Slovakia was an underdog against Germany on Wednesday, but came away with the only regulation win of the Men’s Olympic Hockey Quarterfinals. The Slovaks took down the Germans 6-2, while USA was among three teams that needed overtime to advance to the semifinals.
Quinn Hughes scored the overtime winner for the Americans on Wednesday, sending Team USA to the semifinals after Mika Zibanejad tied the game 1-1 late in the third period.
Both of these teams will have a chance to play for a medal, but who will play for gold?
Let’s take a look at the odds and my prediction for Slovakia vs. USA in Men's Olympic Hockey Semifinals on Friday, Feb. 20.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Puck Line
Moneyline
Total
All the pressure is on the USA in this game. Slovakia is just happy to be playing for a medal, so it should be playing loose and hungry against the Americans, which is how the Slovaks have gotten this far.
USA struggled to generate a ton of chances at 5-on-5 against Sweden while dominating on special teams. Staying out of the penalty box is always important, but especially so for Slovakia in the semifinals against the USA.
There are two plays I like in this game. I expect another hard-fought game from Slovakia, and both goaltenders have been strong between the pipes.
Everyone knows how good Connor Hellebuyck is, and he’s lived up to that with a .957 save percentage through three games. Samuel Hlavaj has also been great for Slovakia, though, allowing eight goals on 118 shots for a .932 SV%.
I like both Slovakia +2.5 (+130) and UNDER 5.5 (+114) in this one. If you parlay those two, which seem fairly correlated, you can get a nice +266 price.
However, if I had to give out just one pick, it would be the UNDER 5.5 at plus money, or UNDER 6 if you want the extra insurance.
Pick: UNDER 5.5 (+114)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Ryan is a sports betting writer at Sports Illustrated. He has experience working for NHL.com, NBC Sports, Covers, and more throughout his decade in the industry. As a Philadelphia native, he understands the passion and pain that come with being a sports fan.
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