Sweden and Latvia face off in the qualifiers in this men's ice hockey playoff matchup during the 2026 Winter Olympics on Tuesday.

Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond continued his impressive start to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Erik Karlsson said Team Sweden came to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 knowing they would eventually play the United States. As the Swedish defenseman once famously said, the time is nigh.

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Two teams with differing expectations meet in the first round of the knockout stage, as Lucas Raymond and Sweden take on Latvia in the men’s playoff qualifiers at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Welcome to Last Word On Hockey’s Predictions from the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Each day, our writers look at the games and give in-depth analysis.

SportsLine's expert Mike Severance reveals his USA vs. Latvia picks for their Winter Olympics men's hockey matchup on Thursday

Severance is coming off an outstanding NHL season in which he went 235-155-21 (plus $2,022). He entered the Olympic break on a 26-12 roll on NHL money-line picks this season, returning $1,326 for $100 players. Anyone following his hockey picks at their favorite sportsbooks could have seen huge returns.

The game is airing on both USA Network and Peacock.

Elvis Merzlikins, a star NHL goalie for the Columbus Blue Jackets, is set to represent Team Latvia at the Olympics. He faces a tough opener against Team USA. Merzlikins sees this as a significant personal challenge to showcase his skills on the world's biggest stage.

The United States and Latvia face off in this Group C men's ice hockey matchup during the 2026 Winter Olympics on Thursday.