After an eventful quarterfinals where we witnessed three overtime games, we have two highly anticipated matchups in the Semifinals for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Men's Hockey.
On Friday, February 20, Canada takes on Finland in the earlier slate, while the USA faces Slovakia in the late afternoon. Whoever wins these games will go on to the gold medal game, and our staff has whipped up a handful of best bets.
Let's dive into our 2026 Winter Olympics best bets, predictions and picks for Friday.
Men's Ice Hockey Semifinals Best Bets, 2026 Winter Olympics
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 10:40 a.m. | |
| 10:40 a.m. | |
  | 3:10 p.m. | |
| 3:10 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Canada vs. Finland
Canada got a wake-up call against Czechia on Wednesday in a game that truly had just about everything.
Jordan Binnington came up clutch again despite his abysmal NHL numbers, Czechia somehow scored with six men on the ice unnoticed, and Mitch Marner twisted Toronto fans into a pretzel with another huge moment in a Team Canada jersey. It was chaos from start to finish.
Perhaps the biggest storyline heading into the semifinals, though, is Sidney Crosby’s status and how Canada will adjust if he can’t suit up. After the game, head coach Jon Cooper indicated the injury is more than a minor concern.
With Crosby exiting against Czechia, the offense needed a spark, and once again it was the Celebrini–McDavid–MacKinnon trio that delivered. Celebrini has been outstanding all tournament, posting five goals and four assists through four games while skating on the top line.
He also stepped onto the top power-play unit and picked up the assist on MacKinnon’s game-tying goal in the second period. Crosby’s status remains uncertain, and even if he suits up, he will almost certainly not be 100 percent.
Either way, Celebrini is set to play a massive offensive role again, especially if he remains on the top power-play unit. In addition, Cooper has shown he likes to move MacKinnon up to the top line with Celebrini and McDavid when Canada needs a jolt, which only boosts his scoring upside.
He has at least one point in every game this Olympics and multiple points in three of them. At plus-odds, backing him for another multi-point performance makes a lot of sense.
Pick: Macklin Celebrini 2+ Points (+120)
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Canada vs. Finland
By Greg Liodice
To me, this is one of the best value plays of the semifinals.
Mitch Marner often goes overlooked as one of the premier players in the world, despite singlehandedly guiding the Canadians to the next round.
The world shifts its eyes, for good reason, to the likes of Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby.
But in four games, Marner is averaging a point per game with at least an assist in the first three games of the tournament. For the time being, Marner’s center, Crosby's status on Friday due to the knee injury he suffered against Czechia are still uncertain.
It’s fully expected that Nick Suzuki will get slotted up to the third-line center role in between Marner and his Vegas Golden Knight teammate Mark Stone if Crosby can't go. Both Suzuki and Stone have lit the lamp twice, with Suzuki being the deciding goal that helped guide Canada into overtime on Wednesday.
What makes Marner so good is his ability to slip through the defense. He has handles that can dangle in a phone booth, but also has the precision to thread the needle as one of the NHL’s elite playmakers.
Pairing him up with a player he already has chemistry with, Stone, and a solid goal scorer in his own right in Suzuki, I foresee Marner extending his point-per-game pace in the Olympics and notching an assist.
Pick: Mitch Marner 1+ Assist (+140)
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USA vs. Slovakia
By Nick Griffith
The United States survived a 2-1 overtime battle against Sweden on Wednesday, while Slovakia rolled past Germany 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
Slovakia continues to be the Olympics’ Cinderella story, showing plenty of offensive firepower. Juraj Slafkovsky has been outstanding again, and 20-year-old St. Louis Blues forward Dalibor Dvorsky has emerged as a key contributor.
I expect the United States to dictate the tempo of this game, while Slovakia has shown the ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities. The total reached eight goals in Slovakia’s matchup with Sweden, which I think provides a useful reference point.
Sweden managed 51 shots on goal against Slovakia, and I expect the United States to generate a similar volume. Betting the over is a little tricky, with Connor Hellebuyck and Samuel Hlavaj both playing exceptionally well in goal and the U.S. deserving plenty of respect defensively, but I see enough on both sides to push past the number.
Pick: Over 5.5 (-135)
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USA vs. Slovakia
By Greg Liodice
The Slovaks have been one of my favorite teams to watch in these Olympics because of how much this nation had to rebuild its hockey program.
And it’s mostly thanks to Juraj Slafkovsky, the 21-year-old sensation who has gotten better every year since he was drafted number-one overall by the Montreal Canadiens.
Playing in the Olympics has hardly been a big stage for Slafkovsky, potting seven goals in seven games as a 17-year-old, and helping Slovakia capture a bronze medal in Beijing in 2022, but he’s taken a massive step in 2026.
This Olympics, Slafkovsky registered seven points in four games played and recorded at least four shots on goal in every matchup.
Do you see where I’m going with this?
It’s truly difficult to pick an anytime goal scorer against the USA and Connor Hellebuyck, who’s arguably the best goaltender in the world. But you surely can back a shot prop here, because the Americans aren’t exempt from letting a few high danger chances slip through the cracks.
Slafkovsky is the one player that USA should be worried about. The Americans have averaged just under 23 shots allowed, and that number has risen in every game played.
Even though the Slovaks aren’t loaded with NHL talent, this is still a feisty bunch with experience, and after defeating the Finns in the opener, I don’t foresee them being intimidated by the Americans.
Slafkovsky is going to get his opportunities here. Will that translate to a goal? That remains to be seen, but there’s decent value here to back his shot prop on DraftKings.
Pick: Juraj Slafkovsky 4+ Shots on Goal (-120)
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