Men’s Olympic Hockey Best Bets: Canada vs USA Gold Medal Picks & Odds Preview

Expert Canada vs USA Olympic hockey picks and best bets for the Feb 22 gold medal game. Score value insights on odds, props, history and winners.

February 21, 2026

Men’s Olympic Hockey Best Bets: Canada vs USA Gold Medal Picks & Odds Preview

By:

Daniel Dobish

February 21, 2026

NHL Picks

Men's Olympic Best Bets & Picks: Gold Medal Game - Canada vs USA - Expert Game Preview

The 2026 Winter Olympics from Milano Cortina are about to wrap up, and congratulazioni to Italia for putting on a great and memorable show.

In the men's Olympic hockey tournament, we get a rematch of the women's gold medal game. Team Canada and Team USA have been on a collision course in this tournament, and it comes to a head at 8:10 a.m. ET at the Milano Santigiulia Arena on NBC, while also streaming on Peacock.

We get a rematch of last season's 4 Nations Face-Off final. It's also a rematch of the 2010 gold medal match in the Vancouver Olympics. Team Canada won each of those meetings. In fact, the United States is looking for its first gold medal from the men since the Miracle On Ice team, which stunned the Soviet Union in Lake Placid, New York in 1980. That historic victory came on Feb. 22, 1980, exactly 46 years to the date of Sunday's latest installment of this North American rivalry.

A little history about me, too. Most of my friends and family know this, but I was not even seven years old while living in Ohio during the 1980 Olympic run. I remember all of the adults talking about these faraway places called Czechoslovakia, Finland, Sweden, West Germany and, of course, the Soviet Union. I was hooked, as I wanted to know where these places are. I was pulled into the hockey craze and have loved it, and sports in general, and the Olympics, ever since. It planted the seeds to do what I do for a job since 1999.

In the men's hockey tournament, Canada holds a 12-4-3 all-time series lead, including two victories in the gold medal game on two occasions, including the 3-2 win in Vancouver for gold in 2010, and a 5-2 win in Salt Lake City in 2002.

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Canada vs Team USA Match Preview: Men's Olympic Hockey Best Bets

Canada was a perfect 3-0-0 in preliminary round play in Group A, topping the charts with a plus-17 goal differential to lock up the top overall seed in the quarterfinals, semifinals and final. The Canadians stomped Czechia 5-0, while routing Switzerland 5-1. The team then annihilated France 10-2 to secure the best goal differential, and Tom Wilson fought with Pierre Crinon to add insult to injury.

In the quarterfinals, though, Czechia nearly derailed this dream matchup.The Czechs led 2-1 after the first period, and 3-2 at 12:18 of the third period. However, Nick Suzuki scored, with helpers to Devon Toews and Seth Jarvis to force overtime. Then, it was Mitch Marner to deliver the overtime winner at 1:22 of the extra session with Macklin Celebrini and Thomas Harley helping out.

In the semifinals, Finland also gave Canada all it could handle. The Canadians fell behind 2-0 at 3:26 of the second period, allowing a shorthanded goal. Sam Reinhart finally answered with a power-play goal to slice the lead in half late in the second. Shea Theodore scored at 10:34 of the third to draw back even, and it was Nathan MacKinnon scoring on a power-play goal at 19:24 to stun the Finns, who almost pulled off the giant upset.

For Team USA, it was also 3-0-0 in group play, topping Group C with a plus-11 goal differential. It secured the No. 2 seed with a 5-1 win over Latvia, a 6-3 victory over Denmark, and a 5-1 win over Germany as well, in a game many figured would be much closer.

It was close in the quarterfinals at Milano Santigiulia, as Team USA led just 1-0 through most of the game against Sweden on Wednesday. The Swedes pulled their goalie and scored with the extra attacker to force overtime. However, it was Quinn Hughes who bagged the overtime winner, helping the United States escape and snap a nine-game Olympic win drought against Sweden.

In the semifinals, Team USA started quickly against Slovakia, easily bouncing the 2022 Beijing Games bronze medalists. Jack Hughes had a couple of goals, while Jack Eichel, Dylan Larkin, Tage Thompson and Brady Tkachuk also lit the lamp. Connor Hellebuyck stopped two goals on 24 shots, and it would be stunning if he wasn't the goaltender for Sunday's game.

I can't be a homer, as much as I want to see Team USA win. Canada is too talented with Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid leading the way, even though Crosby is a game-time decision for Sunday's gold medal game. The United States is gritty, but I think Canada gets it done in the end, and it might be a little higher scoring than most expect, and Over 5.5 on FanDuel is too hard to pass up for a chance to multiply up nearly 1.5 times.

Canada (M) ML (-120 BetMGM)
Over 5.5 (+148 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

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Canada vs Team USA: Olympic Men's Prop Picks

Canada's McDavid has managed two goals and 13 points with a plus-7 rating through five games in these Olympics. However, his Anytime Goal Scorer props are risky, and the best bet would be taking him to record at least a point, but that's too expensive. Instead, we'll have to get a bit creative for some value.

Quinn Hughes leads the American side with seven points, including six assists, and he is a value play to get at least one point at near even-money.

Let's roll the dice on a long-shot Anytime Goal Scorer play as well. Reinhart is a stud, and he has been instrumental in the success of the Florida Panthers winning back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. He is a giant value for any Anytime Goal for the chance to nearly multiply up six times.