Vancouver is ready for the Men's Ice Hockey with hosts Canada favourites to take gold(credit:
janusz l)
The Men's ice hockey is traditionally one of the most popular events of the Winter Olympics and this year in Vancouver is no exception
Canadians are eagerly anticipating the start of play, with 16 days of what promises to be an entertaining and fiercely competitive event ahead of us.
Here's all you need to know ahead of the start of the Men's ice hockey, with a full schedule posted below.
TOP TEAMS AND BEST BETS:
The Canada team are favourites to take the gold medal, best priced 11/10 with bodog at time of writing. They are the strongest team on paper and deserving of their favourite status, but some will argue that the same was said ahead of the 2006 Games, when Canada placed a lowly and embarrassing seventh place.
Canadian readers will be happy to learn that they can now bet online with bodog, who are offering new customers a 10% sign-up bonus using promo code MAXIMUMBONUS
Russia are next in the betting, a best price 5/2 with Ladbrokes (who Canadian readers can also now bet with). The Russians possess a ton of power and have a great chance of taking the gold in Vancouver. They also have one of the NHL's top goalies in Evgeni Nabokov. If they have a weakness, it is their defence.
Sweden (11/2 Ladbrokes) will be hoping that star forward Henrik Sedin is in top form in Vancouver. They are strong at the back and are perhaps worth considering as a back bet over the Russians given the current odds.
The United States (7/1 bodog, 10/1 Betfred) have a relatively inexperienced squad with only three players having played in the Olympics before. In Ryan Miller, they have a great goalie, and while they are not attracting the same attention as the Canadian and Russian teams, they could still go far.
Czech Republic (16/1 bodog - as short as 12/1 elsewhere) will be looking for a repeat of their success in 1998. Jaromir Jagr led the team to gold against Russia in the final and although Jagr is now retired from the NHL, he will still be involved in Vancouver. The Czech squad also includes Tomas Plekanec, who is in arguably the best form of his career right now in the NHL. The Czech's are capable of causing an upset and at 16/1 could be worth backing.
THE BEST 2010 WINTER GAMES FREE BET OFFERS:
If you want to bet on the Winter Games throughout the month in Vancouver, Bodog Canada and Bodog Europe are offering all users a $100 free bet and Ladbrokes a $40 free bet.
bet365 are offering a £200 free bet when you open an account, while NordicBet are also offering Scaninavian readers a €100 free bet to use on any of their markets!
Summary of the Best Free bets on the Winter Olympic Games:
- Bodog - 10% up to $100 free (use code MAXIMUMBONUS)
- Ladbrokes - $40 free or £25 free (use code MAXIMUMBONUS)
- bet365 - £200 free bet
- William Hill - £25 / $40 free (use code F25)
- Stan James - £25 /$50 free (use code MAXIMUMBONUS)
- NordicBet - €100 free
Full schedule - all times GMT (Vancouver time minus 8 hours):
Tuesday, February 16
20:00 United States v Switzerland (Group A)
Wednesday, February 17
00:30 Canada v Norway (Group A)
05:00 Russia v Latvia (Group B)
20:00 Finland v Belarus (Group C)
Thursday, February 18
00:30 Sweden v Germany (Group C)
05:00 Czech Republic v Slovakia (Group B)
20:00 United States v Norway (Group A)
Friday, February 19
00:30 Switzerland v Canada (Group A)
05:00 Slovakia v Russia (Group B)
20:00 Belarus v Sweden (Group C)
Saturday, February 20
00:30 Czech Republic v Latvia (Group B)
05:00 Finland v Germany (Group C)
20:00 Norway v Switzerland (Group A)
Sunday, February 21
00:30 Latvia v Slovakia (Group B)
05:00 Germany v Belarus (Group C)
20:00 Russia v Czech Republic (Group B)
Monday, February 22
00:40 Canada v United States (Group A)
05:00 Sweden v Finland (Group C)
Wednesday, February 24
20:00 Men's quarter-final #1
Thursday, February 25
00:30 Men's quarter-final #2
03:00 Men's quarter-final #3
05:00 Men's quarter-final #4
Friday, February 26
20:00 Men's semi-final #1
Saturday, February 27
02:30 Men's semi-final #2
Sunday, February 28
03:00 Men's Bronze Medal Game
20:15 Men's Gold Medal Game