Charlie Cummings breaks down his prediction and pick for the Denmark vs. Latvia men’s hockey matchup at the Milan Winter Olympics.
Everyone is scrapping for positioning as the preliminary stage of the Olympic Men’s Hockey tournament winds to a close. Both Denmark and Latvia have struggled in the early stages of this tournament and are looking to head into the knockout stage on a positive note.
Team Latvia is a -112 moneyline favorite to win this one, and the puck line is set at -1.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook. If you think the Danes can pull an upset, they’re priced at -108. The total for this game is set at 5.5 goals. Let’s dig into a prediction and pick for this game.
Denmark vs. Latvia prediction, preview
After taking a 5-1 loss to the USA, Latvia was in desperate need of a bounce-back. Up against a talented German squad, they battled out an impressive 4-3 win to keep their hopes of a bye week alive. Two goals from Dans Locmelis sealed the deal, while the defense bent without breaking. Depth has been their strength so far, and good goaltending from Arturs Silovs. It’s a formula that can work.
Despite the lack of results, the Danes have acquitted themselves well. They outshot Germany 38-26 despite losing 3-1, and put fear into Team USA on Saturday. Though the final score was 6-3, they led at one point and kept the game within one goal through the first two periods. It’s a good sign for their chances in the knockout rounds, but with two losses, their chances at a bye are toast.
For those who need a refresher: the preliminary stage only serves to determine seeding for the knockout round. The top four teams in points get a bye week, while teams 5-12 play single elimination games to move to the quarterfinals. While Denmark cannot secure a bye, Latvia can secure one with a convincing win and some help in the other games. They’ll need to win the goal differential battle against some of the other 2-0-1 teams. But that is doable.
Both teams are more than capable. Who is going to head into the knockout stages on a good note?
Denmark vs. Latvia pick, best bet
The numbers don’t favor Denmark, but I’ve liked their performances so far. The depth has made for good showings and they’re getting some competent performances in the crease. You can make a good argument that they were more deserving of beating Germany than Latvia was.
In what feels like a coin flip contest, I’ll take the value on Denmark to win outright