Czechia came into the 2026 Winter Olympics as a popular dark horse. Nobody expected the Czechs to go toe-to-toe with Canada or Team USA, but they had enough talent to perhaps nab a bye into the quarterfinals and maybe make a push for a medal.
That chatter has slowed after a sluggish performance in the group stage.
The Czechs got crushed by Canada, outlasted France in a messy win, and then lost in overtime to Switzerland in a pivotal contest.
That’s all in the rear-view mirror now, though. All that matters for Czechia is getting a win over Denmark in Tuesday’s qualifying round contest. The loser goes home. The winner gets a date with Canada on Wednesday.
Denmark vs. Czechia odds, prediction
There were really no expectations for Denmark coming into the Winter Olympics. The Danes have some skill at the top of their lineup with Nikolaj Ehlers, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Lars Eller, and they have a strong goaltender in Frederik Andersen, but their lack of depth severely limits their upside.
That showed in the group stage.
Although Denmark did put a jolt into the United States after taking a lead on a fluke goal, it was underwhelming in a loss to Germany, and didn’t look all that impressive in its lone win over Latvia. The Danes won, 4-2, but were outshot, 35-21, and were under siege in the third period.
Score effects could be blamed, as Denmark was up 3-0, but it was still a messy performance against a team that should have been there for the taking.
Czechia should be licking its chops.
Betting on the NHL?
As lackluster as they were in the group stage, the Czechs are still a team with elite talent, NHL experience, and strong goaltending, at least on paper.
David Pastrnak, Martin Necas, and Tomas Hertl have the potential to flip this game on a moment’s notice, and Czechia’s blueline shouldn’t have too many issues containing this mediocre attack.
It may be a tough sell to trust the Czechs as big favorites after a disappointing showing in the group stage, but I feel confident betting on their upside against a team that doesn’t have any.
The Play: Czechia -1.5 (-130, FanDuel)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.