- Men’s Olympic hockey features a solid opening parlay at -182 combining Finland, Canada, and the United States.
- Women’s hockey offers a compelling opening parlay at +143 with Sweden, France, and the USA.
- The American women stand out as the top bet (-130 odds) for the gold medal.
MILAN, ITALY — NHL players are back at the Olympics for the first time since 2014, giving bettors a rare chance to cash in on top-tier international hockey. The women’s tournament brings just as much excitement, with a loaded American squad attracting serious money at sportsbooks nationwide.
Best Bets
- Men’s Opening Match Parlay: Finland (-450), Canada (-500), United States (-1800) at -182
- Men’s Tournament Winner: Canada (+110)
- Women’s Opening Match Parlay: Sweden (-425), France (-110), USA (-3300) at +143
- Women’s Tournament Winner: United States (-130)
Men’s Olympic Hockey
The opening round presents a strong three-team parlay opportunity with Finland (-450), Canada (-500), and the United States (-1800) combining for -182 odds.
Finland opens as heavy favorites even without Aleksander Barkov, who’s sidelined with a training camp knee injury, while Slovakia doesn’t possess the offensive weapons to keep pace. Mikko Rantanen anchoring a line alongside Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen gives the Finns more than enough scoring depth. The unstoppable top unit that Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and rookie Macklin Celebrini assemble makes Canada’s -500 odds versus Denmark seem justifiable.
Given their superiority over Latvia, the American’s -1800 odds make sense because concerns regarding Connor Hellebuyck’s recent play and Matthew Tkachuk’s health won’t impact much.
The Canadians offer strong odds at +110 for tournament gold. Their goaltending depth improved considerably after adding Logan Thompson and Darcy Kuemper, they captured the 4 Nations Face-Off crown earlier this season, and Jon Cooper’s coaching prowess creates a significant edge. Canada’s path to the podium’s top step looks clearest.
Compare this to Team USA’s injury concerns, and Canada becomes the clear choice among legal sports betting options.
Popular NHL sportsbooks have made this one of the most attractive bets of the tournament.
Women’s Olympic Hockey
There are three good matchups in the women’s opening match parlay at +143. Sweden (-425) should handle Japan considering Hilda Svensson contributes top-tier scoring and Emma Söderberg has a.931 save percentage.
With Estelle Duvin scoring 47 points in 27 games and Alice Philbert’s championship experience in goal, France (-110) is motivated to defeat Italy in their Olympic debut. Against Czechia, the United States (-3300) is incredibly talented.
The United States is still the greatest bet to win gold at -130, even though Canadian betting sites provide a variety of markets. The Americans have no exploitable weaknesses due to Aerin Frankel’s .946 save percentage, outstanding defensive duos like Megan Keller and Haley Winn, and dynamic forwards like Joy Dunne and Tessa Janecke.
Coach John Wroblewski’s gold medals at the 2023 and 2025 World Championships show why Olympic betting sites are all-in on Team USA’s women.
