Chris Boline
- Who: The Top Four Contenders to take home the gold in the Men’s Aerials Competition
- What: The The 2022 Winter Olympics Men’s Aerials Freestyle Skiing Competition
- When: Tuesday, February 15 (qualification) to Wednesday, February 16 (finals), 2022
- Where: Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou
An official Olympic event since the 1994 games in Lillehammer, the aerials competition is an amazing display of athletic dexterity and precision. For this year’s Olympics, the competition will take place over the course of two days and there is a heavily favored top contender in the field. With 2018 Olympic champion Oleksandr Abramenko (+4000) reaching the twilight of his career (he has competed in every Olympics since 2006), there will be a new champion in 2022. The top contender to take home the gold is Maxim Burov from Russia, the reigning three-time World Champion in the aerials competition.
With a clear favorite in the field, MTS will break down who has the best chance to challenge Burov and who will ultimately take home the gold below.
| Odds to Win Men's Aerials |  |
| Maxim Burov (ROC) | -150 |
| Noe Roth (SUI) | +900 |
| Sun Jiaxu (CHI) | +1000 |
| Jia Zongyang (CHI) | +1000 |
No. 1 Contender: Maxim Burov (ROC) (Odds: -150)
The sport’s rising star and the chosen one to take the place left by Abramenko, Burov has already amassed a handful of titles in his young career. The 23-year old won back-to-back in individual aerials at the 2019 and 2021 World Championships and, in the process, became the fourth male aerial to ever do so. Burov had a dominant performance at the 2021-22 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup, winning four events and leading the overall rankings. A big favorite in the competition, Burov certainly has the track record to back up his success, but he still needs to perform in this tough field.
Second Contender: Noé Roth (SUI) (Odds: +900)
A Swiss freestyle champion and the son of Colette Brand, another Swiss freestyle skier and Olympic medalist, Roth has had a solid run to start his career. At the 2019 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships, Roth was able to take home the gold medal in the mixed aerials portion of the competition. At that same event, the Swiss skier locked down the bronze medal in the solo aerials portion. In 2021, Roth locked down the silver medal in the mixed aerials event at the FIS Championships.
Third Contender: Sun Jiaxu (CHI) (Odds: +1000)
A dark horse for this list, Jiaxu is more of an unknown in relation to the other contenders here. Jiaxu won a silver medal at the 2019 FIS Freestyle Ski World Championships and is one of the most athletic competitors in the sport of freestyle skiing. He also has won World Cup events in Canada, Finland, and China over the last three years.
Final Contender Spotlight: Jia Zongyang (CHI) (Odds: +1000)
The oldest competitor on this list, Zongyang has competed for China at the last three Olympics (2010, 2014, and 2018) and took the podium in the last two. In 2014, Zongyang was able to lock down the bronze in the aerials competition in Sochi and in 2018, he was able to secure the silver medal in aerials. A savvy veteran, look for Zongyang to hang around the podium in Beijing.
Prediction: When looking at the men’s freestyle aerials competition, a clear answer emerges and it is exactly in the place you would find it. With a blazing track record, Burov will secure his first Olympic gold medal in 2022.
How to place your Freestyle Skiing Bets
As you are winding down the exhilarating process of finalizing all your wagers, make sure to check out which sportsbook might be the best for you. For easy access, MTS has your back with tips of how to bet on the Olympics and what makes each stand out. Another great resource is the MTS page for other free picks and predictions from our experts. Reading more here will give you a leg up when you are looking to wager on a variety of different sports.
Another great tip: make sure to keep checking in with each betting site regularly as they do update their sports sign-on wagering and bonus programs. These added bonuses give a lucrative leg up to your wagers and are basically bonus money for some of your bets should you meet certain conditions. With these kinds of programs though, make sure to always check your wagers so you are meeting the prescribed conditions.
