USA vs Germany: USA to get 3rd win in the group

Team USA defeated Germany in their last 4 consecutive head-to-head encounters with a combined score of 14-2. Will the Germans be able to break such an unhappy streak now? Our prediction: The star-spangled team will be stronger again!

Team USA brought a very curious roster to the Beijing Olympics, with only a few experienced hockey players and the rest being young guys from North American college leagues. It seemed that such a motley crew would not be able to make any serious claims, but so far they are disproving those fears. In the first game at the tournament, David Quinn's players demolished the Chinese team 8-0, but it was hardly fair to judge the battle with such a modest opponent. But in the second match, the Americans were able to defeat the Canadians 4-2 in a principled confrontation, immediately declaring their ambitions.

Team Germany is a finalist of the last Olympic Games, when they were just seconds short of winning the gold medal. The Germans failed in the group stage of the tournament, losing all three games, after which they managed to bounce back. And now, it looks like Toni Söderholm's charges decided to follow the scenario of four years ago. The first game had them suffer a crushing 1-5 defeat at the hands of Canada. It would seem that in the match against China, the German national team will indulge in attack and smash the main outsider of the tournament, but in fact they managed to win by a narrow margin, 3-2. Obviously, the Germans are far from their top form, and whether they will get there is a big question.

Over the past decade and a half, the teams have had 11 face-offs in major international tournaments. The Americans have eight wins under their belt and the Germans have been stronger in three games. The goal difference is also on the side of the USA, 35-17. The last time the rivals met was at the World Championship 2021 in the battle for the bronze medals, when the victory was celebrated by the players of Team USA, 6-1.

The German national team has had a very hard time playing against the Americans lately, having lost four out of four last face-offs with a total score of 14-2. All of these matches took place at the World Championships, where the star-spangled team played with the NHL representatives, but the Americans are still showing a very decent game at the Olympics even without them. Unfortunately, the Germans can't boast anything of the sort, as they've had plenty of problems even against the Chinese, and they're unlikely to find any arguments against more formidable opponents. As a result, we are forced to bet on the victory of the USA team with a handicap (-1.5) for about 1.80.

As we have seen, the group stage final round matches began to please us with some productive results: Russia lost to the Czech Republic 5-6, and Denmark defeated Switzerland 5-3. The reason is that all of the teams are guaranteed playoff contenders, so there's less of a burden of responsibility, and the last game in the group is a great chance to enjoy one last taste of hockey before the knockout rounds begin. We can also expect a spectacular match, with the opponents focusing on offense rather than defense. That’s why we suggest betting on Total Over (5.5) at odds of 2.02.

Brendan Brisson is a young American talent, who is expected to shine in the NHL, having been drafted by Vegas at number 29 overall. He is playing this season for the University of Michigan in the NCAA, and last year he already played for Team USA at the World Junior Championship where he scored two goals. This time he received a call up to play for the country’s main national team, where he looks very decent. He is the one who scored the first goal for Team US at the Olympics, sending his second puck against Canada. Obviously, he is in good shape, so it is worth betting on his Total Over (0.5) at odds of about 1.85.