Published Feb 16, 5:19am ET by
Alex Dudley - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Feb 16, 5:19am ET
Credit: Shutterstock
Updated Feb 16, 5:19am ET
A crucial playoff featuring Sweden and Latvia will be staged on Feb 17, with the winners progressing to face the USA in the quarterfinals at the Winter Olympics.
Sweden have been one of the biggest disappointments at the Games this winter, struggling to only third in Group B despite being well fancied to top the group standings.
Latvia will be huge outsiders to progress, but confidence can be gained from the fact that they won one of their three games in Group C.
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|---|---|
| Sweden | -1100 |
| Latvia | +700 |
Sweden were one of the likeliest challengers to the USA and Canada for a medal before the start of the Games, but the Swedes are unlikely to even reach the semi-final stage after finishing third in Group B.
The nation lost on MD2 against Finland, before showing great character to power to a 5-3 win over Slovakia in the final round of games.
However, despite scoring eleven in their three games, Sweden struggled defensively after allowing nine. A defeat on Tuesday would mark their worst showing at the Olympics in history.
It has been a progressive showing by Harijs Vitolins’ Latvia at this Winter’s Olympics. However, it is unsurprising given that they won a bronze at the World Championships in 2023.
The nation won one of their three games in Group C, and positives could have been taken from their defeats against the USA and Denmark. Their best performance came on Saturday, edging to a 4-3 win over Germany.
Their character should be respected ahead of this clash, and despite being the outsiders in the betting, they hold a serious chance of upsetting the odds.
| TOTAL | Sweden | Latvia | DRAWS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WINS | 24 | 21 | 3 | - |
| GOALS | 145 | 106 | 39 |
Sweden have underperformed at the Winter Olympics to this point, and Tuesday’s clash with Latvia gives them the perfect opportunity to get back on track.
The Swedes have dominated previous encounters with their opponents, winning the last two 6-0 and 7-2. A big-scoring win is unlikely on Tuesday, but we fully expect the Swedes to set up a showdown with the U.S.
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Pick
Sweden
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