Will Early Puck Drop Kill the Buzz for Olympic Hockey Bets?
The start time of tomorrow's Olympic men's gold medal hockey match between the USA and Canada in Milan is 8:10 a.m. EST, which is later than most North American sports fans are accustomed to.
In any case, the province of Ontario is fully committed. Bars and restaurants in Ontario are allowed to start serving alcohol at 6 a.m. tomorrow, according to Premier Doug Ford.
Any complaints about the early start time will be overshadowed by the excitement and stakes surrounding the match. This is possibly the biggest hockey game in U.S. history, exactly 46 years after the Miracle on Ice Lake Placid gold medal win over the strongly favoured Russians.
It will probably rank among the greatest in Canadian hockey history, on par with the final Summit Series match against the Soviet national team in Moscow in 1972, when Paul Henderson scored the game-winning goal that will go down in history. Perhaps the 2010 Sidney Crosby Golden Goal Olympic hockey victory in Vancouver. It will probably finish up in the top hockey.
Interest in Betting
There is a significant political backdrop to tomorrow's game, just as there was in the 4 Nations Face-Off last winter, when the Canadian all-stars defeated the U.S. all-stars on a goal from Connor McDavid in overtime.Over the last year, remarks made by U. S. President Donald Trump regarding the possibility of Canada becoming the 51st state, along with a trade conflict initiated by tariffs he enacted, have sparked a surge of anti-American sentiment in Canada that shows no indication of diminishing.
Casino.org spoke with Karry Shreeve, who oversees Hockey at Caesars Sportsbook, to gain insight into the betting trends observed just 13 hours prior to the start of the major game.
Sports Betting: Early Start Time
When inquired about the betting activity for the upcoming game, Shreeve highlighted the effects caused by the game's early start time.
"The only reason I could see this game take less money than the 4 Nations Final is simply the literal time of the game,” he said. “Given that the game will start at 8 a.m. (EST) Sunday, there just may not be quite the public steam to the buildup as say if the game started at noon or certainly early evening. Outside of that, I certainly expect we see higher volume than most NHL playoff games. Early money is on USA and that is to be fully expected given all the context.”
Hometown Bias
Throughout the day, Canada has been favored slightly in betting markets. At Caesars Sportsbook, Canada’s odds are set at -120, while the United States stands at +100. The puck line shows Canada at -1.5 (+230) and the U. S. at +1.5 (-260), with the Over/Under at 5.5 being priced at Over 5.5 (+135) and Under 5.5 (-155).
To what extent is the betting line influenced by local favoritism and how much is it based on actual advantages in the players' lineups, such as Canada's strength in forwards? Canada boasts a powerful trio down the center, including Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and possibly, Sidney Crosby (Crosby, who sustained a knee injury in the quarterfinals against Czechia, will be evaluated before game time)?
“There is definitely an influence from hometown favoritism, but the recent performances are also significantly affecting the situation. The results for the U. S. appear somewhat more favorable in the last two matches, whereas Canada has relied on a couple of comebacks to reach the Final,” he stated. “A lot of the public has been paying attention more closely over the past few days, and the support for the U. S. in this context (including the Women’s team) is greatly impacting the current odds. ”
Canada’s Roster Depth
Where is the public’s money concentrating, and what insights can we gather from the more knowledgeable bettors?
“More USA money although sharps are certainly going to take advantage of a price that hasn’t really been reflected in that same way throughout this tournament,” said Shreeve. “Coming into the Final Four, for example, we were mostly -135 Canada to win Gold, so that price has obviously become more advantageous.”
Wagering on propositions is also significant, particularly concerning athletes such as McDavid and the USA team leader Auston Matthews. We inquired with Shreeve whether there are additional players experiencing an unexpected level of engagement.
Eichel Is Seeing Lots of Betting Action
“Jack Eichel has received surprising attention throughout the tournament and so far, the same attention in this Final,” he said. “Dylan Larkin is also seeing some action mostly because of his price but certainly arguable there is value with him. On Canada’s side, Mitch Marner is also getting action. I’d like to think it’s Vegas Golden Knights love, but that would just be hometown bias on my end. Other than that, Matthews and McDavid lead the charge especially running up to when the games start and I’d expect this Final to be the same.”
The matchup in goal – Connor Hellebuyck from Team USA facing off against Jordan Binnington from Team Canada – has also captured the attention of bettors, as the over/under is set at 5.5, with both teams filled with star players.
Over/Under for the Big Game
“Anytime we get into ‘Game 7’-type situations, I always like to lean where history tells me I should, and that’s tight competitive games that strongly go Under 5.5,” said Shreeve. “Once again, the Women’s Final played into this with a tight 1-1 game finishing in OT. The offense for both squads is clearly loaded but the moment is as tense as it can get and that usually tends to tight, no room on the ice hockey.”
