Germany vs Latvia 17 May 2026 Prediction

The teams that will likely compete for the final playoff spot meet early in the group stage. At the Olympics, Germany failed to beat this opponent, and that result later proved costly. The team is not in its best form now either and could not respond properly against Finland, even though the opponent gave it chances. Can the nominal hosts bounce back, or will Latvia win again?

Germany Needs to Start Quickly

Germany did not have its best Olympic tournament, but it still has a good chance to reach the playoffs, where it can be a difficult opponent. In friendlies, Germany looked solid, winning four of seven games, beating Slovakia twice, 3-1 and 3-1, and Austria twice, 4-3 and 5-2. However, the current tournament started poorly, as the team lost 3-1 to Finland. Germany had four power-play opportunities but failed to convert any of them, including one two-man advantage. Stefan Loibl scored the team’s only goal in that game.

Germany Predicted Lineup: Grubauer (Stettmer) – Seider, Wagner – Ehl, Michaelis, Kahun

Full Roster: defensemen – Wissmann, Miek, Huttl, Gawanke, Weber; forwards – Eder, Samanski, Tiffels, Fischbuch, Loibl, Tuomie, Kremmer, Wiederer, Kastner

Manager: Harold Kreis

Looking to Recover From Last Year’s Disappointment

Latvia struggled in its last two major tournaments, so reaching the playoffs is the minimum goal now. Before the World Championship, the team played eight friendlies and won six of them. Not every opponent was high-level, but that does not take away from Harijs Vitolins’ team. Latvia has also been fairly reliable defensively, allowing no more than two goals in five of its last seven games. However, the team enters the tournament without several leaders: Arturs Silovs, Elvis Merzlikins, Teddy Blueger, Zemgus Girgensons, and Eduards Tralmaks will not play.

Latvia Predicted Lineup: Gudlevskis (Mitens) – Smits, Cibulskis – Vilmanis, Smirnovs, Balcers

Full Roster: defensemen – Freibergs, Andzans, Bergmanis, Bindulis, Komuls, Tumanovs; forwards – Krastenbergs, Batna, Andersons, Dzierkals, Egle, Murnieks, Zabusovs, Veinbergs, Lapinskis

Manager: Harijs Vitolins

A Chance to Respond After the Olympic Loss

The previous head-to-head meeting took place at the recent Olympics. Latvia won that game 4-3 and scored twice on the power play. Forward Dans Locmelis was the key player, scoring twice. Both of his goals came at 5-on-4.

Germany vs Latvia Prediction: Latvia +1.5 Handicap at 1.71

• Main Pick: In its first tournament game, Germany looked very flat against a Finland team that was not at full strength and allowed several power-play chances. Because of that, there are questions about Germany’s outlook. The team has lost two straight games and also lost the recent Olympic head-to-head meeting. Latvia, meanwhile, beat that same Finland team before the World Championship. Since Latvia will be playing its second game in a short span, the safer option is Latvia +1.5 handicap at 1.71. A possible exact score is 4-3.
• Total Pick: In three of the last four games involving each team, at least six goals were scored, as both sides have had defensive issues. The recent head-to-head meeting also produced seven goals. The numbers point toward a high-scoring game, so the pick is Over 5.5 Goals at 1.99.
• Power-Play Goals Pick: Germany has failed to convert the power play in its last two games, while Latvia has done the same in its last six. Both teams have struggled badly in this area, so it is reasonable not to expect much on special teams here. The pick is Under 0.5 power-play goals.

The prediction will be updated and expanded after the Switzerland vs Latvia game is completed.