Published Feb 18, 4:02am ET by
Alex Dudley - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Feb 18, 4:02am ET
Credit: Shutterstock
Updated Feb 18, 4:02am ET
Winter Olympics heavyweights collide at an early stage of the tournament on Feb 18, as the USA and Sweden clash in the quarterfinals.
USA have been efficient on the ice throughout the competition, winning each of their three games, showing attacking flair and defensive structure.
However, Sweden will be the outsiders after enduring a stop-start campaign, despite being among the pre-tournament favorites to win a medal.
|
|
|---|---|
| USA | -275 |
| Sweden | +230 |
USA’s long wait for Winter Olympic success could end in Italy, as Mike Sullivan bids to guide the nation to a first gold medal since 1980.
The U.S. have been emphatic on the ice, winning each of their three games. An opening night win over Latvia set the tone, before big-scoring wins against Latvia and Germany rounded off the opening round.
The U.S. have scored an impressive 16 goals, conceding just five. Connor Hellebuyck has been among the standout goaltenders, allowing just two goals and making an impressive 42 saves.
It has been a frustrating Winter Olympics campaign for Sam Hallam’s Sweden, as they go in search of a first gold medal since 2006.
Sweden overcame Italy in their opening Group B game, before they were hammered 4-1 by Finland on MD2, which ultimately cost them a spot as an automatic qualifier. Sweden rounded off the opening round with a comfortable 5-3 win over Slovakia.
The nation’s spot in the quarterfinals was secured on Tuesday, beating Latvia. Lucas Raymond has been a standout performer for the team, registering an impressive six assists in four games.
| TOTAL | USA | Sweden | DRAWS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WINS | 15 | 6 | 9 | - |
| GOALS | 94 | 40 | 54 |
This will be the USA’s biggest test to date, but their deep roster should have the quality to get over the line. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a period of overtime being required to separate the talented nations.
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Pick
USA
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