Sean Maloney
After racking up their lowest medal count in two decades at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, the United States faces tempered expectations as the countdown continues towards the start of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. USA is currently pegged as a +115 longshot to top their haul of 23 medals four years ago. However, American athletes remain perched among the favorites in several events at this year’s Games.
MyTopSportsbooks takes a look at all the odds and trends ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, which are scheduled to begin in Beijing, China on February 4. Sports bettors getting in on Olympic betting action for the first time should refer to our guide to betting on the Beijing Olympics 2022.
| USA Winter Olympics Odds |  |
| OVER 8.5 Gold Medals | +115 |
| OVER 23.5 Total Medals | +115 |
| Men's Hockey Gold Medal | +1000 |
| Women's Hockey Gold Medal | +100 |
| Men's Curling Gold Medal | +1400 |
| Men's Curling Podium Finish | +225 |
| Women's Curling Gold Medal | +1000 |
| Women's Curling Podium Finish | +225 |
| Women's Monobob Gold Medal - Elana Meyers Taylor | +225 |
| Women's Giant Slalom Gold Medal - Mikaela Shiffrin | +275 |
Americans Favored to See Medal Haul Dip
The dominant force at the Summer Olympics since the modern games were founded over a century ago, the United States looked destined to extend that dominance to the Winter Olympics after leading all nations with a record 37 total medals at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. However, it has been all downhill since, with America’s medal count dipping to just 23 medals in 2018. That marked their smallest medal haul since 1998.
Norway sets a new record for Winter Olympic medals — 38 — topping USA’s total of 37 in Vancouver in 2010. Follow live updates: https://t.co/se9VO6Pcu0 #PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/Qhpqf9U4pa
— CNN (@CNN) February 24, 2018
Things do not look like they will improve substantially this time around. Indeed, the decline is expected to continue in Beijing, with American athletes now facing long +115 odds of winning OVER 23.5 medals. Conversely, Norway is favored to win the most medals after setting a new Olympic record by winning 39 medals four years ago.
2018 Winter Olympics Medal Table and closing ceremony @2/25/2018 pic.twitter.com/upC3ztggze
— DH@Air (@auto2dave) February 26, 2018
While the United States is not expected to improve on its 2018 medal count, American athletes enjoy strong odds of increasing the number of gold medals they take home. Winners of no more than four gold medals in each of the past five editions of the Winter Olympics, USA sports strong +115 odds of winning at least nine gold medals this time.
NHL’s Absence Hurt USA in Olympic Hockey
The United States was expected to be a threat to win Olympic gold in Men’s Hockey in Beijing. But with the NHL making the tough decision to forego participation in this year’s Games after seeing dozens of league games postponed due to COVID-19, American hopes have been dramatically diminished.
NHL reschedules almost 100 games postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related attendance caps in Canadian markets. Most will be played during the February Olympic break, which became available when the league backed out of participating. https://t.co/dY2wF7PJOj
— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) January 19, 2022
Instead of icing a team featuring superstars like Auston Matthews, Troy Terry, and John Carlson, the American squad will be largely composed of young players currently playing NCAA college hockey. With European rivals such as Russia and Finland set to hit the ice with lineups stacked with players from the KHL, the fledgling Americans have seen their odds of winning Olympic gold for the first time since 1980 dip to a distant +1000.
2018 Winter Olympics: US women’s hockey wins gold, ends Canada’s 20-year reign in shootout https://t.co/aSxc5s3HlX pic.twitter.com/wUxvTfgTB3
— lehighvalleylive.com (@lehighvalley) February 22, 2018
Things look brighter for the United States Women’s Hockey team. Gold medal winners four years ago in Pyeongchang, the American women are once again expected to engage in a tight two-way battle for gold with their archrivals from Canada. That is reflected on the Winter Olympic odds at Bovada, where the USA is listed as attracted +100 second favorites.
Podium Opportunities Remain
Ample opportunities remain for Americans to own the podium in Beijing. Among the biggest gold medal hopefuls who will don the stars and stripes is Mikaela Shiffrin. The 26-year-old from Vail, Colorado has emerged as a force on the alpine skiing scene. A six-time winner at FIS Alpine Ski World Championships, Shiffrin also has a pair of Olympic gold medals to her credit, and is pegged as a solid +275 favorite to once again finish atop the podium in the Giant Slalom.
2014. 2018. 2022. ✅
Make way for @MikaelaShiffrin. #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/Z86vwC16Ji
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) January 21, 2022
A four-time world champion bobsledder, Elana Meyers Taylor sits at the top of the odds to win gold in the Women’s Monobob, where she is pegged as a +275 bet. The 37-year-old from Oceanside, California also has also won three Olympic medals, capped by a silver medal-winning performance in the Two-woman Bobsled in 2018.
Congratulations to Douglasville native Elana Meyers Taylor ! 🎉
Elana will represent Team USA 🇺🇸 for the 4️⃣th time with the US Olympics Women’s Bobsled Team!
She has medaled 3 times in her previous Winter Games appearances, 2 silver🥈
in 2014 and 2018, and 1 bronze in 🥉2010! pic.twitter.com/01wmMGU4zz— Visit Douglasville (@DouglasvilleCVB) January 19, 2022
USA is also poised to add to the nation’s medal haul in curling. The Americans travel to Beijing as defending Olympic champions in Men’s Curling. And while the United States sits well off the pace as a +1400 wager to win gold yet again, they sport short +225 odds of reaching the podium for the third time since 2006.
Meet the curlers who will be reppin’ @teamusa at @beijing2022!
Matt Hamilton will return to his second consecutive @olympics as he aims to defend gold with @teamshustercurling. #usacurling | 📸: Bob Weder pic.twitter.com/J3lHXZaSKg
— USA Curling (@usacurl) January 19, 2022
America’s Women’s Curling team sits just short of the favorites with +1000 odds, and have never taken home an Olympic medal since the event was reintroduced in 1998. But after taking home the bronze at the 2021 Women’s World Curling Championship, the American ladies are pegged as a +225 wager to finally reach the Olympic podium in Beijing.
Best Bets: Mikaela Shiffrin to win Giant Slalom (+275) at Bovada
