The Chances of Latvian Hockey Players Winning Medals at the Milan Olympics Have Been Assessed

On Thursday, February 12, the Latvian hockey team faces a serious test at the Olympic Games — they will go up against the USA team. The forecasts from the bookmakers at 'OlyBet' clearly show that the Americans are rated significantly higher in this match and in the tournament as a whole.

The offered odds provide insight into the power dynamics both in this match and in the tournament as a whole. The USA team is considered by bookmakers to be one of the main contenders for Olympic medals. The probability of finishing the tournament in the top three is rated at 1.25, which corresponds to approximately 80.0% probability. This means that in four out of five scenarios, the USA is predicted to secure a podium finish.

Ahead of the Americans is only Canada (1.22 — 82.0%), with Sweden in third place (1.50 — 66.7%).

This trio forms a distinctly strong group of leaders, while Finland with odds of 2.35 (42.6%) is assessed more cautiously. The chances of Switzerland (5.00 — 20.0%) and Czech Republic (6.00 — 16.7%) are linked by bookmakers to a potential upset scenario.

The chances of the Latvian team in this company look modest — an odds of 51.00 means only a 1.96% probability of making it to the top three. However, such matches at the Olympics often become the most memorable in a career and in the history of tournaments. This highlights how significant the challenge is in playing against the USA, and simultaneously — how loud the upset would be in the case of a positive result.

Bookmakers' forecasts for the Latvian team's scorers are also interesting. The main candidate for the title of the team's top scorer is Edvards Tralmaks — with odds of 5.00 (20.0%). Next is Zemgus Girgensons (5.50 — 18.2%), while equal odds for Teodors Blugers and Danis Ločmelis — 6.50 (15.4%) — confirm that there is no distinctly defined leader in the Latvian attack.

Rudolfs Balcers with odds of 7.50 (13.3%) could become the X-factor, while young players like Sandis Vilmanis or Renars Krastenbergs are seen by bookmakers as risky choices that could yield high returns.

Thus, the bookmakers' odds and their percentage probabilities clearly indicate the USA as the clear favorite, but in hockey, a single power play or one successful episode can be decisive. In turn, the Latvian team at the Olympics has the opportunity to defy the predictions against all odds.