After coming up short in the semis, Finland and Slovakia will square off in the men’s hockey bronze medal game on Saturday. Finland nearly upset gold medal favorite Canada, while Slovakia was dominated throughout its blowout loss to the US.
Continue reading for a look at the latest men’s hockey bronze medal odds. I break down the latest odds and highlight my top predictions for Finland vs. Slovakia.
2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey Bronze Medal Game Odds
See the table below for the latest men’s hockey bronze medal game odds, courtesy of Bovada.
| TEAM | SPREAD | MONEYLINE | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | -1.5 (-105) | -285 | Over 5.5 (+105) |
| Slovakia | +1.5 (-115) | +225 | Under 5.5 (-125) |
Top Olympic betting sites had Finland listed at 14-1 to win the gold ahead of the semifinals. Slovakia, for comparison, was listed at 50-1.
With that in mind, it is not surprising that Finland is the betting favorite over Slovakia heading into their bronze medal matchup this weekend. Slovakia beat Finland in the preliminaries but has lost two of its last three games heading into the bronze medal game.
For the latest odds and to bet on your picks for the bronze medal game, go to Bovada and navigate to Sports > Hockey > Winter Olympics.
Team Finland – Will “Granny” Lead the Finns to Bronze?
- Head Coach: Antti Pennanen
- Round Robin Record: 2-1
- Key Players: Mikael Granlund, Sebastian Aho, Mikko Rantanen
Finland lost to Slovakia 4-1 to open preliminary play. They then took down Sweden (4-1), Italy (11-0), and Switzerland (3-2) to earn a spot in the semifinals. Finland’s three-game losing streak was snapped when Canada overcame a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in their semifinal matchup.
Let’s take a closer look at Finland’s roster to see if they can come away from the Olympics with a bronze medal.
Offense
Team Finland struggled in their first game of group play, mustering just one goal against Slovakia. After their problems in game one, Finland’s offense was better against Sweden, scoring four goals, before exploding in game three, racking up 11 goals against Italy.
A great game for our fantastic Fin 🇫🇮
Granny and Team Finland will play for Bronze tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/SPhXjCQr8F— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) February 20, 2026
Their offense returned to the mean in their next two games, as Finland scored three and two points against Switzerland and Canada, respectively.
Mikko Rantanen opened the scoring against Canada, and Sebastian Aho followed suit to give Finland a 2-0 lead early in the second period. Unfortunately, the Finnish offense stalled out, and Canada scored three unanswered goals to take the win.
If Finland’s offense is inconsistent again, they risk leaving Italy without a medal. They scored just once on 39 shots against Slovakia the first time around. The pressure will be on Mikael Granlund, Sebastian Aho, and Rantanen, all of whom had a +/- of -2 in their first matchup, to play better against Slovakia this time around.
Defense
Finland’s defense has been good enough to overcome the team’s offensive struggles most of the time. After giving up three goals on just 24 shots against Slovakia, Jusse Saros has saved 106 of 112 shot attempts.
After failing to medal in 2022 and winning bronze in 2018, Canada men’s hockey will play for their first Olympic gold since 2014 after a comeback against Finland‼️ pic.twitter.com/ClpximcMvo
— ESPN (@espn) February 20, 2026
Preventing shots has been key to Finland’s success. Italy only had 15 shot attempts, while Switzerland was held to 23.
In their first game against Slovakia, Saros faced 24 shots and saved 21 of them. Slovakia’s fourth and final goal came with an empty net. Juraj Slafkovský has a major problem for Finland, scoring twice and assisting on the empty-net goal.
Slowing down Slafkovský will be key to Finland’s chances of avoiding another upset. That will be easier said than done, though, as Slafkovský has four goals and four assists since the start of group play.
Team Slovakia – Can They Bounce Back from Semifinal Beatdown?
- Head Coach: Vladimír Országh
- Round Robin Record: 2-1
- Key Players: Tomáš Tatar, Erik Černák, Juraj Slafkovský, Martin Fehérváry
Slovakia secured one of the biggest upsets of group play with its opening game win over Finland. They won again against Italy, 3-2, before falling 5-3 to Sweden. Slovakia took down Germany 6-2 to earn a spot in the semis but suffered a 6-2 loss in turn to the US.
Keep reading to see where Slovakia can repeat its upset over Finland with a bronze medal on the line.
Offense
Slafkovský may not be a captain, but the 21-year-old has been invaluable to Slovakia’s offense in these Olympic Games. He has scored or assisted on eight of Slovakia’s 18 goals in their last five games.
After an incredible Olympic debut as a 17 year old, scoring 7 goals in 7 games and being awarded Olympics MVP, Juraj Slafkovsky showcased the same level of brilliance 4 years later.
4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points across 5 Olympic Games. 6 of those points came from 3 games… pic.twitter.com/LqZfavNo0w
— The Habitant (@the_habitant) February 20, 2026
As talented as he is, Slafkovský cannot beat Finland by himself. Dalibor Dvorsky and Pavol Regenda, who have each scored three goals, will also be under pressure to score against Finland on Saturday.
Alternate captain Martin Fehérváry has also been vital to Finland’s offense. He has three assists in five games, tied for the second most on Team Slovakia. Dvorsky also has three assists, while Slafkovský leads the team with four.
Slovakia has only attempted 153 shots in its last five games, averaging 30.6 shots per game. They have been efficient with their attempts, though, scoring three or more points in four of their last five games.
Defense
Goaltender Samuel Hlavaj has been fantastic for Slovakia at these Olympics. Hlavaj stopped 109 of 117 shot attempts in his first three starts. He did not play against Italy, but Stanislav Skorvanek stepped in and stopped 20 of 22 attempts.
Slovakia’s Samuel Hlavaj has a .932 Sv% through three starts 👀
How we feelin’, @mnwild fans?
Watch NHLers in action at the #MilanoCortina2026 #WinterOlympics on @NBCSports, @peacock, @cbcsports, @cbcgem, & @Sportsnet! pic.twitter.com/sZxTUDxmKd
— NHL (@NHL) February 18, 2026
Hlavaj got the start against the Americans in the semis and struggled immediately. He surrendered four goals on 23 attempts before heading to the bench. Skorvanek also struggled, allowing another two goals on 16 attempts in just over a period of action.
Against Finland, Hlavaj should be back in the starting lineup. He was excellent in their first matchup and will be key to Slovakia’s chances of pulling off the upset.
Hlavaj will need help, though, as stopping 38 of 39 shot attempts again is unrealistic. If Slovakia’s defense can hold Finland under 30 shot attempts, they will take a lot of pressure off Hlavaj.
2026 Olympics Men’s Bronze Medal Predictions and Betting Pick
A rematch from the opening game of group play, Slovakia will meet Finland on Saturday in the bronze medal game. Finland was the favorite last time, but Slovakia pulled off a 4-1 upset.
Slovakia is the underdog for the rematch, too. They required heroics from Juraj Slafkovsky to secure the upset last time. If Slafkovský can get close to that performance again, with two goals and an assist, then the door will be open for the upset by Slovakia.
On the other hand, Finland has the better overall team. They are also looking to avenge their earlier loss and escape Italy with a medal.
Momentum can play a big part in this game. Finland blew a 2-0 lead in the semis and will be demoralized heading into this matchup. Slovakia was blown out, but managed a pair of goals in the final period against the US to build momentum for this matchup.
After a blowout win in their first matchup, I like Slovakia to keep the game within +1.5 on Saturday.
Where to Bet on the 2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey Bronze Medal Game
Bovada is a fantastic option for betting on hockey, especially during the Olympics. It provided up-to-the-minute odds on every game, including Saturday’s bronze medal matchup between Finland and Slovakia.
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