One of the most important games of the preliminary round takes place Sunday morning when Switzerland faces Czechia.
Both teams took care of France, but they were handed losses by Team Canada, meaning the winner of this contest will finish in second place and have a chance at a bye into the quarterfinals, depending on the out-of-country scoreboard.
These were two of the trendy dark horses coming into the tournament, and it’s not a shock that the odds are narrow, with Czechia sitting as a -145 favorite at BetMGM.
Czechia vs. Switzerland odds, prediction
The Czechs put together one of the most bizarre performances of the tournament against France.
They got an early lead, extended it to 2-0, and then quickly fell behind, 3-2, in the middle of the second period.
The wobble could be attributed to shaky goaltending from Dan Vladar, but he’s not likely to get the nod Sunday.
That honor will go to Lukas Dostal, who couldn’t hold the fort against the relentless attack of Team Canada.
Dostal isn’t likely to be under siege against the Swiss in the same fashion, but there is plenty of firepower on Switzerland’s roster.
Nico Hischier, Kevin Fiala, Timo Meier and Nino Niederreiter provide some serious scoring punch for this roster, and that cohort can counter Czechia’s top-six, which is headlined by David Pastrnak, Martin Necas and Tomas Hertl.
While the forwards may be close to a wash, the edge on the blueline goes to Switzerland.
With Roman Josi, Jonas Siegenthaler and J.J. Moser leading the way, the Swiss defense brings a blend of mobility, defensive acumen, and offensive upside that the Czechs can’t match.
There is plenty of size and snarl on the Czech roster, but the Swiss are speedy, skilled and should be able to resist the temptation of letting this game get off the rails.
So long as they do that, they’ll be in good position to nab the victory and slot into second place behind Canada.
The Play: Switzerland moneyline (+110, BetMGM)
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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.