2026 Men’s Olympic Hockey odds: Canada, USA the clear favorites after roster release
The rosters for the men’s ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics have been released, and now the focus shifts to the betting market to see if there’s any movement now that we know who is going to Milan in February.
The tournament features 12 teams split into three groups of four, with the group winners and the best second-place team advancing straight to the quarterfinals.
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The remaining eight countries will play a knock-out game to decide who joins them.
2026 Men’s Olympic Hockey groups
- Group A: Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, France
- Group B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy
- Group C: United States, Germany, Denmark, Latvia
2026 Men’s Olympic Hockey odds
| Country | Odds |
|---|---|
| Canada | +135 |
| USA | +190 |
| Sweden | +550 |
| Finland | 12/1 |
| Czechia | 14/1 |
| Switzerland | 35/1 |
| Slovakia | 70/1 |
| Germany | 70/1 |
| Latvia | 125/1 |
| Denmark | 125/1 |
| Italy | 250/1 |
| France | 250/1 |
The favorites
Team Canada (+135) is holding strong as the favorite after its roster was confirmed on New Year’s Eve.
Canada, which won the 4 Nations Faceoff last year, will bring more starpower to Milan than any other team.
The roster is headlined by the two favorites to win the Hart Trophy, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid, as well as Cale Makar, who has -650 odds to win the Norris Trophy.
The star power doesn’t end there, with Sidney Crosby, Mitch Marner, Macklin Celebrini, Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart all making the trip.
There are some questions to be answered in goal with presumed starter Jordan Binnington struggling in the NHL this season, and at the bottom of the blueline, but with so much offensive punch, it’s easy to see why the betting market is planting its flag with Canada ahead of the tournament.
The gap between Canada and Team USA (+190), the second-favorite, is negligible, but you have to wonder if bookmakers are charging a premium on the Yanks because they’re anticipating lopsided action as we get closer to puck drop.
That’s not to say that the Americans don’t deserve to be the second choice, but this does seem like a lofty price to pay considering how things are trending for the Stars and Stripes this season.
Several of Team USA’s top players, including Jack Hughes, Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk and Connor Hellebuyck, have dealt with long-term injuries this season, while Auston Matthews has been dealing with health issues and has been mired in a lengthy slump.
There was some skepticism over Team USA’s decision to leave Adam Fox off the roster, but the blueline, which is headlined by Quinn Hughes and Zach Werenski, should be a strength for the Yanks.
The Americans also have the best crop of goalies (Hellebuyck, Jeremy Swayman, and Jake Oettinger) of any team in the field.
The challenger
Team Sweden (+550) may not have the household names littered throughout its roster like Canada and the United States, but the Swedes could claim to have the best defense in the tournament.
Victor Hedman, Gustav Forsling and Rasmus Dahlin headline a balanced blueline, which will play in front of a high-ceiling goaltender, no matter if the Swedes go with Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt in net.
And while the defense will get top billing for the Swedes, there is plenty of scoring power with William Nylander, Leo Carlsson, Lucas Raymond, and Filip Forsberg expected to lead the way.
Betting on the NHL?
The dark horses
Finland (12/1) struggled to make an impact in the 4 Nations Faceoff, and the same concerns remain for the Finns in Milan. There are some game-breakers on this roster, but the defense certainly looks a couple of steps behind the three favorites, and the goaltending could go in a number of different directions.
Throw in the fact that Finland was drawn into the same group as Sweden, and you can see why Suomi is being largely overlooked in this tournament.
Don’t be surprised if Czechia (14/1) starts to get some love from bettors as we get closer to the tournament. The Czechs haven’t rubber-stamped their roster yet, but the top of the lineup will have some serious scoring punch with David Pastrnak, Tomas Hertl and Martin Necas leading the way.
Czechia’s defense could be patchwork, but the goaltending could be a strength with promising youngster Lukas Dostal expected to shoulder the load.
For some reason, Switzerland (35/1) is getting a lot more respect from the betting market than several teams with similar makeups.
Nico Hischier, Roman Josi, Timo Meier, and Kevin Fiala give the Swiss a decent core, but I don’t see much difference between them and a couple of the countries listed at much longer odds.
The long shots
There are a couple of intriguing long shots in the mix in Milan, especially given that every team will advance to the knockout stage. That could open things up for a few surprises, especially since some of the teams in this range of the betting board have some serious upside.
Slovakia (70/1), Denmark (125/1) and Latvia (125/1) will bring some NHL talent with them to Italy, but none have the upside that you’re looking for from a team in this price range.
Germany (70/1), on the other hand, remains the most intriguing long shot from a value perspective. The Germans are not lacking in starpower with Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stutzle, JJ Peterka and Moritz Seider, and they’ve got an experienced NHL goaltender in Philipp Grubauer, which is more than most teams in this range can boast.
Don’t be surprised if Germany is able to pull a stunner and top Group C ahead of Team USA.
The cannon fodder
Not much ink needs to be spilled on Italy and France, the two highest prices on the betting board. The French will essentially need Alexandre Texier, who has averaged 0.4 points per game in his NHL career, to turn into a superstar overnight if they’re going to pull any upsets.
It would be a stunner if Italy gets any results for their home crowd, though they could put a scare into Slovakia in the group stage if everything breaks their way on that night.
Prediction: Germany to win gold (70/1, FanDuel)
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.
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