Switzerland vs Italy Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tuesday's Men's Olympic Hockey Game

Parker's prediction: Swiss advance with convincing win over Italians.

Neil Parker - Analyst at Covers.com
Neil Parker • Betting Analyst
Feb 16, 2026 • 15:05 ET • 4 min read
Dean Kukan, Calvin Thurkauf and Pius Suter of Team Switzerland.
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Dean Kukan, Calvin Thurkauf and Pius Suter of Team Switzerland.

Italy and Switzerland will meet in the qualification playoff of the men’s ice hockey event in the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Tuesday, February 17.

My top Italy vs. Switzerland predictions and free betting picks call for the Swiss to pull away from the Italians.

Switzerland vs Italy prediction

Switzerland vs Italy Best bet: Switzerland -3.5 (-130)

Switzerland has been solid throughout the tournament, with statement wins over France and Czechia, as well as a 5-1 loss to Canada that showed Swiss flashes.

Switzerland has NHL talent on its roster, with Nico HischierTimo Meier, and Roman Josi more accomplished than any players jumping the boards for Italy.

It’s been a tough go for the Italians because of the lack of talent on the roster. Italy has generated only 59 shots on goal and has been outscored 19-4 through three games.

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Switzerland vs Italy same-game parlay

Switzerland -3.5

Under 6.5

Switzerland has received solid goaltending with a high-end .918 team SV%, and I don’t think Italy is going to do enough offensively to help send this total Over the number.

Plus, the Swiss are best suited to playing a low-event game and are missing one of their top offensive scorers, Kevin Fiala, who is sidelined with a fractured lower leg.

Switzerland vs Italy SGP

  • Switzerland -3.5
  • Under 6.5

Switzerland vs Italy odds

  • Moneyline: Switzerland -2200 | Italy +950
  • Puck Line: Switzerland -3.5 (-130) | Italy +3.5 (+100)
  • Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-130) | Under 6.5 (+100)

How to watch Switzerland vs Italy

Location Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena, Milan, Italy
Date Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Puck drop 6:10 a.m. ET
TV CBC, NBC

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Neil Parker - Covers
Betting Analyst

Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs at some of the top websites in the industry.

Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.

Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.

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