USA vs. Italy Prediction & Best Bets Today: Olympic Women's Hockey Quarterfinal Preview
It's time for "win or go home" hockey, and we start with a David vs. Goliath story as I drop my best USA vs. Italy predictions for the women's Olympic hockey quarterfinals.
Both teams enter this game playing solid hockey, but it's the host nation that is a massive 7.5-goal underdog. Can they cover against juggernaut Team USA? Let's dig in.
🏒 USA vs. Italy prediction: Olympic women's hockey
Our expert Olympic hockey picks are based on the latest betting odds at the best sports betting sites.
| Bet type | Bet | Best odds | Confidence | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puck line | Italy +7.5 | -130 via FanDuel | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 1u |
| Total | Under 7.5 | +100 via BetMGM | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 0.3u |
| Player prop | Taylor Heise anytime goal-scorer | +130 via FanDuel | ⭐⭐⭐ | 0.3u |
💰 USA vs. Italy best bet: Italy +7.5 (-130)
Although Team USA will almost certainly win this game, asking them to cover 7.5 goals is absolutely absurd - it's one of the largest hockey spreads I've seen in 15 years of betting. Yes, Team USA extended its historic Olympic preliminary dominance to 25-0-0-3 all-time, and is deserving of this spread, don't get me wrong, but Italy's ability to get past the preliminary round is a historic achievement for the country. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt to cover the spread as the host nation - it's too steep of a hill to climb against a team that will be playing a defensive shell from opening puck drop.
Score prediction: USA 8, Italy 1
🏒 Line movement
The line opened up as Team USA -6.5 and has since moved to -7.5 as money came pouring in on Team USA. The time to pounce on Italy is now.
🔥 Best prop bet: Taylor Heise anytime goal-scorer (+130)
Heise isn't your prototypical goal-scorer by any means, but in a game that is projected to feature seven or eight goals from Team USA, the value we're getting here needs to be taken advantage of. Heise already has a goal in these Olympics, and will get the ice time necessary to give us plenty of opportunities to cash this one.
📺 How to watch USA vs. Italy
- Date: Friday, Feb. 13
- Puck drop: 3:10 p.m. ET
- Location: Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena (Milan, Italy)
- TV: Peacock
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