Online Bookmaker Posts Odds On Every Event At Winter Olympics
WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO (February 10, 2006)—The twentieth Olympic Winter Games begin this weekend as over 2,500 athletes from 84 different countries converge on Torino, Italy. Knowing the spirit of the Olympics and passion for the games make it one of the biggest sporting events in the world, leading online sportsbook PinnacleSports.com today opened betting on every event at the Winter Olympics and lists several American athletes as favorites in their disciplines in Torino 2006.
The largest sports betting site on the Internet, PinnacleSports.com has set the over/under line on the number of gold medals won by Team USA in the Winter Games at 9.5 and currently lists the United States at 3/1 to capture the most gold medals in Torino, behind favorites Germany (11/10) and Norway (8/5). PinnacleSports.com has also set individual odds on the men and women of Team USA winning gold in their respective events. Despite being the betting underdog for many of the Blue Ribbon events, the oddsmakers at PinnacleSports.com favor Team USA members to do well on the ice, in the extreme sports and on the bobsleigh run.
Although he’s been one of the most outspoken and controversial American athletes, skier Bode Miller is a long shot to win both the men’s downhill (10/1) and men’s slalom (24/1). Competing in her third Winter Olympics, Michelle Kwan remains an underdog to capture her first gold medal at 10/1 odds, while her teammate Sasha Cohen is 8/1 to become the third straight American woman to capture figure skating gold. Johnny Weir is a 31/1 long shot to become the first American man since Brian Boitano in 1988 to take top figure skating honors. PinnacleSports.com also lists Team USA as an underdog to win Ice Hockey gold at 11/1 odds, while the women’s hockey team has the second-best odds at 9/5 behind favorite Canada.
Winner in the 1500m Short Track in 2002, speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno is a 9/5 favorite to repeat in the event and is co-favorite in the 1,000m Short Track with fellow American J.P. Kepka at 7/2 odds. PinnacleSports.com lists Chad Hendrick as the favorite in both the men’s 5,000m and 10,000m Speed Skating at 10/13 and 7/4 odds, respectively. Meanwhile, 23-year old Shani Davis is an even money favorite (1/1) in both the 1000m and 1500m men’s Speed Skating. Other Team USA favorites in Speed Skating include Joey Cheek in the 500m (12/5) and the USA in Team Pursuit (3/2).
PinnacleSports.com has also made Americans the favorites to win both Snowboarding Half Pipe events, with Shaun White at 13/10 to win the men’s and Gretchen Bleiler at 4/1 to capture gold in the women’s. Former college football player Jeremy Bloom is a 2/1 favorite in the Freestyle Moguls, while the USA 4-man bobsled team captained by Todd Hays is a 7/2 co-favorite for gold. Meanwhile, snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis is a solid contender in the Boardercross event at 11/2 odds.