Olympic Ice Hockey Odds: Canada Favored In Beijing

The 2021 Summer Olympics may have just ended, but the next Winter Games are already on the horizon. As always, at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, there will be no bigger event than the ice hockey tournament. 

The 2022 Olympic ice hockey odds show the usual teams are still favored, but the pool is deep. Canada leads the oddsboard (+200), but the USA (+300), ROC (+400), Sweden (+600) and Finland (+700) fall close behind. The Russian Olympic Committee took home gold in 2018, but Canada has won the last two Olympic golds at events NHL players participated in.

Online sportsbook [Sportsbook not available for your region] has the latest 2022 Olympic ice hockey odds, which will be updated regularly up until and through the Beijing Games.

See Odds Shark’s Best NHL Sites

New to betting on hockey? We have a great NHL betting tutorial to assist you in placing a wager on Olympic ice hockey. To find the sportsbook that’s right for you to get some money down on the ice, head over to our Sportsbook Review page.

What Country Leads The Odds To Win Ice Hockey Gold In Beijing?

Odds as of September 15 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]

Can Canada Be Toppled? 

Even without NHL participation and most of the biggest names in Canadian hockey unable to participate in the last Winter Olympics, Canada still nabbed a bronze medal. With NHLers back in Beijing for 2022, the Canadians are expected to retake their spot atop international hockey.

The faces of Canadian hockey for the last decade — including Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Steven Stamkos and John Tavares — are expected to headline Canada’s squad again in China, but they’ll be joined by a fresh crop of young talent. Connor McDavid will make his Olympic debut for Canada, with young stars Mitch Marner and Aaron Ekblad also likely to make the team.

If there’s a question mark on Canada’s squad, it’s goal prevention. Carey Price has health concerns and there’s no clear ace goaltender behind him. As well, Canada’s defense could feature some of the top puck-moving D-men in China, but they may not have the best top six in the tournament.

Watch Out For The Russians

If there’s a squad that can compare with Canada’s top-tier talent, it’s the Russian Olympic Committee. A first line likely featuring Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Nikita Kucherov is probably the best line in the tournament and the Russians will have studs like Artemi Panarin and Andrei Svechnikov behind them.

If the Russian Olympic Committee team is to win gold, however, it will be because their goaltending stole the tournament. With Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky, the ROC features the best and deepest goalie group in the world. Vasilevskiy is coming off back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, a Conn Smythe award, has been a Vezina finalist in each of the last four years, and could easily steal meaningful games for the ROC.

The Swedes Are A Value Play In Olympic Ice Hockey Odds

The last time NHL players participated in the Olympics, Sweden met Canada in the final, narrowly losing in the gold-medal game.

While Sweden can’t match the forward groups or top-tier goaltending that the other countries atop the oddsboard have, their solid defensive core could give them another shot at glory. With Victor Hedman, John Klingberg, Erik Karlsson, Rasmus Dahlin and Oliver Ekman-Larsson headlining the D corps, Sweden’s back end possesses the perfect mix of explosiveness, experience, defensive prowess and offensive skill.

If goaltenders like Jacob Markstrom or Robin Lehner can hold it down in net, and the Swedes receive scoring from guys like Elias Petterson, Mika Zibanejad and William Nylander, they should be fighting for a medal at the end of the tournament.

How To Read 2022 Olympic Ice Hockey Odds:

At your sportsbook of choice, you’ll see odds to win ice hockey gold listed like this:

Canada +300
Slovakia +450
USA +500
Kazakhstan +800

Unlike a moneyline bet where there are only two teams and you’re betting on the Sportsbook of a specific game, match or event, for a futures bet like this you can consider any team in the tournament. The favorite is the team with the lowest odds – either the highest minus (-) number or the lowest plus (+) number. In this case, Canada is the +300 favorite.

If you think Canada will win Olympic ice hockey gold, you can bet $50 on them to win at +300 odds. If the boys in red and white take home the medal, you win $200  – your original $50 is returned along with your winnings of $150.

You can use our Odds Calculator to figure out what you’d win based on the amount you bet and the odds.