Switzerland vs Latvia Prediction & Picks - IIHF World Championship
International - IIHF World Championship
Prediction:
1st Period / End of Regulation - Switzerland / Switzerland
New customers only | Commercial content | 21+ age limit | T&Cs apply
by Edgar Jibran | in IIHF World Championship Picks
Latvia’s opening game in the 2026 IIHF World Championship is expected to be the most challenging on the group stage, due to the show of strength that Switzerland has given last Friday against the USA. Despite this, keeping a strong defense will be a must for them in this game to increase their chances of competing with Germany and Austria for a quarterfinals spot in Group A.
With that objective in mind, the Latvian head coach, Harijs Vitolins, is expected to take advantage of the individual quality of players like Martins Dzierkals and Sandis Vilmanis, who are currently playing on such competitive teams as the Florida Panthers and Sparta Praha. Furthermore, their victory over Germany during the Winter Olympic Games makes reaching the quarterfinals a realistic scenario.
As for Switzerland, playing at home has definitely provided them with extra motivation to compete for the championship, so players like Timo Meier, Pius Suter, and Nico Hischier are expected to keep offensively pushing forward throughout the group stage. In this regard, dominating the game against Latvia from the first period on would provide them with good chances to win this game by a large margin.
Limited Offer. Currently at DraftKings
Switzerland vs Latvia Form
Table
| Teams | Pts | P | W | L | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
21 | 7 | 7 | 0 | +32 |
|
3
|
12 | 7 | 4 | 3 | +7 |
Switzerland and Latvia Latest Matches
4/6 (67%)
2/6 (33%)
May 15, 2026 - IIHF World Championship
May 10, 2026 - Rosno Cup
May 9, 2026 - Rosno Cup
May 7, 2026 - Rosno Cup
May 3, 2026 - Rosno Cup
May 2, 2026 - Rosno Cup
5/6 (83%)
1/6 (17%)
May 10, 2026 - Rosno Cup
May 2, 2026 - Rosno Cup
Apr 24, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 23, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Feb 17, 2026 - Ice hockey - Men's Olympic Tournament
Feb 15, 2026 - Ice hockey - Men's Olympic Tournament
4/6 (67%)
2/6 (33%)
May 15, 2026 - IIHF World Championship
May 9, 2026 - Rosno Cup
May 7, 2026 - Rosno Cup
May 3, 2026 - Rosno Cup
Apr 30, 2026 - Rosno Cup
Apr 17, 2026 - International Friendly Games
5/6 (83%)
1/6 (17%)
May 7, 2026 - International Friendly Games
May 6, 2026 - International Friendly Games
May 3, 2026 - International Friendly Games
May 2, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 23, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 22, 2026 - International Friendly Games
4/6 (67%)
2/6 (33%)
May 7, 2026 - International Friendly Games
May 6, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 23, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 9, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 8, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Feb 12, 2026 - Ice hockey - Men's Olympic Tournament
3/6 (50%)
3/6 (50%)
May 3, 2026 - International Friendly Games
May 2, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Apr 22, 2026 - International Friendly Games
Feb 17, 2026 - Ice hockey - Men's Olympic Tournament
Feb 15, 2026 - Ice hockey - Men's Olympic Tournament
Feb 14, 2026 - Ice hockey - Men's Olympic Tournament
Players list
S. Aeschlimann
L. Genoni
J. Moser
T. Berni
S. Jung
D. Kukan
C. Marti
R. Josi
D. Egli
K. Jager
S. Knak
T. Rochette
A. Biasca
C. Bertschy
N. Niederreiter
S. Andrighetto
D. Malgin
N. Hischier
C. Thurkauf
P. Suter
D. Riat
T. Meier
M. Mitens
K. Gudlevskis
A. Smits
R. Mamcics
A. Andzans
M. Tumanovs
K. Bindulis
R. Freibergs
O. Cibulskis
K. Zile
T. Andersons
O. Batna
H. Egle
F. Buncis
D. Smirnovs
O. Murnieks
O. Lapinskis
S. Vilmanis
K. Skrastins
G. Prohorenkovs
R. Balcers
M. Dzierkals
Most goals and assists
Switzerland
Latvia
N. Hischier
(6 Goals)
R. Balcers
(7 Goals)
S. Andrighetto
(11 Assists)
S. Vilmanis
(7 Assists)
Switzerland - Latvia Key Points
- Switzerland won the MVP individual award in the last two editions of the World Championship, so it’s undeniable that they are strong contenders to lift the cup.
- Latvia is far from emulating their performance in the 2023 IIHF World Championship, in which they occupied third place.
- Switzerland scored 3 or more goals in four of their last five meetings against Latvia, including friendly games.
- Latvia hasn’t been able to defeat Switzerland in the World Championship since the 2015 edition.
Limited Offer. Currently at DraftKings
Our Switzerland vs Latvia Prediction
As can be seen, even though the Swiss team is expected to dominate this game, a victory by a 4+ goal margin is unlikely. Nevertheless, it will also be complicated for the Latvian team to score more than 1 goal against the host team of this competition.
Summarizing, the current expectations for these teams are very different from each other, but that context will most likely cause them to deliver one of the most entertaining games on the group stage. Therefore, the pick for Latvia – Switzerland is: 1st Period / End of Regulation – Switzerland / Switzerland!
Prediction:
1st Period / End of Regulation - Switzerland / Switzerland
All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
