USA men’s hockey will open its 2026 Winter Olympic campaign against Latvia at the Milano Santagiulia Arena on Thursday, Feb. 11. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET, with live TV coverage on USA Network.
This game is the first U.S. Olympic contest featuring NHL players since the 2014 Games in Sochi, where the Americans fell just short of the medal stand by finishing fourth.
The U.S. showed it can go toe-to-toe with gold-medal favorites Canada at last year’s 4 Nations Face-off, and Mike Sullivan’s squad will try to get off to a strong start on Thursday.
To prepare for this contest, let’s dive into the betting odds before I make my USA vs Latvia predictions.
USA vs Latvia Odds
All hockey odds used for these USA vs Latvia best bets are current as of Wednesday, Feb. 11, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: USA (-2400) vs Latvia (+1200)
- Puck Line: USA -3.5 (-155) vs Latvia +3.5 (+130)
- Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-115) / Under 6.5 (-105)
USA vs Latvia Predictions
USA -3.5 (-155) vs Latvia
On paper, there’s no denying that the U.S. is the much stronger team.
Latvia’s roster features just six NHL players, two of whom are goalies, while the Americans can call on many of the league’s top stars.
Does that mean they’ll win this game by four goals or more? Not necessarily.
However, the U.S. did win two of its three preliminary-round games by at least a four-goal margin in 2014, and this team is more likely to reach the medal stand.
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USA vs Latvia: Over 6.5 Goals (-115)
I’m backing the USA vs Latvia over as one of my best hockey betting picks today.
While both teams feature NHL starting goaltenders, neither Connor Hellebuyck nor Arturs Silovs has been in particularly good form this season for their respective teams.
Hellebuyck is tied for 25th in goals against average (2.79) among NHL goalies who have played in at least 20 games this season, while Silovs (2.93 GAA) ranks 34th.
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Hellebuyck was tremendous for the U.S. during the 4 Nations Face-off, posting a 1.59 GAA across three starts, but he hasn’t shown the 2025 form that saw him win NHL MVP honors.
The Winnipeg Jets netminder has allowed at least three goals in each of his previous five outings, and while he shouldn’t be tested much against Latvia, I’d be surprised if he kept a shutout.
Given the expected U.S. dominance on the other end, this game should go over the total if Latvia scores once or twice.
