The United States men's hockey team continues its pursuit of a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics when it takes on Denmark on Saturday, February 14. The puck will be dropped for USA vs. Denmark at 3:10 p.m. ET at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, live on USA Network and streaming on Peacock.
Below, we'll break down our Denmark vs. United States prediction and picks for Saturday’s 2026 Olympic hockey matchup, including two picks for PrizePicks in the preliminary round matchup.
Make your Olympic hockey picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, over/unders, and who will take home the gold medal.
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USA vs. Denmark Prediction, Picks for 2026 Olympic Hockey
This is the first time since 2014 that NHL players are competing in the Olympics. Travel expenses and the COVID-19 pandemic led to NHL players missing the last two Winter Games, but this year, the NHL is on a break so players can represent their countries.
The United States is aiming for its first Men's Hockey gold medal since 1980, when it achieved the Miracle on Ice victory at Lake Placid. The Americans have come close recently, winning silver in the 2002 and 2010 Winter Games.
Team USA started strong with a dominant 5-1 win over Latvia, propelled by three goals in the second period. USA C Brock Nelson was the star of that game, scoring two of those goals in the second.
Denmark doesn’t have the same NHL firepower as the Americans, with only six players who have played in an NHL game this season, including Hurricanes LW Nikolaj Ehlers and Senators C Lars Eller. Their Olympic history is brief; this only Denmark's second appearance after finishing seventh in the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
Olympic Hockey: USA vs. Denmark Spread, Over/Under
Despite NHL opponents on the other side, the United States enters Saturday’s game as 2.5-goal favorites, returning a 1.03x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if the Americans win outright.
Denmark is a heavy underdog with an 11.11x payout — or $1,111 payout on a $100 entry — if it wins, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: USA -2.5
- Over/Under: 6.5
- Game Winner Payout: Denmark 11.11x | United States 1.03x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
USA vs. Denmark Prediction on Spread
Here are some facts and figures to help you make your USA vs. Denmark prediction for men's hockey in the 2026 Winter Olympics on Saturday, February 14. You can make your prediction on Olympic hockey winners on PrizePicks Team Picks, now available in 34 states.
- This is the first-ever matchup between the United States and Denmark in the Winter Olympics.
- They last faced each other in the 2025 IIHF World Championships, with the USA winning 5-0.
- During its first appearance at the 2022 Olympics, Denmark finished with a record of 2-0-0-1, a +1 goal differential, on its way to the quarterfinals before losing to Russia.
- USA G Connor Hellebuyck had an outstanding performance in the first game against Latvia, allowing 1 goal on 18 shots.
- The reigning Vezina and Hart Trophy winner has a .944 save percentage, the fourth-best in the tournament.
- Denmark G Frederik Andersen had a rough first game, allowing 3 goals on 23 shots to Germany — which is not a favorite to win a medal, even after the win. The Hurricanes goaltender’s .885 save percentage is fourth-worst in the tournament.
- To put these teams in perspective, USA is currently listed as the second favorite to win the gold medal, with a 2.63x payout on Team Picks; Denmark has a 33.33x payout to win a medal at all.
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United States vs. Denmark Olympic Picks for PrizePicks — Saturday, February 14
Here are the top United States vs. Denmark picks to target for Saturday, February 14, on PrizePicks Player Picks. Our top player stat projections to target on PrizePicks are headlined by United States LW Matthew Tkachuk and C Jack Eichel.
USA RW Matthew Tkachuk vs. Denmark Projection: 0.5 Assists
- Matthew Tkachuk is skating on the USA's first line with his brother, Brady Tkachuk, opposit him, per Daily Faceoff.
- Matthew Tkachuk is also listed on the first unit for power play.
- The Scottsdale, Ariz., native had 2 assists in the 5-1 win over Latvia.
- The Panthers' left wing has 5 assists in 10 games in the current NHL season.
- During the NHL Eastern Conference Finals last season between the Panthers and Hurricanes, Matthew Tkachuk recorded three assists against Andersen.
- Matthew Tkachuk had 2 goals and 1 assist in the first game of the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, but suffered a torn abductor in that game, forcing him to miss the rest of the 2024-25 regular season.
USA C Jack Eichel vs. Denmark Projection: 0.5 Assists
- Skating on the first line alongside the Tkachuk brothers, center Jack Eichel finished with two assists in the 5-1 win over Latvia.
- The Golden Knights center is ninth in the NHL with 68 points this season.
- During the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Eichel's four points were the third-most in the tournament.
- Eichel has 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist) against Denmark goalie Frederik Anderen in two NHL games this season when he faces the Hurricanes.
Make USA vs. Denmark Predictions for Olympic Hockey on PrizePicks
Denmark cannot afford to suffer a second loss if it wants to make it out of the preliminary round, but it runs into a buzzsaw in the USA team. A second win for America's men's hockey team will put them in a great position to get to the quarterfinals.
You can make your OIympic hockey picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money, including on USA vs. Denmark today.
Just pick your players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and gold medal winners, now available in 34 states.
Stick around with the Playbook for continued Olympic hockey predictions, picks, and news, including every USA men's hockey game.
