Latvia vs USA Prediction, Odds and Winter Olympics Men's Ice Hockey Picks for Today, 02/12/26

Team USA’s guest for its first hockey Gold medal since 1980 begins with a matchup against Latvia on Thursday. Connor Hellebuyck is projected to get the starting nod between the pipes, and he seems to have a favorable matchup in this one. Latvia’s forward group features just two NHL players in Zemgus Girgensons and Teddy Blueger, and the group as a whole simply doesn’t possess great depth. In the 2025 World Hockey Championship, Lativa managed to score just 2 total goals over 3 games against Sweden, Canada, and Finland. Team USA has elite skaters up and down the lineup and should be able to limit Latvia’s scoring attack in this one. Defensively, Latvia allowed 15 total goals in those 3 games, and the rosters they faced were nowhere near as talented as this Team USA team.

After losing in the Gold medal game of the 4 Nations Face Off last February, look for Team USA to come out firing in this one. The Americans are hungry to show what they can do in an international best-on-best tournament on a stage like this, and they’ll be looking to make a statement in this matchup. Team USA features plenty of scoring depth and the defensive core is possibly the greatest ever assembled. Simply put, Latvia doesn’t have the firepower to keep up. Look for Team USA to put forth a convincing effort in this one and back the Americans -3.5 on the puck line.

Latvia vs USA prediction: Team USA -3.5 (-162) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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