Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
USA
Switzerland
The Ice Hockey World Championship rolls on, and on Monday, May 11, we’re set for a thrilling clash between USA and Switzerland, with puck drop at 16:20 Central European Time. I’m offering my pick for this matchup.
USA vs Switzerland: match preview
So far, Team USA has played just one game in the tournament. That was against one of the co-hosts—Denmark. The Americans dominated from start to finish, firing 48 shots on goal, five of which found the back of the net. Even more impressive, the Stars and Stripes didn’t concede a single goal. A commanding start from one of the title contenders. The USA squad is fairly young, built around NHL talent. Although last year’s team also featured many young stars, they failed to make a deep run—USA bowed out in the quarterfinals, falling 0-1 to Czechia.
Switzerland, meanwhile, has played one more game than their rivals. They kicked off the tournament against Czechia in a high-scoring shootout. Regulation ended in a 4-4 tie, with the Czechs netting the winner in overtime. In their second game, Switzerland bounced back, this time facing Denmark and notching a 5-2 victory. Last year, Switzerland reached the final, but in the gold medal game they were shut out 0-2 by Czechia. Still, it was a remarkable achievement, and the team is hungry to repeat that success.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Switzerland has scored nine goals in their first two games.
- USA scored five goals in their opening match and kept a clean sheet.
- Switzerland has scored at least four goals in each of their last four games.
- At the moment, Switzerland and Sweden boast the most potent offenses in the tournament.
- In their most recent head-to-head, USA defeated Switzerland 3-0.
Prediction
This promises to be a fascinating battle between two formidable sides. Both USA and Switzerland have been prolific and favor an attacking style of hockey. I expect a high-scoring affair, so my bet is on total goals over 5 at odds of 1.73.
