- Finland is a -475 moneyline favorite over Slovakia in Wednesday’s Olympic men’s hockey opener
- This is the first Olympic men’s hockey game with NHL players since 2014 in Sochi
- See my Slovakia vs Finland prediction and picks below, plus the latest odds and props for Wednesday morning
Best-on-best Olympic hockey is finally back. The men’s tournament at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics kicks off Wednesday morning with Slovakia taking on Finland in Group B action at the Santagiulia Arena.
It’s been 12 years since NHL players competed in the Olympics, and we’re getting right to it with the defending gold medalists against the 2022 bronze medalists. Finland’s roster is stacked with NHL talent, while Slovakia rides 2022 Olympic MVP Juraj Slafkovsky and a handful of young pros.
Puck drop is set for 10:40 am ET. You can watch on USA Network and Peacock in the U.S., or CBC, CBC Gem and TSN in Canada.
Here’s my Slovakia vs Finland prediction and picks, plus the latest odds and props for the 2026 Olympic men’s hockey opener.
Slovakia vs Finland Prediction
- Finland -2 (-118 at BetMGM)
Finland is the clear side here, but I’m not touching a -475 moneyline. Instead, I like the Finns to cover -2 at BetMGM. The talent gap between these two rosters is massive, and it should show once the game opens up.
Finland returns 18 of 23 players from the 4 Nations Face-Off and added Miro Heiskanen and Rasmus Ristolainen, who both missed that tournament with injuries. Rantanen, Hintz, Aho and Granlund headline a forward group with NHL-caliber players on every line.
Even their third line has Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen from the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers. Good luck matching that depth.
Slovakia has some real talent in Slafkovsky, Simon Nemec and Erik Cernak, but the depth falls off fast. Only four current NHL forwards are on this roster, and goalie Samuel Hlavaj hasn’t reached the NHL yet. He’s posting an .884 save percentage in the AHL this season.
The history backs Finland too. They beat Slovakia 6-2 in the 2022 Olympic group stage and then 2-0 in the semis. The only Olympic meeting with NHL players was the 2010 bronze medal game, which Finland won 5-3. Slovakia may hang around early while both teams find their legs, but Finland’s depth should take over as the game goes on.
Goaltending Comparison
Saros has had a rough year by his standards — that .892 is a big drop from his career .912 — but he’s still a former Vezina finalist with 452 NHL games under his belt. He also posted a .943 save percentage at last year’s World Championship.
Hlavaj is a different story. He’s an AHL goalie with a career .897 save percentage who hasn’t sniffed the NHL. He was decent in the Olympic qualifiers (.929 SV%), but that’s a long way from facing Rantanen and Aho.
Slovakia vs Finland Props
Top 10 Anytime Goalscorer Odds
Odds via BetMGM Sportsbook.
Finland owns the top five spots on the goalscorer board, with Mikko Rantnen having the best odds to light the lamp at +130 (43.5% implied probability).
Slafkovsky is the top Slovak at +210, which may be appealing for underdog bettors considering his 2022 Olympic MVP run. Only three Slovaks crack the top 10.
Slovakia vs Finland Prop Bets
- Mikko Rantanen anytime goal (+130 at BetMGM)
Rantanen plays on Finland’s top line with Hintz and Granlund and should get top power play minutes too. His size and finishing ability are a bad combo for a Slovak penalty kill that’s going to be under pressure all game.
Rantane was one of Finland’s top scorers at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and at +130, I think there’s still value on him to find the net against an AHL goalie.
- Dalibor Dvorsky anytime goal (+260 at BetMGM)
If you want some Slovak exposure, Dvorsky is the play. The young Blues center slots in on Slovakia’s second line and runs their top power play unit. He’s scored twice in four NHL games against Saros, so there’s some familiarity there. At +260, he’s worth a sprinkle as the best value play on Slovakia’s roster.
Slovakia vs Finland Odds
Finland’s -475 moneyline translates to roughly an 83% implied probability, making this one of the most lopsided games on the Olympic slate. Slovakia’s +325 puts their implied win probability at just 24%.
The spread is set at 2 goals at BetMGM, with Finland at -118 and Slovakia at -110. If you want a bigger payout, the -2.5 puck line is available at some books around +110.
The total sits at 5.5 goals, with the over at -102 and the under at -125. I could see this going either way — Finland has the firepower to push it over, but they’re also a structured team that limits chances the other way.
Odds as of Feb. 11 via BetMGM. Check out SBD’s BetMGM promo code to bet on the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Slovakia vs Finland: Olympic H2H (With NHL Players)
The 2010 bronze medal game is the only Olympic meeting between these two with NHL players. Finland also won both matchups at the 2022 Beijing Games without NHLers — 6-2 in group play and 2-0 in the semis. Most recently, Finland edged Slovakia 2-1 at the 2025 World Championship.
Slovakia vs Finland How to Watch
Puck drop for Wednesday’s Olympic opener is set for 10:40 am ET / 7:40 am PT from the Santagiulia Arena in Milan, Italy. The game airs on USA Network and streams on Peacock in the U.S. Canadian viewers can catch it on CBC, CBC Gem and TSN.
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