2022 Olympics Odds: Betting In Michigan On The Beijing Games
2022 Olympics Odds: Betting In Michigan On The Beijing Games
The 2022 Winter Olympics have come to a close.
The 2020 Summer Olympics took place just months ago due to the pandemic, but the Winter Olympics were able to run without any stoppages or delays.
Beijing, China played host to the 24th Olympic Winter Games. They got underway on Feb. 4 and ran through Feb. 20.
The games took placed as scheduled, but COVID-19 and boycotts still had a slight impact. Only selected spectators were allowed to attend, and no fans from outside countries were allowed.
Still, Olympics odds were available for Michigan sports bettors and will continue to be available for future Olympics.
Best apps for betting on Beijing Olympics in Michigan
Norway takes top honors
The 2022 Olympics ended up being a great showing for Norway.
Norwegians led the way in both gold medals (16) and total medals won (37).
The United States had a respectable showing with eight gold medals and 25 total medals. Germany would be the only other country to earn double-digits in gold medals with 12.
2022 Olympics Odds: What Michigan Bettors Found?
At the beginning of the games, plenty of betting options were available for specific 2022 Winter Olympics events.
If you can bet on the sports regularly, then there’s a good chance you can bet on them in the Olympics. As we saw with the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, there are also other sports up for wagers that aren’t included in the usual Michigan offerings.
Although Michigan seems pretty liberal with the rules, operators slowly added markets throughout July this summer and should add markets as the Winter Olympics progress.
A total of 109 events took place in 15 different disciplines. Posted Olympics sports for Beijing included:
- Alpine Skiing
- Biathlon
- Bobsleigh
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Curling
- Figure Skating
- Freestyle Skiing
- Ice Hockey
- Luge
- Nordic Combined
- Short Track Speed Skating
- Skeleton
- Ski Jumping
- Snowboarding
- Speed Skating
Throughout the next two weeks, operators will add more betting markets as the Games continue.
BetRivers with best betting selection thus far
One sportsbook that has really committed to the Olympics is BetRivers Sportsbook.
BetRivers has a full list of betting odds for daily hockey and curling prelims. It also has a futures market that includes all 15 different disciplines.
With the BetRivers Sportsbook app also now available for iOS, it’s a great time to jump on.
DraftKings providing a variety of odds
DraftKings Sportsbook also has an expanded list of available odds, but not for every event.
Along with the Most Medals Market, DraftKings currently has a large selection of speed skating and snowboarding markets, among other events.
For the USA, DraftKings sets the over/under at 8.5 gold medals this Olympics.
BetMGM offering by sport
BetMGM Sportsbook has a wide option of Olympic events to wager on as well.
However, BetMGM has presented things a little differently. They are listing their odds based on the sport, not in an Olympics section.
So, Olympic hockey is mixed in with NHL under the “hockey” tab.
Altogether, BetMGM has odds available for 11 different disciplines.
PointsBet expands its market options
PointsBet Sportsbook has heavily expanded its betting markets with the Olympics underway.
Altogether, PointsBet has 13 different betting categories for the Olympics, with different events and markets for each category.
PointsBet has put some emphasis on the hockey markets for both men and women. You can find odds for each preliminary game, as well as medal markets.
FanDuel offering odds in eight disciplines
FanDuel Sportsbook is continuing to add to its betting options for the games as well.
Currently, there are eight different disciplines to choose from and make wagers, while also including Most Medals markets.
FanDuel also highlights featured men’s and women’s events each day with its own betting tab.
Caesars adds Winter Sports markets
Caesars Sportsbook is offering up Olympic odds under its “Winter Sports” section.
There you can find odds for individual events and different disciplines. It also provides medal markets.
While a little clunky to have it all together, Caesars is still providing a lot of betting options.
COVID, diplomatic boycotts hinder games
The 2022 Winter Olympics won’t feature the best each country has to offer in certain cases.
COVID is playing a big factor in men’s ice hockey. The NHL is opting not to send active players to Beijing this time around.
Originally, the league had an Olympic break scheduled, but the pandemic created too many postponed games during the season already. Therefore, the NHL is opting to make up those postponed games during the scheduled Olympic break instead.
That severely hampers the rosters for countries like the United States and Canada.
While no country is officially boycotting the Olympic Games in Beijing, a diplomatic boycott is being held by a handful of countries. The boycott is occurring in protest of human rights issues in China.
A diplomatic boycott means that no dignitaries will officially represent the nation’s government at the games. The United States and Canada are among 10 countries to officially state they will be holding a diplomatic boycott.
Michigan connections at the Olympics
If looking for some added rooting interest, the state of Michigan will have five connections to the Beijing Olympic Games.
- Matty Beniers, University of Michigan: Men’s Hockey
- Brendan Brisson, University of Michigan: Men’s Hockey
- Megan Keller, Farmington: Women’s Ice Hockey
- Ryan Pivirotto, Ann Arbor: Short Track Speed Skating
- Abby Roque, Sault Ste. Marie: Women’s Ice Hockey
Keller, a defender for the women’s hockey team, was a gold medal winner at the 2018 games in PyeongChang. She will team with Roque, a forward, who is making her first Olympics appearance in Beijing.
Pivirotto is making his second Olympics appearance. He qualified for the 2018 team after finishing fifth at the U.S. team trials.
Beniers and Brisson are both part of the revamped men’s hockey team. Both played center for the University of Michigan. Brisson was a first round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft (29th overall) by the Vegas Golden Knights. Beniers was taken second overall in the 2021 NHL Draft by the Seattle Kraken.
Michigan Gaming Control Board gave operators leeway
The Olympics have long been on the Sports Wagering Catalog here in Michigan.
However, for some time, the only events that were eligible for wagers were team sports. For the Tokyo Summer Olympics, the Michigan Gaming Control Board committee added individual sports to the mix.
“An operator or platform provider can accept any wager on an Olympic event — team or individual — that meets the criteria in the guidelines,” MGCB spokesperson Mary Kay Bean told Playinmichigan this past summer.
Relevant guidelines include: Negative outcome propositions of all kinds are not permitted, and in-game wagering is approved.
Olympics events also tend to include athletes that are under 18. According to the MGCB, any event played by individuals that are at the High School level or below are prohibited from being bet on, unless the majority of participants in the event are 18 years of age or older.
Bean confirmed that you can bet on judged sports such as figure skating, too.
Tokyo Games break the ice for sports betting and the Olympics
The Tokyo Summer Olympics marked the first Olympic Games where sports betting was legal in Michigan.
Michigan sports bettors were able to wager on anything from basketball to weightlifting to karate.
Sportsbooks also jumped in on the occasion, offering up a variety of betting promotions. Michigan should expect more of those promotions to emerge as the Winter Olympics continue.
Editor’s note: We will continue to update this page with the latest information as the Games continue.