Olympic Men’s Hockey Odds: Favorites Hold Firm After Five-Star Starts
Written by: Eddie Griffin
Last Update: Fri Feb 13, 2026, 7:57 am ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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The men's hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics is now well underway, as the opening preliminary round matches took place across Wednesday and Thursday. And with the exception of one result, it was a fruitful first round for Olympic men's hockey favorites.
Entering the tournament, Canada, the USA, and Sweden stood out as the gold medal favorites at Lucky Rebel and other top online sportsbooks. And with the second set of group games set to start today, that trio remains firmly out in front of the rest of the field.
All three opened play in Milan by lighting the lamp five times at Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena. Sweden dispatched Italy 5-2 on Wednesday, with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin contributing assists on three of the five goals. Thursday, Canada (5-0 vs. Czechia, with Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid picking up three assists) and Team USA (5-1 vs. Latvia, with two goals from Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson) took the spotlight.
However, it wasn't all roses for the top contenders. Finland, who won gold in Beijing four years ago, had a forgettable find 20 minutes against Slovakia. It was 1-1 well into the third period, but three goals in a ten-minute span powered Slovakia to an impressive 4-1 win. Juraj Slafkovsky is in the midst of a big breakout season with the Montreal Canadiens, and that form appears to be carrying over to the Olympics, as he had two goals and an assist in Slovakia's upset victory.
But all hope is not lost for the defending goal medal winners, and for now, Olympic men's hockey odds still hold a fairly favorable forecast for the Finns.
Olympic Men's Hockey Futures Odds
Odds are from Lucky Rebel as of Friday, February 13, 2026.
Odds to Win the Gold Medal
| Team | American Odds | Implied % | True % (vig-free) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | -115 | 53.49% | 44.70% |
| USA | +200 | 33.33% | 27.85% |
| Sweden | +625 | 13.79% | 11.52% |
| Finland | +1500 | 6.25% | 5.23% |
| Czechia | +2500 | 3.85% | 3.22% |
| Switzerland | +2500 | 3.85% | 3.22% |
| Slovakia | +5000 | 1.96% | 1.64% |
| Germany | +7500 | 1.32% | 1.10% |
| Denmark | +25000 | 0.40% | 0.33% |
| Latvia | +50000 | 0.20% | 0.17% |
| France | +75000 | 0.13% | 0.11% |
| Italy | +100000 | 0.10% | 0.08% |
Odds to Win a Medal
| Team | American Odds | Implied % | True % (vig-free) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada (CAN) | -700 | 87.50% | 48.81% |
| United States (USA) | -400 | 80.00% | 44.59% |
| Sweden (SWE) | -190 | 65.52% | 36.54% |
| Finland (FIN) | +160 | 38.46% | 21.43% |
| Czechia (CZE) | +400 | 20.00% | 11.14% |
| Switzerland (SUI) | +400 | 20.00% | 11.14% |
| Slovakia (SVK) | +700 | 12.50% | 6.96% |
| Germany (GER) | +1000 | 9.09% | 5.06% |
| Denmark (DEN) | +1800 | 5.26% | 2.93% |
| Latvia (LAT) | +5000 | 1.96% | 1.09% |
| France (FRA) | +20000 | 0.50% | 0.28% |
| Italy (ITA) | +30000 | 0.33% | 0.18% |
Olympic Men's Hockey Standings
Switzerland (4-0 vs. France) and Germany (3-1 vs. Denmark) also got off to winning starts, but the three tournament favorites held the top spots in each group by virtue of their results.
Unlike some other international sporting events, no eliminations will take place after the first round of the Olympic men's hockey tournament.
The group winners and the best group runner-up will automatically advance to the quarterfinals, while the remaining eight teams will face off in the qualification playoffs. Matchups for the qualification playoffs and quarterfinals will be based on the rankings after the preliminary round, while the semifinals will be reseeded based on the preliminary round rankings of the remaining teams.
Group A
| Team | Points | Goals For | Goals Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| Switzerland | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| France | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Czechia | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Group B
| Team | Points | Goals For | Goals Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Slovakia | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Italy | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Finland | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Group C
| Team | Points | Goals For | Goals Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| Germany | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Denmark | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Latvia | 0 | 1 | 5 |
Overall Ranking
| Rank | Team | Points | Goal Difference | Goals For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada | 3 | +5 | 5 |
| 2 | United States | 3 | +4 | 5 |
| 3 | Sweden | 3 | +3 | 5 |
| 4 | Switzerland | 3 | +4 | 4 |
| 5 | Slovakia | 3 | +3 | 3 |
| 6 | Germany | 3 | +2 | 3 |
| 7 | Denmark | 0 | –2 | 1 |
| 8 | Italy | 0 | –3 | 2 |
| 9 | France | 0 | –4 | 0 |
| 10 | Finland | 0 | –3 | 1 |
| 11 | Latvia | 0 | –4 | 1 |
| 12 | Czechia | 0 | –5 | 0 |
To keep up with the Olympic men's hockey tournament in real time, you can do so at the official Olympics site, where you can see live results, standings, and more for the men's hockey tournament and other events from the Milan-Cortina Games.
Bet on the Olympic Men's Hockey Tournament and Other Winter Olympics Odds at Lucky Rebel
Are you looking to bet on Olympic men's hockey tournament games or futures? You can do so at Lucky Rebel, who offers competitive odds, a robust live betting platform, and a wealth of betting options.
Lucky Rebel also has plenty of markets for other events from the 2026 Winter Olympics, ranging from men's and women's hockey, speed skating, skiing, and even curling.
Lucky Rebel is home to the Rebel Rewards program, which offers special bonuses and other generous rewards to active players, an online casino with a strong selection of online slots, table games, and more, and a big welcome bonus. If you want to sign up at Lucky Rebel, you can receive a 125% bonus up to $1250 and 50 free spins to use on select real money online slots (currently Cai Fu Dai Panda by Woohoo Games or River of Gold by Qora Games).
Get Olympic Men's Hockey Picks and Analysis at Betting News
The NHL may be on pause, but hockey analyst Nick Zanghi is not. He is providing expert picks and analysis for numerous Olympic men's hockey matches as the world's best players go for the gold in Milan.
Tune in for his daily thoughts and tips for key matches, including the semifinals and gold medal game.
This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Betting News makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.
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