Eric Uribe
You can’t talk about the Winter Olympics without mentioning skiing. The two go hand-in-hand with one another akin to snowboarding or ice hockey. Welp, there are plenty of skiing events to bet on in Beijing — slopestyle, halfpipe, ariels, etc. — however, one of our favorite bets available right now is in the ski cross competition. That’s why in this article you’ll be receiving free picks to win gold at the freestyle ski cross — both in the men’s and women’s sides. Read on for expert betting advice!
Though, before we get to that, it might help explain what freestyle ski cross event is in the first place (it can get confusing with the other skiing events). Ski cross is a downhill race involving four skiers at a time. But it’s not just a straight course. No, no, the skiers must navigate through high jumps and sharp turns to reach the finish line first. It makes for a wild, chaotic, and entertaining event. Let’s jump into our 2022 Olympics betting picks now:
Best Bet To Win Men’s Ski Cross At 2022 Olympics
Let’s get this out of the way: ski cross is unpredictable. Very unpredictable, in fact. On one hand, that makes it hard to correctly bet the winner of ski cross at the 2022 Olympics. On the other hand, the unpredictability creates large betting odds all-around, which can mean a big payoff if you indeed get the bet right. For instance, take a gander at the wide-open betting field for the men’s event in Beijing:
| Skier |  |  |
| Ryan Regez | +325 | +325 |
| Bastian Midol | +425 | +425 |
| Terence Tchiknavonan | +600 | +600 |
| David Mobaerg | +800 | +800 |
| Tristan Takats | +1200 | +1200 |
| Brady Leman | +1600 | +1600 |
| Kevin Drury | +1600 | +1600 |
Ryan Regez of Sweden is a marginal favorite, which probably stems from his recent World Cup victories. He won back-to-back World Cup competitions in Idre so there’s no shortage of momentum on his side. In the 2021/22 FIS standings, Regez is tied with France’s Terence Tchiknavorian atop the leaderboard with 477 points with four races remaining (all post-Olympics).
Speaking of Tchiknavorian, we actually like the Frenchman’s value at +600 plenty. In FIS this season, he’s won two events outright and finished another three as runner-up. Given that consistency, we feel Tchiknavorian is a great “bang for your buck” bet in this category.
Best Bet To Win Women’s Ski Cross At 2022 Olympics
| Skier | | |
| Sandra Naeslund | -200 | -200 |
| Fanny Smith | +325 | +325 |
| Marielle Thompson | +1100 | +1100 |
| Brittany Phelan | +1600 | +1600 |
| Hannah Schmidt | +2000 | +2000 |
| Alizee Baron | +3300 | +3300 |
| Katrin Ofner | +3300 | +3300 |
In a sport notorious for being wildly unpredictable, Sandra Naeslund has somehow been the model of consistency. Here’s a crazy but true stat: Naeslund, of Sweden, won 10 of 11 World Cup races this season. Ten! 91 winning percentage! That’s why it’s no surprise she’s the only skier in the whole field (including men) who is NOT plus-money to win.
Though, if we’re to play devil’s advocate with Naeslund, she’s come up short at the Olympics not once, but twice before. In 2014, she finished fifth in this same event then was fourth at the 2018 Games. Depending on your perspective, this means one of two things. One, she doesn’t have a “clutch gene” to win it all. Two, after those defeats, she’s hardened now and knows what it’ll take to bring home gold.
We fall into the second camp. She was only 17 and 21 years old in those prior Olympic games. Right now, she’s at her athletic peak being 25. After knee surgery in 2020, Naeslund has looked and skied like the best version of herself. We’re betting that continues in Beijing, which is why she’s drawing a bet from us at -200 odds.
How To Watch Ski Cross At 2022 Olympics
Unlike most Olympic events, ski cross is a one-day thing. Therefore, it’s easier to watch ski cross at the 2022 Olympics and keep tabs on your bets. To do just that, mark these two days on your calendar. First, there’s February 17 when the women’s event will be contested. Second, on February 18 when the men go for the gold.
The event starts at 1 am EST on both of those days. The women’s competition will air on USA Network and the NBC Peacock streaming app. As for the men, that’ll exclusively air on Peacock. The Winter Games end completely on February 20 so ski cross will be one of your last chances at watching and cashing in!
How To Bet Ski Cross At 2022 Olympics
Last but not least, we’ve hand-picked the best-rated sportsbooks for betting. Those bookies are featured in the underneath table. At any one of these sites, you can bet ski cross or any other 2022 Olympic event for that matter. These bookmakers offer all the bets under one roof and at industry-leading prices, too.
But that’s not all! These same sites also have lucrative sign-up bonuses worth hundreds to thousands of dollars in free play. The money could be yours after two simple steps — create a playing account and top it off with money. That deposit is what will be matched in free play by the bookmaker and given to you to spend as you wish, whether that’s on the Olympics or another sport. Click the green “bet now” button below to get your free money!
