Switzerland vs Italy Prediction, Odds & Start Time for Men’s Olympic Hockey Qualifiers

• Team Switzerland is a hefty -2200 favorite to topple Italy in the hockey qualification playoff
• The host Italians have not won a game and have a goal differential of -15
• Read below for my Switzerland vs Italy prediction, odds and start times for Tuesday’s matchup below

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With Team USA, Team Slovakia, Team Finland and top-seeded Team Canada waiting in the wings, the remaining eight teams that failed to clinch directly from Group play will now play down to advance.

That includes the host Italians, the last seed of the 12, taking on a remarkably solid Switzerland, which just missed clinching an automatic berth and entering as the highest seed in the field.

It all gets underway Tuesday from Rho Arena. There’s no upset brewing in my Switzerland vs Italy prediction — in fact, I expect the Swiss to advance with relative ease.

Switzerland vs Italy Prediction

• Switzerland -3.5 (-130 at bet365)

Considering their only loss of the tourney so far was to the powerhouse Canadians, Switzerland has clearly placed itself into that next tier of teams in major tournament action with what they’ve done at Milano Corina 2026.

They opened the tournament whipping France 4-0, and after dropping a 5-1 decision to the Canadians — which also included the loss of Kevin Fiala to a leg injury — they bounced back with a 4-3 win over Czechia.

By virtue of that performance, Switzerland’s path to the quarterfinals is, on paper, the easiest.

Losing Fiala, who has 18 goals for the NHL’s LA Kings this season, definitely hurts, but that loss won’t be felt until the later rounds when the competition levels up.

For now, the remaining pro bodies on the roster, including Timo Meier — who leads the team with three goals and four points — Nico Hischier, Philipp Kurashev, Pius Suter, and Nino Niederreiter, should be plenty to advance.

The blueline is solid, led by Roman Josi and JJ Moser, while Leonardo Genoni has two wins in net. Overall, Switzerland’s goaltending is working on a crisp .918 save percentage through three games.

Since opening the scoring in their first game and first shot against Sweden, Italy has not found any magic on the ice.

After a respectable 5-2 loss to Sweden and a close 3-2 loss to Slovakia, the Italians were blasted by Finland 11-0. If you’re tallying at home, they’ve been outscored 19-4.

There’s little offense to speak of. Only five Italian players have hit the scoresheet, and Matt Bradley has two of their four goals.

The only NHL-level talent on the roster is 21-year-old Damian Clara, a goalie prospect in the Anaheim Ducks’ system. Clara has seen action in every game, and though he’s allowed 10 goals on 95 shots, a standout performance might be the only hope the Italians have in staying in range.

After years of toiling as early-round fodder, I think Switzerland has earned its way into a team that ranks in that field underneath the Canadians and Americans, and a formidable opponent for all.

While the offensive firepower might not be fully there, they have plenty to advance on Tuesday.

Switzerland vs Italy Odds

Odds as of Feb. 16 via Bet365. Check out SBD’s Bet365 promo code to bet on the 2026 Winter Olympics.

There’s literally zero value in taking the Swiss to win straight up, with their odds at -2200, and Italy is not the team you want to back for an upset, even at +1100 odds.

The puckline is 3.5 goals, and taking Switzerland comes with -130 odds, while Italy, who have stayed within four goals in two of three results at the Olympics, are getting +110 odds.

The total is set at 6.5 goals. The Swiss have only topped that total once in three games, though Italy has combined for at least seven goals twice.

Switzerland vs Italy Start Time

It’s an early wake-up for those wanting to catch this qualifier on the East Coast, with puck drop scheduled at 6:10am ET at Rho Arena. Peacock will be carrying the broadcast in the United States, while Canadians can tune into CBC Gem for this qualification match.