Our second Olympic men’s hockey match of the day is between Slovakia and Team USA. After a dramatic quarterfinal round, we’ve got a heater of a semifinal to settle.
Team USA enters as a 2.5-goal favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Slovakia sits as a +550 underdog. The total is set at 5.5 goals.
Let’s dive into a preview, prediction, and pick for Thursday’s Olympic hockey matchup between Slovakia and Team USA for a ticket to the gold medal game.
Slovakia vs. USA prediction, preview
The Slovaks acquitted themselves well in the group stage, going 2-0-1 in group play and securing the final bye into the quarterfinals. Many doubted their inclusion, but they showed their quality with a 6-2 win over Germany. A great performance from Pavol Regenda fueled them in that game, but Juraj Slafkovsky has been the story of the tournament for Slovakia. The young Canadiens forward has seven points thus far, tied for fifth of all skaters in the tournament. Only 21 years old, he has been prolific in international play, giving a lot of hope for the present and future of Slovakian hockey.
This is a true underdog story. Just look at their NHL player count compared to the rest of the remaining field.
Team USA hasn’t had a performer quite like Slafkovsky, but they have no shortage of talent. Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Eichel, and Jack Hughes have been consistent sources of offense from the forward group. But it’s Jack’s brother, Quinn, who took the day on Wednesday. The diminutive defenseman had a moment for the ages, waving off a line change in overtime against Sweden before bagging the game-winning goal. This one is going to be replayed time and time again.
The offense has underwhelmed a bit relative to expectations, but the defense is absolutely locked in. Hughes has turned heads offensively, but the rest of the blue line is locking it down. Charlie McAvoy, Zach Werenski, Brock Faber, and Jaccob Slavin have been crucial to their defensive effort. They also have a hot goaltender behind them; Connor Hellebuyck leads the tournament in average goals allowed per game (0.98) and save percentage (95.77%). That’s one heck of a formula for winning some hardware.
So, will Team USA continue on their quest for gold? Or will Slovakia go for their first-ever gold?
Slovakia vs. USA pick, best bet
Slovakia’s run has been incredible. They’ve proven that even with a dearth of NHL talent, they can win at the highest level. But the fun stops here.
Slafkovsky has yet to face a defense this good, or a goaltender this hot. And if he’s not scoring, they don’t stand a chance. Zach Werenski should see plenty of ice time across from Slovakia’s young star, and that’s going to cause him a lot of problems.
On the other end, Team USA’s offense is dying for a breakout offensive performance after struggling against Sweden. Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel are two elite pivots that can drive offense for the top groups. If they get Slovakia on the back foot and generate power play chances, this one could get out of hand. It’s going to be a convincing win for Team USA that launches them into the gold medal game.
