2022 Winter Olympics Betting Guide

The 2022 Winter Olympics are almost here. The Olympic games will officially begin on February 4, 2022, in Beijing, China, and will run until February 20.

The Winter Games feature 15 different sports split up into several subcategories. Fans of betting on the Olympics can lay some action on each sporting category throughout the Beijing Games.

Our team of online betting analysts put together this page to inform bettors on how Olympic bets work, which winter sports to bet on, teams to watch, and much more. You still have plenty of time to prepare for how you are going to lay out your bets, but it is never a bad idea to get an early jump on your Winter Olympic betting predictions.

Below we review the top-rated online sports betting sites that are legally authorized to accept USA players. Each of these sites are what we consider to be the most reputable in the industry and offer a wide range of betting options for the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. 

2022 Beijing: Can You Bet On The Olympics Legally?

Yes. There are no laws that prohibit betting on the Winter Olympics at either domestic sportsbooks or offshore sports betting sites. As long as bettors meet the minimum age, legal betting online on Winter Olympics odds can be wagered at using legit venues.

Can You Bet On The Olympics Now?

Yes, but there are no Winter Olympics odds posted just yet. We'll update our page dedicated to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics betting odds once they appear.

The Road To Beijing

The Beijing Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing and around the Hebei province. The 2022 games will be the first time the Winter Olympic games have ever been held in China and only the second time the games have been held in a national capital.

Layout of 2022 Winter Olympics

The 2022 Winter Olympics are spread out between 3 locations—the Beijing Cluster, the Yanqing Cluster, and Zhangjiakou Cluster.

Beijing Cluster Venues

• Beijing National Stadium  (opening and closing ceremonies / 80,000 existing)
• Beijing National Aquatics Center  (curling / 4,000 existing/renovated)
• Beijing National Indoor Stadium  (ice hockey / 18,000 existing)
• Beijing Winter Olympics Village  (new structure)
• National Speed Skating Oval  (speed skating / 12,000 new)
• China National Convention Center  (MPC/IBC / existing)

Yanqing Cluster Venues

• Xiaohaituo Alpine Skiing Field (alpine skiing)
• Xiaohaituo Bobsleigh, skeleton and Luge Track  (bobsleigh, luge, skeleton / 5,000 new)
• Yanqing MMC (Media Center)
• Yanqing Olympic Village (new structure)

Zhangjiakou Cluster Venues

• Kuyangshu Nordic Center and Biathlon Center (cross-country skiing, Nordic combined)
• Kuyangshu Ski Jumping Field (ski jumping, Nordic combined)
• Hualindong Ski Resort (biathlon)
• Genting Hotel (Media Center)
• Genting Snow Park  (snowboarding (slopestyle, halfpipe), freestyle skiing)
• Taiwu Ski Resort  (snowboarding (cross), freestyle skiing)
• Wanlong Ski Resort (snowboarding (parallel slalom))
• Zhangjiakou Olympic Village (new structure)

Winter Olympics Sporting Events

Below are the 15 sporting categories bettors can wager on in the Olympics. We have included the specific events taking place in each category.

Alpine Skiing

Alpine skiing involves moving downhill on skis with fixed bindings. It is split into 2 realms—speed and technical events. The speed events are Downhill and Super-G and the technical events are Giant Slalom and Slalom. Alpine Combined is a blend of Downhill and Slalom.

• Men’s/Women’s Downhill
• Men’s/Women’s Super-G
• Men’s/Women’s Giant Slalom
• Men’s/Women’s Alpine Combined
• Alpine Team Event

Biathlon

Biathlons are a mixture of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Shooting is split into 2 positions—laying down and standing up.

• Men’s/Women’s 20km Individual
• Men’s/Women’s 10km Sprint
• Men’s/Women’s 12.5km Pursuit
• Men’s/Women’s 15km Mass Start
• Men’s 4x7.5km Relay
• Women’s 4x6km Relay
• 2x6km Women + 2x7.5km Men Mixed Relay

Bobsleigh

Involves riding a sled down a slope at a fast rate of speed. Steering and braking responsibility is divided between the riders.

• 2-man
• Women
• 4-man

Cross-Country Skiing

Cross-country skiing involves crossing a snow-covered field in the shortest time possible. There are uphill, level and downhill fields for athletes to traverse.

• Men’s 15km Free/Women’s 10km Free
• Men’s 15km + 15km Skiathlon/Women’s 7.5km + 7.5km Skiathlon
• Men’s Sprint Classic/Women’s Sprint Classic
• Men’s Team Sprint Free/Women’s Team Sprint Free
• Men’s 50km Mass Start Classic/Ladies’ 30km Mass Start Classic
• Men’s 4x10km Relay/Women’s 4x5km Relay

Curling

Curling is one of the more recent sports to gain popularity. It involves players guiding a curling stone into a target area. Players use brooms to smooth out and brake the track for the curling stone.

• Men’s
• Women’s
• Mixed Doubles

Figure Skating

Athletes perform acrobatic routines on skates. Participants are judged on the difficulty and accuracy of their performance.

• Men Single Skating/Women Single Skating
• Pair Skating
• Ice Dance
• Team Event

Freestyle Skiing

Freestyle skiing is like figure skating but on skis. Athletes compete at high rates of speed and perform various acrobatic moves.

• Men’s/Women’s Aerials
• Men’s/Women’s Moguls
• Men’s/Women’s Ski Cross
• Men’s/Women’s Ski Halfpipe
• Men’s/Women’s Ski Slopestyle

Ice Hockey

Olympic hockey is the same as performed in the National Hockey League.

• Men’s
• Women’s

Luge

Ice luges are similar to street luges—athletes lay down in a sled and race downhill. They are competing for speed over the course of several runs.

• Men’s Singles/Women’s Singles
• Doubles
• Team Relay

Nordic Combined

Nordic combined mixes ski jumping and cross-country skiing together. Each athlete competes in both categories.

• Individual Gundersen NH/10km
• Individual Gundersen LH/10km
• Team Gundersen LH/4x5km

Short Track Speed Skating

Skating competition taking place around a short-distance circular track. The track is significantly smaller than the speed skating rink.

• Men’s/Women’s 500m
• Men’s/Women’s 1,000m
• Men’s/Women’s 1,500m
• Men’s 5,000m Relay
• Women’s 3,000m Relay

Skeleton

Skeleton is similar to the luge event except the athletes slide face first on their stomachs in an open-air toboggan. The sport is considered very dangerous.

• Men’s
• Women’s

Ski Jumping

Skiers accelerate down a ramp and make a jump. They are judged for distance and their landing in the landing zone.

• Men’s/Women’s Normal Hill Individual
• Men’s Large Hill Individual
• Men’s Team

Snowboarding

Snowboarding is like surfing in the snow. Athletes are judged on the style, accuracy and difficulty of their runs.

• Men’s/Women’s Parallel Giant Slalom
• Men’s/Women’s Halfpipe
• Men’s/Women’s Snowboard Cross
• Men’s/Women’s Slopestyle
• Men’s/Women’s Big Air

Speed Skating

2 athletes race around 400m circular ice rink. Skaters are supposed to change lanes throughout the race in the “in” and “out” zones.

• Men’s/Women’s 500m
• Men’s/Women’s 1,000m
• Men’s/Women’s 1,500m
• Men’s 5,000m/Women’s 3,000m
• Men’s 10,000m/Women’s 5,000m
• Men’s/Women’s Mass Start
• Men’s/Women’s Team Pursuit

New Categories For 2018 Winter Olympics

For the first time in Winter Olympics history, Big Air Snowboarding, Team Alpine Skiing, Mass Start Long Track Skating and Mixed Curling will be a part of the events.

Types Of Winter Olympic Bets

There are a range of bets to be placed during the 2018 Winter Olympics. The most popular sports to bet on are ice hockey, cross country skiing, and alpine skiing. There will be a series of standard, future, prop, parlay and live bets available over the course of the tournament. Below are some examples of common bets.

Winter Olympic Winners

This involves betting on the winner of certain events well ahead of time. For example, you would bet on Germany to win the gold medal in Hockey before the hockey tournaments even start. In betting terms, this is known as a future bet.

Olympic Prop Bets For Most Gold Medals

This involves betting on which nation will come away with the most gold medals. This would be another example of a future bet, as the odds of this will obviously shift with each nation’s performances.

Head-To-Head

Head-to-head, or h2h, bets involve wagering which country out of 2 will win the most medals. This is the true test of pride and confidence in your country. For example, you could place a h2h bet between Germany and Norway.

Live Bets

Live, or in-play betting, involves placing wagers during the course of an event. The standard betting format is placing wagers before an event starts. An example of a live bet in the Winter Olympics would be placing a wager on a team during the second period of a hockey game for a team to score during the third. Live betting lines expire faster and usually have higher payouts.

Heavy Favorites In The Winter Olympics

Each year the medal count of several nations is projected, and the venues featured in our online sportsbook reviews accept bets on those outcomes. These are typically nations with colder climates where athletes can practice throughout the year. As of now, the following nations are predicted to be the best: Norway, Germany, the USA, Canada, and the Netherlands. This information may be subject to change as the tournament draws nearer.

Official Website Of The Winter Olympics: This is only an informational website and does not offer any betting options. However, it's an excellent resource to follow the latest news, event schedules, results, and more.