Winter Olympics: Finland vs. Slovakia Preview, Odds, and Picks (Feb 11)
Men’s ice hockey at the Winter Olympics gets underway on Feb 11, with Group B kicking off the preliminary round. Finland and Slovakia will be the dark horses to progress from the opening stage, and you can find the odds and our picks for their clash here.
How to Watch
- When: Wednesday, February 11, 2026. 11:00 AM ET
- Where: PalaItalia Santa Giulia, Milan, Italy
- How to Watch: Peacock
Finland vs. Slovakia Odds
Finland vs. Slovakia Head-to-Head
The head-to-head dominance is with Finland, as the Scandinavian nation have won 21 of the 24 previous encounters. That includes victories in all three of the clashes between the teams at the Winter Olympics.
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Game Preview
A red-hot renewal of the men’s hockey at the Winter Olympics is set for Italy, with many of the world-class stars from the NHL set to be in action. The competition kicks off in Milan on Feb 11, as Finland take on Slovakia.
Antti Pennanen’s Finland will be one of the dark horse chances to win the gold medal, having upset the odds on countless occasions throughout their history. Their most notable moment came in 2022 when winning the gold medal after beating Russia in the Winter Olympics final.
However, since then, team performances have dipped, finishing no better than seventh in the last three editions of the World Championships. But, it is worth noting that the Fins have some world-class talent within their roster, which is largely made up of stars from the NHL.
Slovakia are one of the growing forces in European hockey, with Vladimir Orszagh hopeful of another deep run to the latter stages of a major tournament. The nation have won World Championship gold on four occasions, and they were bronze medallists at the previous Olympics.
But, the team underperformed at last year’s World Championships, suffering an embarrassing exit in the group stage. NHL players are a rarity in their roster, with the most notable player being Samuel Honzek of the Calgary Flames.
Finland vs. Slovakia Picks
Despite the USA and Canada attracting much of the attention, Finland could be the surprise package that goes under the radar. We fully expect the nation to kick off their Olympic campaign with a dominant win.
Free Pick:
