Winter Olympic Odds: Men’s & Women’s Ice Hockey, Vegas Odds & Prediction
- Ice hockey has been included in the Winter Olympics in every edition of the event
- The competition gets underway on Thursday, February 3rd
- No NHL players will be involved at the Winter Olympics
One of the most-watched sports at the Winter Olympics gets underway on Thursday, February 3rd as the ice hockey gets underway in the Beijing National Indoor Stadium. Despite no NHL players being involved, the event still looks to be a wide-open contest for gamblers to enjoy.
Men’s & Women’s Ice Hockey Schedule
- When: Thursday, February 3rd– Sunday, February 20th
- Where: Beijing National Indoor Stadium/Wukesong Arena
- How To Watch: NBC Sports
Men’s Ice Hockey Vegas Odds & Prediction
| Nation | Odds |
|---|---|
| Russian Olympic Committee | +162 |
| Finland | +400 |
| Sweden | +450 |
| Canada | +600 |
| Czech Republic | +800 |
| USA | +1500 |
| Switzerland | +2500 |
| Germany | +2500 |
| Slovakia | +5000 |
| Latvia | +6600 |
| Denmark | +8000 |
| China | +100000 |
The absence of NHL players in the ice hockey at the Winter Olympics has had a huge impact on the betting for the competition. The USA and Canada have both increased in price to win the competition, with neither being able to call upon their best players for the competition. Canada may still be the pick of the two to go far, as they have depth within their squad, which was evident when winning the Ice Hockey World Cup last year.
The Russian Olympic Committee may be the biggest winners following the absence of NHL players, as they have come in drastically since the announcement. They finished sixth in the World Cup Championship standings last year and were eliminated at the quarterfinal stage by Canada. Finland also has an excellent chance, having lost in the final of the World Cup, and will have a near-full squad for the Winter Olympics.
However, our pick is for Sweden. The Swedes finished second at the 2014 Winter Olympics, before having a disappointing time of things four years later. They look much stronger this time around and will be boosted by having a slightly easier route through to the knockout stages, having been drawn against Finland, Slovakia, and Latvia.
Free Pick:
- Sweden
Women’s Ice Hockey Vegas Odds & Prediction
| Nation | Odds |
|---|---|
| Canada | -110 |
| USA | -105 |
| Finland | +1600 |
| Russian Olympic Committee | +3300 |
| Switzerland | +5000 |
| Sweden | +5000 |
| Japan | +6600 |
| Czech Republic | +6600 |
| Denmark | +15000 |
| China | +30000 |
Ice hockey has been included in the women’s Winter Olympic program since the 1998 games in Nagano. It is no surprise to see the USA and Canada dominate the betting in the women’s half, as no other nation has won Olympic gold. In fact, only Sweden is the other nation to have competed in an Olympic final aside from the US and Canada since 1998.
The telling form line could have come at the IIHF Women’s World Championships last year, as Canada won the tournament. The Canadians beat USA 3-2 after overtime in the final to end the United States five-year winning run in the event.
Canada have also won gold in four of the previous five Winter Olympics, with the only exception coming last year after losing a shootout against the United States. Finland look like a decent chance of taking bronze.
Free Pick:
- Canada
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