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Men?s Olympic Hockey - Gold Medal and Bronze Medal Previews and Picks

Friday, February 23, 2018

The Gold Medal game in men?s Olympic hockey takes place on Sunday in Pyeongchang (Saturday night in North America), with Olympic Athletes from Russia taking on Germany on NBCSN. It is not a surprise that Russia is playing in the Gold Medal game, but it is shocking that Germany is in the final. Russia was the favorite coming into the tournament, while Germany was not much more than an afterthought. The Bronze Medal game has the Czech Republic taking on Canada, also on NBCSN. Let?s look at both games and Olympic hockey picks.

At 10:10 p.m. ET, check out the coverage of the Gold Medal Game on Saturday, February 24, 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea on NBCSN.

We'll have Olympic hockey odds at BookMaker.eu available for the Gold and Bronze Medal games on Saturday.

Gold Medal Game ? Germany vs. Russia

This is truly the David vs. Goliath matchup, as Germany was not expected to get this far. To put this in perspective, Germany has never won a gold or silver medal in men?s Olympic hockey. This is already the best finish Germany has ever had and they could shock the world with a win over the Russians. The best previous finish for Germany was in 1976 when they were known as West Germany and won the bronze. Germany surprised Switzerland and then stunned Sweden and Canada to reach the Gold Medal game.

It is not a surprise that Russia is playing for the Gold Medal. With NHL players not competing in this tournament, the Russians have most of the marquee players. Familiar names like Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datysuk lead the Russia team and other talented players like Nikita Gusev and Kirill Kaprizov are also on the squad. Russia got a shutout in goal from Vasili Koshechkin, as they defeated the Czech Republic 3-0 to reach the final. You might be surprised to learn that Russia has not won the Gold Medal in Olympic hockey in more than 25 years.

Germany will try and find a way to score against Koshechkin, who has been the best goaltender in the tournament. He made 31 saves in the shutout of the Czechs. ?He?s been our best player this tournament,? Russian forward Mikhail Grigorenko said to the media, ?He?s just been making a lot of saves. He made some huge saves tonight, and he was good.? His goals against average is 1.08 in this tournament. Russia has won their last four games by a combined margin of 21-3. ?We?ve been striving for this for years,? Russian coach Oleg Znarok said

One of these two teams is going to break a long drought, as we already mentioned that Germany has never won a gold medal in hockey, while Russia has not won the gold since 1992 in France.

Bronze Medal Game - Czech Republic vs. Canada

The game that neither team wanted to be in is likely to be dull and low scoring. It also is a quick turnaround, as it takes place early Saturday morning Eastern Time. The two teams are pretty evenly matched, but Canada will be listed as the favorite in Olympic hockey odds. Canada has actually not played up to expectations this entire tournament, as they were thought to be a serious contender for the Gold Medal, but a shocking loss to Germany has them in the Bronze Medal game. The value in this game will be on the Czechs, as they shouldn?t be quite as disappointed coming off a loss against the favored Russians.

Free Olympic Hockey Picks

I can?t see Germany pulling off another stunner to win the Gold Medal, so I will take Russia in the final. I also think there could be some value in taking the Czechs in what should be a low scoring Bronze Medal game.

Olympic Hockey Odds: Russia 4, Germany 1

Olympic Hockey Playoff Preview

Moay, February 19, 2018

Group play is over, so now the real games begin at the Olympic hockey tournament in Korea with four playoff qualification games on Tuesday (Monday night, Tuesday morning in North America.) The winners of those four games will advance to the quarterfinals on Wednesday (Tuesday night, Wednesday morning in North America.) The four teams receiving byes into the quarterfinals are the Czech Republic, Sweden, Canada and the ?Olympic Athletes from Russia.? Let?s look at the upcoming schedule of games and Olympic Hockey picks.

We'll have Olympic hockey odds at BookMaker.eu available for all of the four qualification games, the four quarterfinal games, the two semifinals, the Bronze Medal Game and the Gold Medal Game.

Qualification Round Games (Tuesday, February 20)

United States vs. Slovakia

Finland vs. South Korea

Switzerland vs. Germany

Slovenia vs. Norway

Quarterfinals (Wednesday, February 21)

Switzerland-Germany winner vs. Sweden

Finland-South Korea winner vs. Canada

Slovenia-Norway winner vs. Russia

United States-Slovakia winner vs. Czech Republic

Semifinals (Friday, February 23)

Bronze Medal Game (Saturday, February 24)

Gold Medal Game (Sunday, February 25)

There is no question that the four teams that received byes into the quarterfinals will be the betting favorites. Sweden was very impressive in group play going 3-0, outscoring opponents by a combined margin of 8-1. They also get the most favorable quarterfinal matchup, as they figure to have very little trouble with the winner of Switzerland and Germany. The Czech Republic also went unbeaten at 3-0, but one of those wins came in overtime. They outscored their opponents by a combined margin of 9-4. Russia went 2-1 in group play, outscoring opponents by a combined margin of 14-5. Russia was the betting favorite before the Olympics began and they still figure to be the top choice heading into the quarterfinals. Canada got the other quarterfinal spot, as they went 2-1 in group play, outscoring opponents by a combined margin of 11-4.

If you are looking for a team in the qualification round that might have a chance to win their quarterfinal game, it could be Finland. They went 2-1 in the group stage and outscored opponents by a combined margin of 11-6. Finland has an exciting young player in Eeli Tolvanen who was the first-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2017.

Women?s Olympic Hockey Playoffs

The women?s Olympic hockey is all about Canada and the United States. They were the top betting choices before the tournament began and the only two teams worth considering. Canada beat the Americans by a score of 2-1 in group play. The Gold Medal game should be a rematch and a complete betting toss-up.

Free Olympic Hockey Picks

When looking for the Gold Medal winner, I think it is important to look at the bracket. I think that Russia has the easiest path to the Gold Medal game. They get an easy quarterfinal against the winner of Norway and Slovenia and then in the semifinals they get either the Czech Republic or the winner of the U.S.-Slovakia game. It is hard to see the Russians losing to any of those teams. Sweden has an easy quarterfinal but then they will have to play either Canada or the winner of Finland vs. South Korea. Both Canada and Finland are capable of beating Sweden, so the semifinals will not be easy for the Swedes. I give Russia, or ?Olympic Athletes of Russia? as they are technically known, the edge and they are my choice to win the Gold. I don?t know that there is a lot of value in picking a longshot, but I at least give Finland some consideration. They played well in the group stage and they are capable of beating Canada and Sweden to reach the Gold medal game. On the women?s side, I lean toward Canada in what is almost a certain matchup against the United States in the Gold Medal game.

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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!

Olympics Betting: USA vs. Serbia Game Odds

Satuay, Augu 20, 2016

History will tell you that the chalk generally holds up in Olympic basketball. Serbia though, has been anything but chalk throughout this tournament. The Serbs only went 2-3 in group play, beating the two weakest teams of the five, and they looked to have a very difficult road to reach the gold medal match. Here they are though, 40 minutes away from arguably the most improbable gold medal of the entire Olympics, though standing in their way is the "Dream Team" of the United States.

Olympic Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
USA -15.5
Serbia +15.5
Over/Under 181

Odds Analysis

The United States was giving 24 points to Serbia in the first meeting of the Olympics of these two squads, and obviously, after a narrow 94-91 win in that match for the Stars and Stripes, things have changed dramatically. Since then, Serbia has beaten Croatia and Australia, two very good team with medal aspirations, and the match against the Aussies wasn't even remotely close at 87-61.

Now, the oddsmakers have some confidence that the Serbs can once again keep this matchup close. The United States is still an awfully heavy favorite at -15.5 alongside a total of 181, but this is still a tremendous jump for Serbia in a span of just a week and a half.

The First Meeting

The problem for the Americans against Serbia certainly didn't come on the offensive end of the court. Sure, the 94 points scored in that game almost feels like commonplace at this point, but it really was a well-rounded game. The United States shot 49.1 percent from the field and was physical enough to get to the foul line a whopping 42 times.

Kyrie Irving led the way with 15 points, while Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, Kevin Durant, DeAndre Jordan and DeMar DeRozan all reached double-digits in scoring as well.

Even though Serbia lost though, the star of the show was Nikola Jovic. The only NBA player on this roster truly was a superstar, as he scored 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting, and he really had his way with the Americans in the paint throughout the game. Miroslav Raduljica and Milos Teodosic both had great games as well with 18 points apiece.

Quick Pick

The overlay here with the United States is just too much to ignore. It's not hard to think that the oddsmakers shaded this team just a bit in the group stage of the Olympics, but in any normal spot in any other sports situation, you wouldn't figure to see a team sway a line by 9.5 points in a week and a half with just a couple matches played in the middle.

Serbia has had a great run for sure, but the bottom line is that it still lost games to France, Australia and the United States in the group stage, and the match against Croatia could have just as easily been lost.

The Americans have learned their lessons, and they have survived their toughest test against Spain. It really should be clear sailing from here, and we think this is going to be a display which the United States can be proud of to wrap up what has been a dominant Olympic Games here in Rio de Janeiro.

Olympics Odds: USA 106, Serbia 78

BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The showdown between the USA and Serbia will start at 2:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 21, 2016, at Carioca 1 Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The contest will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network.

Olympic Basketball Odds - USA Women vs. Spain Game Preview

Friday, Augu 19, 2016

Unlike the United States men's basketball team, the ladies have had absolutely no issues whatsoever in Rio, winning literally just about every single quarter they have played in this tournament. Their last step to gold medals and glory comes against Spain on Saturday afternoon in what will likely end up being more of a coronation and less of a competitive basketball game.

You can bet on Olympic Basketball odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the tournament.

Tournament Update

The United States has been awesome in this entire tournament. In five group stage matches, the Americans waltzed to a point differential of +204, including a 40-point drubbing of this same Spanish team in the second of five matches.

In the knockout rounds, things have really been just as easy for the Stars and Stripes. They cruised to a 110-64 win over Japan in the quarterfinals and an 86-67 triumph over France. The French actually kept that game competitive for just a bit, as the Americans were only up 40-36 at halftime, but they stormed to a 25-8 third quarter to put the game away.

Spain has had a really good run as well. The team finished second in Group B and didn't have a single relatively close game in the bunch. The first knockout round game against Turkey was a slugfest for sure, and the team had to rally from down by five heading into the fourth quarter to win 64-62. Spain then dismissed Serbia 68-54 in the semifinals to reach this point.

Roster Analysis

Geno Auriemma's team truly is special once again. Any combination of these women would whoop up on any all-star team put together by the rest of the world game in and game out in all likelihood, and that's why this is more or less a formality to finish off getting these gold medals.

Eleven of the 12 players scored at least six points for the Americans when they were on the court against Spain just over a week ago. Eleven of the 12 also had a +/- of at least +11, numbers which are just unheard of at this level.

Spain meanwhile, has to keep a little more balanced for sure. Alba Torrens scored 20 against the USA last time out, and her average of 19.7 points per game is third best in this tournament.

Live Betting

Live betting this game is going to be incredibly difficult due to the fact that it's inevitable that the Americans are going to win and win by a huge margin. If the Spanish are going to keep this close though, Torrens has to have the game of her life. Like 30+ points good. At minimum.

Spain has really slowed games down this entire tournament, and it will have to play the Americans in the 70s to have any chance of staying even remotely close. If the United States gets off and running with a 30-point quarter in the first half, this game is as good as over.

Quick Pick

Should we just list the names of the 12 American players and call it a day? The only question is whether the United States will win this match by enough points to cover the spread. Considering the fact that the 40-point win in the second group stage match featured one quarter in which Spain scored 23 points, something which is doubtful to be replicated, we have no doubt that this game could be even worse.

Olympics Odds: United States 108, Spain 59

BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the USA Women and Spain will go down Saturday, August 19, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. ET at Carioca Arena 1 in Rio de Janeiro. The matchup will be televised live on the NBC family of networks.