The 2026 Winter Olympics are still months in the distance, but bookmakers have begun populating odds for the most anticipated event at the Games, the Men’s Hockey Tournament.
For the first time since 2014, NHL players will be allowed to participate in the Games, which means hockey fans will get to watch Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Auston Matthews, and Nathan MacKinnon compete in their first Olympics.
As expected, the betting market views the Men’s Hockey Tournament as a two-team race between Canada, the +150 favorites to win the Gold Medal in Milan, and the United States (+200).
2026 Men’s Hockey Olympic Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Canada | +150 |
| USA | +200 |
| Sweden | +550 |
| Finland | +750 |
| Czechia | 14/1 |
| Slovakia | 50/1 |
| Switzerland | 50/1 |
| Germany | 50/1 |
| Latvia | 140/1 |
| Denmark | 140/1 |
| France | 250/1 |
| Italy | 250/1 |
The Favorites
Canada and Team USA met in the finals at last year’s 4 Nations Face Off, beating out Sweden and Finland, so it’s no surprise that they’re being priced as the cream of the crop for Milan 2026.
The two North American powers split their head-to-head at the 4 Nations, though Canada won the championship game, which is likely why they’re sitting as the slight favorite in the Olympics.
While it’s hard to argue with that logic, it could be argued that the wrong team is the outright favorite as things stand now.
Canada may have more talent than Team USA, but the Americans were neck and neck with the Canadians at the 4 Nations, and they have the easier group in Milan.
While Canada will be massive favorites to top Group A, they will have to contend with Czechia, Switzerland, and France.
The Americans don’t have a minnow like France in Group C, but they also don’t have to deal with a contender like Czechia.
It would be a stunner if either one of these teams doesn’t top their respective group and earn a bye to the quarterfinals (the first-place teams and the best second-place team get a free pass to the quarters, while the rest of the 12-team field plays in a qualifying round), but Canada’s path is slightly more treacherous.
Betting on the NHL?
The contenders
Sweden (+550) and Finland (+750) are the only other teams with single-digit odds, but they’ve been placed in a Group of Death with Slovakia and the hosts, Italy.
We’ll see how much the 4 Nations Face Off mattered, but it should also be noted that neither of these Scandinavian rivals looked on par with Canada or Team USA in that tournament, which makes these prices rather unpalatable.
Czechia (14/1) is going to be the trendiest sleeper pick when we get to Milan, because it looks like there really is no other option when it comes to backing a potential upstart.
The Czechs, who will be led by David Pastrnak and Martin Necas, are the only team priced between +750 and 50/1.
It seems a tempting price on a team that has some star power and a potential game-stealing goaltender in Lukas Dostal, but I doubt this number will shrink between now and the start of the tournament, so you can be patient.
The long shots
The gap between the top teams and the ones at the bottom is incredibly wide, but there is one team that does stand out in this range as a potential gate-crasher.
We’re in the middle of a golden generation for German hockey.
Leon Draisaitl is one of the best players on the planet, but he’ll have a terrific running mate in Tim Stutzle, and Moritz Seider will be capable in the role as Germany’s No. 1 defenseman in Milan.
Germany’s big three will be joined by pure-scoring winger JJ Peterka, as well as Nico Sturm, who is a strong defensive centerman.
Betting on the NHL?
Philipp Grubauer has struggled over the last handful of seasons, but he’s an NHL goaltender, which is more than a lot of teams can say in this field.
Germany won’t be able to match the depth of the top teams in this tournament, but they have enough star power to give anybody a scare, especially if Grubauer does his part.
The 50/1 price on Germany is the only one in this range I could see shrinking considerably before the tournament starts, so you may want to hop on the bandwagon before it gets too late.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
