With the Milano Cortina Winter Games underway, Olympic betting will be new for plenty of sports bettors.
But don't get overwhelmed!
Let us guide you through 2026 Olympics betting with some basics on reading Milano Cortina Winter Olympics odds, and tips for making smarter Olympic bets.
Can you bet on the Olympics?
Yes, you can bet on the Olympics through various sportsbooks and betting platforms that offer Olympic betting markets.
Betting on the Olympics typically includes a range of popular sports, such as men's and women's ice hockey and curling, alpine skiing, figure skating, snowboarding, and more.
However, it's important to note that betting regulations vary by country and state, so it's essential to check the laws in your jurisdiction.
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Where to bet on the Olympics
Olympic betting is coming into form, and the Milano Cortina Winter Games will attract betting attention. Where you bet on the Olympics is just as important as what you bet, and we recommend the best betting sites available in your jurisdiction.
Traditional sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM will have plenty of options for betting. In addition, prediction markets are going to be huge when it comes to wagering on the Winter Games.
Olympics betting at prediction markets
Prediction markets are rapidly rising in popularity due to their unique wagering options. Many of these props do not appear at traditional sportsbooks.
In the coming days, expect to see pop culture markets like:
- Who will be Lindsey Vonn’s next boyfriend?
- Will Donald Trump attend the Olympics?
- Will fans boo during the USA national anthem at the Olympics?
- Will any athletes get busted for steroids at the Winter Olympics?
Basically, there is not much off-limits when it comes to prediction market apps.
Prediction markets like Kalshi, Crypto.com, and Polymarket will have a bevy of Winter Olympics wagering opportunities over the course of the next few weeks.
In addition to pop culture markets at these sites, you will also see more traditional sports markets like “Which country will win the most gold medals?” and “Who will win the snowboarding men’s halfpipe?”
We’ll use the latter as an example.
From Kalshi:
Snowboarding halfpipe: Gold Medal Winner
- Scotty James 47% chance Yes 46 cents No 61 cents
- Ruka Hirano 2% chance Yes 18 cents No 90 cents
- Yuto Totsuka 1 % chance Yes 18 cents No 90 cents
Sites like Kalshi show you the probability that something will happen. In the example above, Scotty James has a 47% chance of winning the snowboarding halfpipe. This translates to +113 American betting odds.
Ruka Hirano, meanwhile, has just a 2% chance of winning. That translates to a whopping +4900 American odds.
Instead of betting on odds, with prediction markets you can buy and sell “contracts.” Most of these contracts allow users to “buy an outcome” for between 1 cent and $1.
It’s important to remember that with prediction markets you are betting peer-to-peer, instead of against the sportsbook.
Winter Olympics betting promo codes
There is a pu pu platter of betting options when it comes to the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. There are 16 different events at this year’s Winter Olympics with over 100 events taking place.
Sports betting sites are celebrating the return of the Winter Olympics with some awesome sportsbook promos. Check out the best offers below:
- FanDuel: Bet $5, Win $200
- Caesars: $250 Bet Match, Win or Lose
- Fanatics: Up to $1,000 in FanCash Bet Matches
- BetMGM: $1,500 First Bet Offer
- DraftKings: Bet $5, Win $300
- Bet365: Bet $5, Get $200 Win or Lose
- BetRivers: $500 Second Chance Bet
DraftKings also has some great odds boosts for the games in Milano Cortina:
- Stars, Stripes and Shutout: USA men’s ice hockey to shutout Latvia (+310)
- Puck Line Ladder: USA to win by 5+ goals vs. Latvia, Sweden to win by 4+ goals vs. Italy, Finland to win by 3+ goals vs. Slovakia (+548)
- Red, White and Runaway: USA men’s ice hockey to win by 5+ goals over Latvia (+145)
States where Winter Olympics betting is legal
The list of states with legal sports betting continues to grow with each passing year. So many states have legalized sports betting since the last Winter Olympics in 2022.
The last time around, states like North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio and Massachusetts were still in the dark when it came to the luxury of being able to bet from the comfort of your couch.
Fortunately, bettors in those states will now be able to wager on all of the Olympic action.
How to bet on the Olympics
The 2026 Winter Olympics began on Wednesday, February 4, and thanks to the increase in legalized sports gambling, this year’s Winter Olympics should see the largest betting handle ever.
Follow the tips from our Olympic betting guide below to make smarter wagers in this mostly unfamiliar market.
Olympic sports you can bet on
Since the Supreme Court ruling in 2018 paved the way for legalized sports gambling in America, sportsbooks are giving us betting odds for more sports than ever, including the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The more popular markets like total and gold medal winners and countries’ O/U medal counts are already available while individual event markets are starting to open up as qualifications finish. Here is a list of sports that already have betting markets available:
- Hockey
- Biathlon
- Bobsleigh
- Cross country skiing
- Alpine skiing
- Curling
- Luge
- Figure skating
- Speed skating
- Skeleton
- Ski jumping
Types of Olympic bets
Not all Olympic bets are made equal, similar to other major sports, with different betting markets available to bettors for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Learning how to read Olympics odds can be intimidating for newer bettors, so we have broken down and simplified the types of Olympic bets for you to make more insightful wagers this winter.
Moneyline: betting who will win an Olympic event
Betting on the moneyline — sometimes referred to as ML — is one of the most straightforward bets you can make. You just need to pick the winner.
The odds are based on implied probability. If a team is a big favorite to win, its probability is high and will have lower odds. You can use our odds converter to see a team’s implied probability based on their odds.
The odds are displayed in American odds (hundreds) the majority of the time, with the larger negative number being the favorite, while the side with higher odds being the underdog.
If the favorite is listed as -150, we would need to bet $150 to win $100, or bet $130 if listed at -130 to win $100.
Underdogs are easier to calculate as a +125 team would pay $125 on a $100 bet, or $150 at +150.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
 USA |
+110 |
 Canada |
-120 |
In this example, Canada at -120 would be considered the favorite while the United States at +110 would be the underdog.
We would need to wager $120 on Canada (-120) to win $100 if Canada were to win the game.
If we wagered $100 on the United States (+110) and won, we would win $110 plus our initial wager.
Over/Under totals
Olympic Over/Under totals work exactly like other sports’ totals. Books set an educated number on a result, and we choose whether we think the final total will be below (Under) or above (Over) that set total.
Most totals are set at half-numbers, which eliminates the chances of a push (tie).
There are many Over/Under totals in Olympic betting, with the most common being nations' total or gold medal counts. Books will set a total number on how many medals a country could win, and we bet against that number — either Over or Under.
| Total | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 5.5 | -130 |
| Under 5.5 | +100 |
Using the example above, a game between the American and Czechia women’s hockey teams has a set total of 5.5 combined goals for the match. The odds for the Over 5.5 are listed at -130, and the Under is +100.
Over bettors will win if the game finishes with six or more goals, and if there are five or fewer total goals, Under bettors will win the bet.
Point spread
Points spreads are a way to create a more even betting handle between two teams that are deemed not equal ahead of a game or event.
Sportsbooks will set a line (the point number or spread), and bettors will have to choose if the favorite (the “-” team) will win by more than that set number or if the underdog (the “+” team) will not lose by that set number.
Hockey will be one of the most common point spread bets offered at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
| Team | Spread | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| USA |
-3.5 | -115 |
 Czechia |
+3.5 | -115 |
In this example, USA is a -3.5 goal favorite in a hockey game against Czechia, meaning the Americans need to win the game by four or more goals to cover the spread and win the -115 bet.
If the USA wins by three or fewer goals or loses outright, bettors backing the American spread will loss, and bettors on Czechia +3.5 (-115) will win.
Betting on the underdog is commonly referred to as "taking the points," while a bet on the favorite is referred to as "laying the points."
Props
Prop bets — short for propositions— are a way to wager on unique situations or markets. The Super Bowl has made prop betting popular, with bettors wagering on everything from the length of the national anthem to the color of the Gatorade poured over the winning head coach’s head.
The 2026 Winter Olympics will offer a variety of prop bets, including many Yes/No markets, such as "will a world record be set in speed skating?" or, in some cases, judged sports like figure skating for a perfect score.
Futures
Future bets are long-running markets. They take longer to pay out but have a longer return in regards to entertainment and potential higher ROI.
Some of the most common Olympic bets would be considered future bets, such as a country’s total medal count or a certain nation winning a gold medal in a specific competition.
| Country | Odds |
|---|---|
 Norway |
-160 |
 Germany |
+400 |
| USA |
+450 |
| Canada |
+1000 |
 Italy |
+2000 |
Looking at the futures odds above for most gold medals won in the 2026 Winter Olympics, we see Norway as a short -160 favorite to capture the most golds, followed by Germany at +400 odds.
These odds would be available before the events started, and any bet wouldn’t pay out until all the competitions were completed. Olympic future bets are enjoyable but tie up your funds for a longer period of time than a bet on a single game or event.
Parlays
Parlay betting is a way to bet a little and possibly win a lot. With a parlay wager, we add multiple bets together, and the odds of each of those bets are multiplied and then multiplied again by our wager amount.
You need each bet on the ticket to win to get paid for a parlay bet to play out, and most sportsbooks will allow you to parlay Olympic bets.
Live betting
Most online and mobile sportsbooks will offer live Olympic betting. Bettors will be able to bet on live Olympic hockey, curling, and a handful of other events. Live betting allows bettors to get different totals, puck lines, and odds than the opening and pre-game prices.
Olympic betting tips
There are a number of key factors to consider before betting on the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Play within your means
The first tip is more of a general betting rule. Play within your limits and step away if you feel like you’re chasing losses. This is probably even more relevant in Olympic betting because most bettors will likely be less educated and informed about the available markets and competitions than what’s available in professional sports.
Don't bet blindly
Spending time researching the events and markets you plan to wager on will go a long way in increasing your ROI.
Watch for injuries
Just like other sporting events, injuries play a major role in the outcomes during the Olympics. Check to make sure a team’s best player isn’t sitting out or playing at less than 100% during a certain match.
Follow the lines
If you see that a favorite’s odds have dropped substantially, there is most likely a reason. If you can’t find any reason for the line movement, there could be sharp or respected money being bet on the other side.
Start slowly
Many of the competitions will be new to viewers, and a conservative approach at the beginning of the Olympics could have long-lasting effects on our bankroll.
Watch the weather
Weather will play a factor in outdoor sports. A quick search shows that the average temperature in Milan is forecasted to be approximately 50 degrees, with Cortina forecasted to be 39.5 degrees.
Olympic betting FAQs
Most sportsbooks will offer bets on the 2026 Winter Olympics, making wagering on it easy and widely available. Find a reputable book, sign up, login in, deposit, and start betting on the global competition.
Reading Olympic odds is similar to any other major sport. There are spreads, moneylines, totals, and a variety of future and prop bets predominantly presented in American odds.
Sports bettors will be able to bet on the majority of the events at the 2026 Winter Olympics including gold medal winners in some of the most obscure and unfamiliar competitions as well as the better-known events.
