Despite the pandemic, the variant, and a controversial venue, the Winter Olympics are still a go. The XXIV Olympic Winter Games are scheduled for February in Beijing, China. And in this era of hyper-political correctness, there has been only mild criticism of the venue. Yet China remains a nation of intense debate outside its Great Wall as a human rights abuser. But money talks and too many interests have a stake in the Winter Olympic betting odds. Thus, the games go on. NBC will broadcast the action on a multitude of platforms in the United States.
2022 XXIV Winter Olympic Games
| Dates: | February 4-20, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Location: | Beijing, China |
| Events: | 109 in 7 Sports |
| TV Coverage: | NBC and Related NBC Universal Networks |
Odds for Most Gold Medals
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Norway | +150 |
| Germany | +160 |
| USA | +500 |
| Canada | +700 |
| Netherlands | +1600 |
| Republic of Korea | +2800 |
| France | +3300 |
| Austria | +5000 |
| Switzerland | +5000 |
| China | +6600 |
| Italy | +15000 |
| Japan | +15000 |
| Poland | +20000 |
| Finland | +20000 |
Total Medal Count
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Germany | +175 |
| Norway | +175 |
| USA | +400 |
| Canada | +700 |
| Netherlands | +1600 |
| France | +4000 |
| Austria | +5000 |
| Republic of Korea | +5000 |
| China | +6600 |
| Switzerland | +8000 |
| Sweden | +10000 |
| Japan | +10000 |
| Poland | +10000 |
2022 XXIV Winter Olympic Games
Perhaps the biggest news came at the New Year when the National Hockey League announced that it would not allow its players to play in China. The variant was too big of an obstacle. Despite that disappointment, the online betting handle is expected to be massive. There are too many events for the masses to ignore for any Olympic event.
Hockey Changes on the Fly
Cause by the National Hockey League opting out of the games, the ice hockey figures to be wide open. In particular, the United States, Canada, Czech Republic, Russia, Finland, and Sweden will be hard hit by the NHL decision. However, that opens up the Winter Olympic lines to many possibilities. With amateur players and former pros, the handicapping challenge will be immense. This factor increases the chances of an upset. Teams such as Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Slovakia, and Latvia have a far greater chance for success.
Women’s Hockey is NOT to be Missed
Most important of all, the women’s side of the Olympic hockey ledger is not affected by the NHL opting out. And in recent years, women’s hockey has enjoyed rapid growth in popularity. Canada and the United States have developed a heated rivalry through the years. The passion and excellence of the two teams have made for hated matches that rival anything from any sport. The United States won the 2018 Olympic Gold Medal and won Silver at the previous two Olympic Games.
Naturally, Canada is a powerhouse with Gold Medal wins in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. Last time the Canadians settled for a Silver Medal behind the United States.
Figure Skating a Major Draw
Likewise, figure skating is one of the biggest draws on TV and the betting window. Especially from the women’s side. Networks and other media tend to go overboard on the sport because of the massive female audience that it attracts. Of course, the sport brings plenty of controversy at each Olympic event. Cause by the winner being awarded the most points from subjective judges. Then again, hockey fans will tell numerous stories of refs figuring in outcomes because of bad calls!