2022 Winter Olympics Best Bets for This Weekend (February 5-6) (Archive)
Hello there my fellow bettors. As we have to put up with another week of football withdrawal, I thought that it would be nice to deliver something different and useful in this week’s column.
The long and cold winter nights feel more bearable when we have something to root for and this year particularly we are in luck as the Winter Olympics have begun in Beijing, China.
Less than a year after the Summer Olympics took place in Tokyo, due to COVID, the winter edition had its opening ceremony this past Friday. So, without further ado, let’s check out some betting odds.
Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics
Friday, February 4, 2022 – Sunday, February 20, 2022
Team USA Total Gold Medals
Let’s begin with one of the bets that caught my eye right away when looking at the vast menu of options at some of BMR’s top sportsbooks. Full disclaimer, this might look like a chump play or maybe the most obvious bet in the history of gambling.
Now, do you know how many golds Team USA managed in PyeongChang 2018? Exactly 9. So, this line has been carefully set by the oddsmakers, just like the total count for the US set at 22.5. Yes, you guessed that right; they got 23 in the last edition.
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The reason we feel good about this play is that the US has managed to win at least 9 gold medals in each of the last four Winter Olympics and with a couple of new events in which the Americans could shine, we’ll be rooting for every US athlete to get us over this total.
Winter Olympics Pick: Team USA Total Gold Medals Over 8.5 (-110) at the Best Sportsbooks
Women’s Slopestyle – Snowboard
Saturday, February 5, 2022 – 07:30 PM EST
One of the best ways for our total on Team USA to go over is if snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Jamie Anderson, is able to achieve a three-peat in the Women’s Slopestyle event this Saturday.
Given the context and the value of her odds at +400, it’s hard not to take a chance with her.
Having said that Anderson, who’s 31 years old, will face stiff competition. Despite her resume, she’s not the favorite to win the event as the 21-year-old sensation from New Zealand, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, leads the way at -150.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Sadowski-Synnott beat Anderson to the gold in the X Games, which is proof that she can achieve a top-level but look for the American to take advantage of her experience when it counts the most.
Winter Olympic Pick: Jamie Anderson to Win (+400) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
Women’s Ice Hockey
USA vs. Switzerland
Sunday, February 6, 2022 – 08:10 AM EST
With the NHL opting out of this edition due to the travel restrictions, COVID pandemic and everything related, the hopes of the Americans rest with the Women’s hockey team… again.
Needless to say, the US is second to none… except maybe for Canada. It is precisely our northern neighbors who are slated as favorites to win the gold in this category but I say give me Team USA to win gold at +100.
I’m sure the women will make a statement when they play the Maple Leaf in the opening round on Monday night, which leads me to their game against Switzerland this Sunday.
With a -6.5 goal spread it would be easy to expect a lopsided event but with Canada right after in the schedule, I see Team USA winning this game but not necessarily covering. I don’t really trust our rivals either so let’s grab the value with the total and take the under.
Winter Olympic Pick: USA to Win Gold (+100) at BetOnline
Winter Olympic Pick: USA/Switzerland Under 7.5 Goals (-102) at GTbets (visit our GTbets Review)
Women’s Giant Slalom – Alpine Skiing Women
Sunday, February 6, 2022 – 09:15 PM EST
Our third and last event will be taking place on Sunday night capping a 24-hour journey of Winter Olympic madness for us and some of my favorite picks for this weekend are on this event.
When it comes to this event we really only have to take into account two competitors. We’re talking about two-time gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin from the US and Swedish sensation Sara Hector.
It’s actually the European who’s favorite to win the event according to the betting odds at both BetOnline and Everygame (visit our Everygame Review). Why is that? Well, Hector has gotten the better of Shiffrin in the World Circuit during the last couple of events which could be feeding the public’s recent bias towards her.
Having said that, the American is a veteran whose plan during 2021 seemed to be focused on this year’s Olympics and not so much on winning events or risking an injury. This has provided great value to her betting odds.
For our last event, we’ll go with a trifecta of betting picks to cap off what we hope is a fun and productive weekend.
Winter Olympics Matchup Pick: Mikaela Shiffrin Over Sara Hector (-110) at BetOnline
Winter Olympics Pick: Mikaela Shiffrin to Win (+400) at Everygame
Winter Olympics Pick: Mikaela Shiffrin to Finish Top 3 (-125) at Everygame
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.