Manuel Chávez
Dailysports's expert
Czechia
USA
On May 20, the Ice Hockey World Championship will feature six games at once, and the Czechia vs USA clash stands out on the schedule. Here’s my prediction for this upcoming showdown.
Czechia
The reigning world champions are putting on a strong display at this tournament as they look to defend their title. Czechia has won all six of their games so far, securing the top spot in the group and guaranteeing their playoff berth.
However, the team hasn’t taken the maximum possible points, as one of their wins came in overtime—against a formidable Switzerland side in the tournament opener, 5-4. In their second game, they barely edged out a stubborn Norway, 2-1. After that, the Czechs cruised to convincing victories, each by a margin of at least five goals: they defeated Denmark 7-2, Hungary 6-1, Kazakhstan 8-1, and Germany 5-0. The main motivation for this match is to keep hold of first place in the group—a win of any kind, even in overtime or a shootout, will suffice.
USA
The Americans have, as usual, not brought their strongest roster to the tournament, signaling a somewhat casual approach. To be fair, the Stanley Cup playoffs are still ongoing in the NHL, with some players unavailable due to club commitments.
The squad is made up mostly of young players—yes, they play in the NHL, but experience, desire, and responsibility are also crucial. Currently, the USA sits third in their group and have already clinched a quarterfinal spot. They have five wins in six games, with their only loss coming against Switzerland (0-3). They also nearly stumbled against Norway, squandering a 5-1 lead and allowing a comeback, but managed to snatch an overtime victory, 6-5.
H2H
These teams face off frequently, with mixed results. At the last World Championship, Czechia came out on top in the quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory.
Prediction
In a battle between two strong teams, bookmakers are not picking a clear favorite. Czechia appears more consistent, though it’s worth noting that both sides are already thinking ahead to the playoffs, so this game doesn’t carry huge tournament significance. I believe Czechia will manage to beat the Americans, so my pick is a straight win for the Czechs.
