Team USA vs. Canada Women’s Hockey Odds, Pick & Preview: Best Bets & Betting Preview: Gold Medal Game at 2022 Beijing Olympics

Canada vs. USA Odds

All eyes at the 2022 Olympic Games will focus on Women's Ice Hockey on Wednesday when the United States takes on rival Canada, with the gold medal on the line.

The high-flying Canadians enter this showdown against Team USA looking to avenge their heartbreaking, 3-2 shootout loss to the Americans in the final of the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Canada, led by Sarah Nurse and Natalie Spooner, drew first blood against Team USA in the preliminary round in a 4-2 victory. However, despite the score showing what could be assumed was a relatively easy win, that was far from what actually happened in their Feb. 7 clash.

The Americans dominated play, outshooting their counterparts a whopping 53-27 but simply couldn't get the best of goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens. The Canadian standout made 51 saves en route to the hard-earned victory.

Oddsmakers have installed Canada as sizable -215 moneyline favorites, with their counterparts sitting at +170 to win outright. If you're backing the Canadians on the -1.5 puck line, you're getting a much bette number of +130, while the Americans are currently +1.5 (-150) on that wager.

Let's take a look at these sides and see where we can find some betting value.

Canada vs. USA Statistical Comparisons

*Latest Odds via IHHF.com

Canada Offense Playing on Another Level

To say the Canadians have been dominant, particularly on the offensive end of the ice, would be the definition of an understatement. This offense, led by Nurse and her tournament-leading 16 points (four goals and 12 assists), is just built differently than any other nation that has competed at these Games.

Canada has the top six scorers in the competition, with each boasting at least 11 points through six games. Nurse's all-around play has been complemented by Spooner and Marie-Philip Poulin (14 points each), Brianne Jenner (13 points) and Claire Thompson (12 points).

Sarah Fillier (11 points) checks in last of the group but has scored an Olympic-high eight goals for the Canadians to go along with three assists.

Jenner opened the scoring during the first encounter between these sides, putting Canada ahead via a power-goal at the 14:10 mark of opening period. She added her second off an assist from Nurse that leveled things at 2-2 before Jamie Lee Rattray and Poulin went back to back in a three-minute span to close the second, giving the Canadians a 4-2 lead that would stay that way.

As I mentioned earlier, Canada might have gotten the win, but the numbers and statistics told a very different tale. And had Desbiens not had that monster performance between the pipes, the final score could have easily been reversed in the Americans' favor.

Knight Giving USA Hope Entering Rematch

This hasn't been the easiest of Winter Games for the Americans. Sure, they've gone 5-1 so far and racked up 34 goals along the way. The defense has been just as solid, conceding only eight goals — the same as Canada up to this point — but it just seems like things aren't totally clicking for the red, white and blue.

Thankfully for the underdogs, Hilary Knight has been doing everything she can to will this group through their trials and tribulations. Her hard works has  generated five goals and four assists, good for a team-best nine points.

Goaltender Alex Cavallini has been another bright spot, and she will likely get the start over teammate Maddie Rooney, who was in goal for that 4-2 loss against Canada. Cavallini has been on point, stopping 42 of 44 shots for an Olympic-leading 95.45 Save Percentage and 0.67 Goals Against Average.

The Americans have struggled finishing their chances, with that 53-shot effort against the Canadians really sticking out in a bad way. Those woes could partially be attributed to the loss of Brianna Decker, the top-line center for Team USA, who broke her leg in a tournament-opening 5-2 win over Finland.

Regardless, this offense is due for positive finishing despite scoring 21 goals fewer than Canada has through six games. The opportunities have been there, so you'd have to think more of those shots could find the back of the net.

Betting Analysis & Pick

Canada has won five of the last seven games against Team USA, but neither nation has run away with convincing victories. Three of those contests went to overtime, with the Canadians winning two and the Americans taking another.

The goaltending play from Desbiens and Cavallini has been top notch, plus neither side is going to back down on the defense end of the ice. Bottom line, I don't forecast this being a high-scoring affair, especially considering that they've only cleared 5.5 goals once in their last seven matchups.

That said, I'm backing a Single Game Parlay pairing Canada to win gold with the combined total staying under 6.5 goals via BetMGM at +145 odds. Initially, my lean was toward Knight and Team USA pulling off the upset, but the metrics and numbers (see the stats graphic above) are so skewed in the Canadians' direction that I just couldn't do it.

Five of the last seven meetings between these countries have been decided by a goal, but Canada has way too many offensive weapons to be denied glory. Back the Canadians to get revenge from four years ago and secure the gold.

Pick: Single Game Parlay — Canada to Win & Combined Total Under 6.5 Goals (+145) at BetMGM

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