After an added delay following Thursday’s postponed matchup versus Finland, Canada will begin its quest to win a second consecutive Olympic gold medal on Saturday, when the women’s national hockey team takes on Switzerland.
All 23 players from the Canadian roster are currently playing in the PWHL. They have nine skaters returning from the 2022 gold medal team and should have strong familiarity from the recent rivalry series with Team USA. While Canada has generally been the team to beat in this tournament, with five gold medals in the history of the program, it is priced as the second favourite to win gold after losing all four games of the rivalry series by a combined margin of 24-7.
The USA also bested Canada in overtime of the Gold Medal Game at the 2025 World Championships, furthering the case that the U.S. deserves to be the outright tournament favourite. Canada has fared well in this head-to-head matchup in recent history, as they beat Switzerland 4-0 at the 2025 World Championship and 3-0 at the 2024 World Championship.
My best bet for Olympic women’s hockey Canada vs Switzerland is backing Daryl Watts to Score at +115.
Best Bet-Daryl Watts Anytime Goal-Scorer: +115
Daryl Watts to score
My best bet from Canada’s postponed matchup versus Finland was also on Daryl Watts to score, and it seems reasonable to stick with it in this matchup. Switzerland won a fairly high-event matchup on Friday in impressive fashion, but it was a fairly event game, and dynamic Canadian forwards such as Watts should be able to push the pace versus a thin Swiss roster playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
Watts is one of the most dynamic forwards in the game and is a potential x-factor in this tournament for an older Canadian side that will likely need some younger talents to step up in order to compete with the United States’ excellent roster. Canadian head coach Troy Ryan has familiarity with Watts given that he coaches Watts with the Toronto Sceptres, which should ensure Watts receives every opportunity to play a hefty role in this tournament.
It’s not as though Ryan will be reaching if he opts to use Watts consistently inside the top six. Watts has tallied six goals and 11 points in 15 games this season, after putting up 12 goals and 27 points in 30 games last year. At the most recent Women’s Worlds, Watts scored four goals with one assist in seven games.
Per Dom Luszczyszyn of the Athletic, Watts holds the second-highest offensive rating among Canadian forwards this season in the PWHL.
At the Red vs. White scrimmage held in October, Watts skated alongside Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacy, and it seems she could have an inside track to skate in a coveted role on what should be a highly formidable top line.
Switzerland allowed three goals Friday versus Czechia, which is a reasonably high output for women’s hockey, especially given that the second leg of a back-to-back versus Canada offers a drastically tougher challenge. Switzerland allowed 36 shots Friday, and I expect Watts and Canada’s top trio to generate plenty of chances in Saturday’s matchup.
Canada vs. Switzerland odds
| Switzerland moneyline (Regulation Time) | +4900 |
| Canada moneyline odds (Regulation Time) | -20000 |
| Puck Line odds | Switzerland +5.5 (+105), Canada -5.5 (–134) |
| Game total | Over 6.5 goals (-129), Under 5.5 goals (-114) |
Odds courtesy of bet365.
Betting Team Canada
Ryan’s Canadian side checked all the boxes at the 2022 Olympics, winning the gold medal in highly convincing fashion. Canada went 4-0 in the group stage, outscoring opponents 33-5. They then bested Sweden 11-0 in the quarterfinals before beating Switzerland 10-3 in the semifinals. They beat the U.S. 3-2 in the Gold Medal Game, thanks to a goal from “Captain Clutch” Marie-Philip Poulin.
For a number of Canadian skaters, such as Poulin, this will likely be their last showing at the Olympics. The level of experience and determination should be positives towards Canada’s case. However, though the urgency level may not have been nearly as high in the rivalry series, the way the young American team dismantled Ryan’s side is a concern.
Ryan’s Sceptres side has struggled to generate chances in recent months, as they are tied for last in the PWHL in goals scored after 15 games. His tactics came into question during the rivalry series and will certainly draw plenty of criticism if things don’t go better versus the Americans this time around.
Canada’s struggles in the rivalry series may not be indicative of how this matchup will go though, as stylistically the Finns present a drastically different matchup. The Americans pushed the play off the rush in those matchups and did a good job of forcing Canada’s defensive core into mistakes with a heavy forecheck.
Canada will have a rest advantage in this matchup, though it could potentially also be somewhat advantageous for the Swiss to have played one actual game to help get their timing and cohesiveness on point. Switzerland offers a much thinner roster than Canada though, and its top stars could be fighting a bit of an uphill battle from a fatigue perspective.
If there’s a lesson to be learned for Ryan’s Sceptres side based on Friday’s matchup, it could be to try and avoid going into a shell too early, and continue to press in a matchup where it is a gigantic favorite, as opposed to sitting on what may likely be an early lead by employing passive tactics that lead to less possession than Canada may have elsewhise.
There is still a very wide gap between Canada, the U.S., and the other nations competing in this tournament, and it seems possible that the gap has widened with the majority of Canadian and American skaters now competing full-time in the PWHL.
Canada’s greatest question mark could be the blue line, which generally had the most contention from passionate PWHL observers regarding the team’s selections. The unit clearly lacked pace in the rivalry series in trying to keep up with a stacked American side, and struggled to move pucks cleanly up the ice.
While those concerns could prove significant, it could take until the matchups with Team USA for them to be fully exposed, as Canada should be able to play on the front foot quite comfortably in Saturday’s matchup, and their defensive core should be facing a much more modest forecheck.
Contrary to the men’s program, goaltending is still a strength for the Canadian women, potentially even relative to what the US has to offer. Anne-Renée Desbiens is likely to continue in the starting role for Canada, having played to a .951 save percentage across 11 games in the PWHL this season while holding a sparkling 1.15 GAA.
Betting Team Switzerland
Though winning in regulation is beneficial in the preliminary phase of this tournament, Switzerland will certainly still be over the moon with its 4-3 shootout win over Czechia Friday. Czechia’s program has come on strong in recent years, and entered the tournament as the third favourite to get a medal.
The betting market is not giving much credit to Switzerland for it’s surprising comeback win, as Switzerland was priced at +100 to cover 5.5 goals in this game prior to the result of Friday’s matchup, and they are now priced at +105 to cover 5.5. Switzerland’s spirited rally came somewhat out of the blue, and they did allow 36 shots in the game despite mainly playing with a lead.
Switzerland will presumably go back to Andrea Brandli in net in this matchup, after Saskia Maurier made 36 saves and faced eight penalty shooters Friday. Brandli has posted a 15-5-0 record with a .944 save percentage (SV%) and a goals against average a shade over 1.50 this season.
Unfortunately, the whole Swiss team is in isolation as a precaution ahead of this game after a player tested positive for norovirus, according to The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian. Bettors will want to monitor any developments on this front leading up to puck drop on Saturday.
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