2026 Olympics Hockey Predictions with Finland and Switzerland

International Head-to-Head Record: Finland has a 9-2 record against Switzerland since 1991.

Time: 12:10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), 9:10 a.m. Pacific, Wednesday, February 18th

How to Watch: In Canada: SN, CBC, CBC Gem, TSN
In the United States: USA Network, Peacock

Location: Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena in Rho, Lombardy, Italy

The quarterfinals begin in the 2026 Winter Olympics with no rest for the weary. With just five days remaining in the Olympics, we are going full speed until the finish. This quarterfinal matchup features Finland and Switzerland, two teams that have not faced each other in a best-on-best format since the last Winter Olympic Games in Italy, 2006 Torino. Finland went 2-1 in the group stage, while Switzerland went 1-1-1 in the group stage and shut out Italy in the qualifiers, 3-0.

The Finland Story

To prepare for the game, here are the projected lines for Finland. They will be updated prior to puck drop. Finland has the benefit of having a bye to the quarterfinals, being the fourth seed overall. That gives them an extra day of rest against a Swiss team that played against Italy on earlier today.

The Finns are a team that has shown resilience and toughness. Following their loss to Slovakia in their first game, they could have followed it up with another stinker against Sweden, but they beat them and Italy to propel themselves to second in Group B. They are a team that feels very united and is performing by committee. Despite having a +11 goal differential (16 goals for, five against), no one on the team has more than two goals or four points. 20 out of their 22 skaters have recorded at least a point. If they are going to go far in these Winter Olympics, their depth may get them there, despite their lack of a superstar.

The Switzerland Story

To prepare for the game, here are the projected lines for Switzerland. They will be updated prior to puck drop.

The fifth-seeded Swiss team has a plethora of NHL talent and has proven that they have the tenacity to be competitive. Although they lost to Canada, 5-1, they followed it up with a strong 4-3 overtime win against Czechia. This game will undoubtedly be the toughest so far, and it will be a good test for the Swiss, if they can truly hang with the big boys. Timo Meier has impressed so far, with seven points in four games.

The injuries remain a concern for Switzerland, as Kevin Fiala suffered an Olympic-ending and season-ending leg injury against Canada last week. Defenceman Andrea Glauser battled through his injury to play in the previous game against Italy. Forward Denis Malgin did not suit up for that game.

Starting Goalies

Below are the projected starters for tonight’s game. Please check social media for the most updated information before making any player prop bets.

Finland will likely start Juuse Saros for a fourth-consecutive game. He has started in all the games so far in these Olympics, and there is no reason he won’t for the rest of the way. In the three Olympic games he has started, he has a 2-1 record, a 1.34 goals-against average, and a .946 save percentage.

For Switzerland, even though 38-year-old Leonardo Genoni played on Tuesday against Italy, it would be a shock if he did not start against the Finns. He has a 3-0-0 record, a 0.99 goals-against average, and a .962 save percentage in Olympic action so far. He has thrived on the Olympic stage, and he deserves every chance to lead the Swiss to potential victory.

Prediction and Best Bets

Finland undoubtedly has the better team on paper, but Switzerland will likely give them all they got. It might be a strong goaltending duel between Saros and Genoni. There is potential for an upset for sure, but we do not think that will happen this time.

Prediction: Finland wins 4-2.

Best Bets

To wrap things up, here are our anytime goal scorer picks. For Finland, we will pick captain Mikael Granlund to pot a goal. For Switzerland, we will pick the hot hand, Timo Meier, to score.

Now, please check out the next page of this article for predictions for Slovakia vs Germany.