The United States is the defending IIHF World Champion and reigning Olympic champion, but they’re far from a favorite at the 2026 IIHF World Championship.
They’re especially in tough in their first game against host Switzerland, looking to avenge a 1-0 loss in last year’s gold medal game.
The US won the gold medal in last year's IIHF World Championship, but are the betting underdogs against host Switzerland to open the tournament...
With a roster led by Matthew Tkachuk and several lesser-known, fringe NHLers, the Americans may struggle against a Swiss squad that includes New Jersey Devils stars Timo Meier and Nico Hischier. Here’s our USA vs Switzerland same game parlay:
| Player | Bet | Odds |
|---|---|---|
 Switzerland |
ML | -150 |
| Under 5.5 | Total | -140 |
| Denis Malgin |
Any Time Goal Scorer | +450 |
| Total SGP odds | – | +1600 |
Odds provided by bet365 – accurate as of May 14
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Switzerland MLIt might look strange after an historic gold medal for Hockey USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but the Americans are the slight underdogs in USA vs Switzerland betting.
When you take a closer inspection of both rosters it’s not hard to figure out why. The Swiss, playing at home, were runners-up in the last two IIHF World Championships and have one of the best rosters of any team that isn’t Canada: Hischier, Meier, Sven Andrighetto, Roman Josi, and Pius Suter.
Outside of Tkachuk, the US roster is largely composed of fringe NHLers and career AHLers, like Alex Steeves, Tommy Novak, and Sam Lafferty. The raucous home Swiss crowd may be too much for those players with limited international experience to overcome.
The under is a good bet in the USA vs Switzerland same game parlay, considering the defensive prowess of the Swiss and last year’s 1-0 result in the gold medal game. Switzerland finished 6-0-1 in the group stage last year, allowing just nine goals in those seven games.
And, despite a lack of offensive firepower, the Americans have solid goaltending led by Joseph Woll of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Denis Malgin | Any Time Goal ScorerSwitzerland doesn’t have the second-shortest IIHF World Championship odds because of secondary players like Denis Malgin, but he is one of many Swiss players who seem to perform well at the World Championships.
Malgin, a former Florida Panther and Toronto Maple Leaf, was 13th in tournament scoring last year with 11 points in nine games. He’ll likely be playing a top-six role and offers good value in the any time goal market with the sixth-shortest odds among all Swiss players.
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
 USA |
 Canada |
Switzerland |
 Sweden |
 Finland |
 Czechia |
 Germany |
 Denmark |
 Latvia |
 Slovakia |
 Austria |
 Norway |
 Hungary |
 Slovenia |
 Great Britain |
 Italy |
USA’s 2026 IIHF World Championship Schedule
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USA vs Switzerland, the first game of the 2026 IIHF World Championship for both teams, takes place on Friday, May 15 at 2:20 p.m. ET. It’s the fourth and final game on the first day of competition.
The tournament takes place in Switzerland, in the host cities of Zurich and Fribourg.
The 2026 IIHF World Championship occurs from May 15-31 in Switzerland. The preliminary stage features two groups of eight teams, with each playing each other once for a total of seven games.
The top four teams in Groups A and B make the quarterfinals. The gold and bronze medal matches are set for May 31.
The US roster for the USA vs Switzerland same game parlay is headlined by Matthew Tkachuk, who is looking to get his legs under him after missing most of the 2026 season due to injury, which seriously hurt the Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup odds.
Other players on the US include Ryan Leonard of the Washington Capitals, Joseph Woll of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and young players Oliver Moore, Isaac Howard, and Will Borgen.
Canada is the favorite in the 2026 IIHF World Championship odds, but they haven't medaled since 2023. Can they return to glory in Switzerland?
Canada hasn't medaled at the IIHF World Championship since 2023. Can they get back to glory and get off to a good start? They're in tough in our opening Canada vs Sweden same game parlay.
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