Germany vs Switzerland 18 May 2026 Prediction

The host nation’s next opponent in the group stage will be Germany, which started the World Championship poorly. Can Switzerland’s star-filled roster confirm its status as one of the tournament favorites on the ice? Can Germany end its poor run against its geographical neighbor?

Germany Did Not Impress at the Start of the Tournament

Germany came to the World Championship without its biggest star, Leon Draisaitl, who missed part of the NHL season with an injury and apparently decided to protect his health. In his absence, Moritz Seider is expected to lead the team. However, the Detroit defenseman, like the whole team, looked fairly flat at the start of the tournament. In its first game, Germany lost 3-1 to Finland and recorded only 17 shots on goal. Germany allowed two power-play goals and failed to convert any of its four power-play chances. It is worth noting that before the World Championship, Harold Kreis’ team won four of five friendlies, including two 3-1 wins over Slovakia.

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

Switzerland Won With Control

Switzerland looked very confident in its opening game against the USA. At the same time, it did not look like the team had to use all of its attacking potential. Switzerland led 2-0 by the middle of the first period and then allowed very little at its own net. Midway through the third period, the hosts did concede, but Ken Jager’s goal removed any doubt about the winner. Switzerland did not even allow the opponent to mount a final push, spending the closing minutes in the USA zone. New manager Jan Cadieux has brought almost all of Switzerland’s strongest NHL players to the World Championship. The team can also feel confident in goal: Leonardo Genoni stopped 95% of shots in the game against the USA.

Switzerland Predicted Lineup: Aeschlimann (Genoni) – Egli, Josi – Meier, Hischier, Rochette

Full Roster: defensemen – Marti, Kukan, Berni, Moser, Jung; forwards – Bertschy, Thurkauf, Niederreiter, Suter, Malgin, Andrighetto, Riat, Jager, Knak, Biasca

Manager: Jan Cadieux

Switzerland Dominates the Head-to-Head Matchup

These teams regularly meet at the World Championship. Over the last five years, Switzerland has beaten Germany in four of their five games at the main tournament of the year. In 2025, Switzerland beat Germany 5-1 in the group stage, and in 2024 it won 3-1 in the quarterfinal. Only one of the last seven meetings went beyond regulation.

Germany vs Switzerland Prediction: Switzerland -1.5 Handicap at 1.76

• Main Pick: The teams showed very different levels in their opening World Championship games against strong opponents. Switzerland handled the USA confidently, while Germany had little chance against Finland. Germany has also struggled against Switzerland in recent years, winning only one of the last five head-to-head meetings. At the last two World Championships, Switzerland won those matchups by two or more goals. With that in mind, the logical pick is Switzerland -1.5 handicap at 1.76. A possible exact score is 4-1.
• Total Pick: Two of the last three head-to-head games produced only four total goals. At the start of the tournament, neither team played a high-scoring game: both Germany and Switzerland finished 3-1. The teams also did not produce much shot volume, with Switzerland recording 20 shots and Germany 17. These numbers point toward Under 5.5 Goals at 1.90.
• Power-Play Goals Pick: Germany’s special teams have not done their job: the team failed to score on the power play in all seven tune-up games before the World Championship, as well as in its opening tournament game against Finland. Switzerland also failed to punish the USA for penalties. The pick is Under 1.5 power-play goals.

The prediction will be updated and expanded after the Switzerland vs Latvia and Germany vs Latvia games are completed.