednesday. The intensity is now heightened, as each matchup represents a win-or-go-home scenario. For our Winter Olympics hockey best bets of the day, we are taking a look at the matchups between USA and Sweden, as well as Finland vs Switzerland. Let’s dive in, and don’t forget to check out our Winter Olympics hockey picks throughout the entire tournament.
Winter Olympics Men’s Ice Hockey best bet: USA vs Sweden Under 6.5 (-118)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing
Perhaps the most intriguing matchup of the quarterfinals is Team USA vs Team Sweden. These teams began the tournament with the 2nd and 3rd-best odds to win Gold, and Wednesday’s matchup is sure to deliver plenty of excitement. While there is plenty of offensive talent on both sides, the Under is the way to go.
Team USA has been a stingy defensive team in this tournament. They have allowed just 5 total goals through 3 games, and only 2 have been with Connor Hellebuyck in net. Hellebuyck has been fantastic, owning a solid .952 save percentage to go along with a 1.00 goals-against average in a pair of starts. He is expected to get the starting nod in this one and should be able to limit the damage.
Team Sweden may be stacked with plenty of NHL talent, but they have looked out of sync throughout this tournament. Sweden’s offense was underwhelming in the Group stage, and while they finally broke through against Latvia in the qualifying round, Latvia has been among the worst defensive teams in this field. Team USA presents a much tougher challenge, and it’s tough to expect the Swedes to light the lamp early and often in this matchup.
Team USA has posted solid offensive numbers in this tournament, but the 1st period has been a bit tricky. The Americans have needed some time to get rolling, and when going up against the toughest opponent they’ve seen in this tournament thus far, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Americans start slow offensively once again. It’s also worth mentioning that Team Sweden’s penalty kill has allowed just 1 goal on 12 opposing power plays in this tournament. It’s also possible that the Swedes know their best chance at victory is to make this game more physical and lower-scoring. With that in mind, look to the under.
Read our full Sweden vs USA prediction for today’s hockey quarterfinal matchup
Winter Olympics Men’s Ice Hockey best bet: Finland 3-Way ML over Switzerland (-150)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing
Team Finland suffered a surprising 4-1 loss to Slovakia in the opening game of this tournament, but has gotten back on track since then. The Finns bounced back with an impressive 4-1 win over Sweden in which 12 different skaters found the score sheet. They then took care of business against Italy by a score of 11-0 to earn a bye into the quarterfinals. Now set to face Switzerland, the Finns have the advantage in this elimination matchup.
The offensive depth from Team Finland gives them the edge over Team Switzerland. Finland boasts 4 players leading the team with 4 points in this tournament, while 5 more skaters are averaging a point per game with 3 points through 3 games. Star players such as Mikko Rantanen and Sebastian Aho are taking care of business, while role players such as Kaapo Kakko, Joel Armia and Artturi Lehkonen are stepping up in big ways. Juuse Saros has been great between the pipes, as he owns a .946 save percentage and 1.46 goals-against average through 3 starts. The Finns are extremely well-rounded and present plenty of challenges for Switzerland in this matchup.
Team Switzerland is putting together a solid tournament, but Finland’s offensive depth may be too much to handle. Switzerland has been extremely reliant on Timo Meier, who has 7 points through 3 games. The loss of Kevin Fiala is a big one, as his absence is a tough blow to Switzerland’s forward group. Swiss goaltender Leonardo Genoni has been impressive, but I’m giving Saros the advantage over the 38-year-old Genoni. In my eyes, it would take an overachieving effort from Switzerland and an underwhelming performance from Finland for Switzerland to pull off the upset. The cards would have to fall just right, and I don’t see that happening. Back Team Finland to win this matchup in regulation.
Find out our expert’s Switzerland vs Finland picks for today’s game
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