Some home team boosters may be feeling less than optimistic after Team Canada's 5-3 loss to the United States in preliminary play of the men's hockey tournament at the Vancouver Olympics. But there is still one group that believes in Canada's men's hockey team.
Some home team boosters may be feeling less than optimistic after Team Canada's 5-3 loss to the United States in preliminary play of the men's hockey tournament at the Vancouver Olympics.
But there is still one group that believes in Canada's men's hockey team. Or, to be precise, there is one group that believes the betting public will still believe in Canada's men's hockey team: online sports gambling sites.
According to the gambling web site bodog.ca, Canada is still the favourite to win gold in Vancouver.
The team assembled by Steve Yzerman and Co. may not be the 1/1 listing it was before the tournament began, but at 9/5 Canada is still paying the shortest odds of any team in the tournament.
Team USA odds fell the furthest on the strength of the American showing in opening round -- they got cut in half, from 7/1 before play began to 7/2 on Monday, behind only the Canadians.
Russia and Sweden, which were second and third before the Games at 2/1 and 11/2, respectively, fell to third and fourth at 11/4 and 5/1.
Punters hopping on the Slovakia bandwagon will get much less of a payout -- the Czech Republic's former other half is only paying 25/1 compared to 40/1 before the Games began.
Odds also fell on Finland and the Czechs, though not as drastically.
Switzerland remained unchanged at 125/1 as did Belarus at 500/1 while the Germans jumped from 400/1 to 500/1.
Tournament longshots Lativa and Norway would pay off handsomely if the miracles needed for their triumph actually happened, with the two now paying 950/1 after beginning the event at 500/1.
