How to bet on the Olympics: 2026 Winter Olympics betting guide

This Olympics betting guide covers where sports bettors can wager on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, along with popular betting markets and select gold medal odds.

Where to bet on the 2026 Winter Olympics

Here are some available sportsbook promos new users can receive when signing up for a sportsbook and wagering on the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Betting on the Winter Olympics

With 116 medal events across 16 sports, there's no shortage of action set for the 2026 Winter Olympics. There are a few events that are more popular than others, however, and those make for the most popular bet types. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the more noteworthy games, events, athletes and more than bettors can wager on at sportsbooks.

Bet on the Winter Olympics at DraftKings Sportsbook here:

Most gold medals/medal count

While individuals and teams compete for gold in their respective sports and events, countries are also looking for bragging rights when it comes to how often they win. As such, one of the more popular bet types for the Olympics is which country will win the most gold medals. 

Entering the games, Norway is the odds-on favorite to win the most gold medals in Italy, with Germany, the United States and Canada rounding out the top four in various orders depending on the sportsbook. Norway is -160 to win the most gold medals at DraftKings, as of Feb. 3. The Norwegians took home the most gold medals in the 2022 Winter Olympics as well. There are also over/under betting options for total gold medals won by a country, with Norway's line set at 16.5 and the United States' at 12.5.

Ice Hockey

Arguably the most popular event of each Winter Olympics is ice hockey, with tournaments for both men and women teams.

The men's tournament consists largely of star NHL players who will take a break from the professional game to suit up for their respective countries. In fact, this is the first time since 2014 that NHL players will participate in the Olympics. 

Finland is the defending champion, having won the gold back in 2022 in Beijing. Russia won in 2018 and Canada won in both 2010 and 2014. The United States has medaled just twice since the turn of the century – silver in 2010 and 2002 – and hasn't won gold since the "Miracle On Ice" back in 1980. 

Canada, which won the 4 Nations Face-Off last year, is the betting favorite to win the gold this year at +120, per FanDuel odds as of Feb. 3, followed by the United States (+210), Sweden (+600) and Finland (+1100). Bettors can wager on the gold medal-winning nation as well as specific games and matchups, and they can also wager on teams to win any medal. Canada is -425 to earn a medal at FanDuel, the US is -280 and Sweden is -115. Bettors can also wager on which nation will win the silver and bronze medals. Other bet types, such as goal spread, the over/under for total goals scored, which teams will advance past the group stage and more are also available for bettors to wager on.

Women's ice hockey debuted at the Winter Olympics in 1998, and since then, the United States and Canada have won every gold medal and all but one silver medal. Canada enters 2026 as the reigning champs after winning gold in 2022 over the US, which had won in 2018. Many of the top PWHL players will be taking part in this event, and the United States are -155 favorites at FanDuel to win gold. Canada is +115 and the next-closest nation is the Czech Republic at +5000.

Curling

Another popular sport at the Winter Olympics is curling, referred to affectionately as "chess on ice" for the importance of strategic short- and long-term planning in matches. There are three formats at the Olympics, with men's and women's tournaments consisting of four-player teams, as well as mixed doubles, where teams consist of one man and one woman. With curling, you can wager on individual matches between two teams, as well as which team will win the gold medal in a specific format. 

After a three-Olympic run of gold medals between 2006 and 2014, Canada gave way to the United States in 2018 and Sweden in 2022 in the men's competition. Great Britain won gold in the women's event in 2022 after Sweden had won gold in three of the previous four games. Great Britain's men's team is the +100 favorite at bet365 – as of Feb. 3 – to win gold this year, while Canada's women's team is -175 at bet365. Canada won the inaugural mixed doubles competition in 2018 and Italy won in 2022. Italy is a -118 favorite at bet365 to repeat in mixed doubles, followed by Great Britain (+500), the United States (+550), Canada (+650) and Sweden (+700). Bet on the Winter Olympics at FanDuel here:

Alpine Skiing 

Two of the greatest Alpine skiers in history will hit the slopes for the American team in Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin. Vonn, who said this will be her final Winter Olympics, won the gold medal in the women's downhill competition in 2010 and the bronze in that same competition in 2018. She also won bronze in the Super-G in 2010 and finished sixth in that event in 2018. Vonn will aim to cap off a historic career with strong finishes in these events, though she will be competing with a a torn ACL suffered on Jan. 30. Her odds have seen a sizable shift since the injury as she went from a +145 favorite in the downhill competition at FanDuel to +300 as of Feb. 3. The favorite in that event is now Italy's Sofia Goggia. Vonn is +800 at bet365 in the Super G, which is the fifth-shortest odds in the field. 

As for Shiffrin, she's among the strongest favorites across all Olympic competitions to win the gold in the slalom, where she is a whopping -340 favorite at DraftKings as of Feb. 3. She's also among the favorites in the giant slalom competition at +125, with only three competitors having shorter odds. Shiffrin won gold in the slalom in 2014 and in the giant slalom in 2018, though she didn't medal at the 2022 games. 

Winter Olympic Odds

Hockey, curling and Alpine skiing are hardly the only events taking place at the 2026 Winter Olympics, which means there are plenty of other wagers that bettors can make. 

The bobsleigh events are always fun to watch, with racers competing to finish with the fastest times in their sleds down a steep ice track, with incredible precision needed as they fly around sharp corners at incredibly fast speeds. One interesting wrinkle with the Winter Olympics is that women have a special "monobob" competition, which is where there is just one racer per sled. Typical bobsleigh contests consist of two or four racers per sled. As of Feb. 3, two Americans are among the top contenders in the monobob competition as Kaillie Armbruster Humphries is +470 to win gold, per FanDuel odds, while Kaysha Love is +550. The current monobob favorites are Germany's Laura Nolte (+115) and Australia's Bree Walker (+290). 

Skeleton is another intriguing event where racers are head-first and prone on flat sleds that reach incredible top speeds while providing little room for error. Great Britain's Matt Weston is the resounding favorite in the men's event at -220 at FanDuel, followed by fellow countryman Marcus Wyatt at +500. Germany's Jacqueline Pfeifer is favored in the women's competition at +185, with Kim Meylemans of Belgium close behind at +200. 

The biathlon is a combination of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, and Italy's Tommaso Giacomel is a +350 favorite at FanDuel to win the men's 10km sprint and is +370 to win the men's 15km mass start, just behind favorite Eric Perrot of France (+300). Norway, however, is the -110 favorite in the 4x7.5km relay followed by France (+105) and Sweden (+750).

And if you were curious why Norway is such a heavy favorite to win the most gold medals in Italy this winter, they have the betting favorites (as of Feb. 3 at FanDuel) for these cross-country skiing competitions:

• Men's sprint (Johannes Klaebo, -750)
• Men's 10km interval start free (Einer Hedegart, +115)
• Men's skiathlon (Johannes Klaebo, -310)
• Men's team sprint (-900)
• Men's 4x7.5km relay (-1500)

Sweden has betting favorites in the women's sprint (Jonna Sundling, +175) and women's skiathlon (Ebba Andersson, +240). The United States' Jessica Diggins has the second-shortest odds in the skiathlon event at +370. Bet on the Winter Olympics at BetMGM here:

Winter Olympic betting strategy

With so many different events, countries and athletes participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics, there are a ton of different Olympics betting strategies you can choose from.

One option is specializing in one or two sports or events. Here, you could really narrow down your research on fewer events and prioritize wagering there. This strategy could work very well for a hockey fan, for instance, if they follow the NHL and international play closely and/or have seen specific country vs. country matchups, such as Canada winning the 4 Nations Face-Off last year over the United States, Finland and Sweden. 

In general, it's important to do research before placing wagers. It's a little different with the Olympics, however, given it happens every four years and you don't always have the same participants as the last game. But looking at past success is important for Olympics betting for a few reasons. If a specific athlete or team had success in the past and are competing once again, it stands to reason that they will be competitive once again. On the flip side, however, an athlete or team consisting of older veterans may be on the downslope, so to speak, of their careers and could be at risk of being usurped by younger competitors. 

As is the case whenever placing wagers, bettors should always shop around for the best lines. If you think that a country is undervalued in a specific event at one sportsbook, try finding longer odds for that nation to win the gold in that sport at a different book. You don't have to place all of your bets at one sportsbook, so shopping around for the best odds and lines is an ideal way to maximize your potential profits. Bet on the Winter Olympics at Fanatics now:

Responsible gaming

Bettors should always practice responsible gaming when placing bets. Utilize responsible gaming tools and resources at sportsbooks, such as deposit and wager limits, activity alerts and, if necessary, timeout or self-exclusion options. Bettors who require more assistance can also find contact information on different sportsbook apps and sites for local and national helplines like 1-800-GAMBLER (call or text 24/7).

FAQ

Can you bet on the Winter Olympics?

Yes, you can bet on the Winter Olympics at different sportsbooks on a variety of different events, as well as which country will secure the most gold medals. 

Which sportsbooks offer betting on the Olympics?

Sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics and bet365 all offer betting on the Winter Olympics.

Where can you find Olympic betting odds?

You can find Olympic betting odds at any sportsbook that offers bets on the 2026 Winter Olympics, such as DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics and bet365.

When can I bet on the Winter Olympics?

You can place wagers on the Winter Olympics at any time on a variety of different markets, including specific events and which country will win the most gold medals.