Men's ice hockey gold medal predictions & free Winter Olympics betting tips

Free ice hockey tips, best bets and analysis for the Winter Olympics men's ice hockey at Beijing 2022.

Where to watch

Live Beijing 2022 coverage on BBC & Eurosport

When to bet

Tournament starts 8.30am Wednesday

Best bets

USA to win Group A
1pt 2-1 bet365

Czech Republic to win Group B
1pt 16-5 bet365

Betting preview

Russia are favourites to defend their Winter Olympic men's ice hockey title in a tournament which, for the second time in a row, features no current NHL players.

The stars of the world's strongest league were originally scheduled to feature in Beijing, but NHL schedule delays due to Covid have scuppered that plan.

The Russians needed overtime to see off surprise package Germany in the 2018 gold-medal game and the team, made up of players from Europe's top league the KHL, are by no means good things.

Russia have just three World Championship bronze medals since their last win in 2014, and while that tournament does feature NHL players, it coincides with the Stanley Cup playoffs and most of the big names give it a miss.

Canada and USA have taken two very different approaches. While the Canadian team mostly comprises grizzled veterans, the US squad features eight players aged 20 or under and 16 players under 24.

The Americans have a decent record in junior competition and are the reigning Under-20 World Champions. The youngsters will be keen to showcase themselves and look a decent bet to top a group including Canada, the ever-dangerous Germans and rank outsiders, hosts China.

Russia could be upset in the group stage by an interesting Czech Republic side. The Czechs reached the semi-finals of the last Olympics and the 2019 World Championship, and were beaten 1-0 by Finland in the quarter-finals of the last worlds.

They are led by two-time Stanley Cup playoffs leading scorer David Krejci, who retired from the NHL to play for his hometown team Olomouc this year.

Charlotte Bankes is favourite to win Great Britain's first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics in the women's snowboard cross, that starts at 3am UK & Ireland time.

The 26-year-old world champion is 5-4 to win the event.

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