Time for hosts to claim what is rightfully theirs
THE preliminaries have been played. The seeding has been set. And wow, what a difference a day can make. Canada, previously the hands down favorite to win the gold medal is now ranked sixth going into the playoff rounds after being stunned by the Americans in a 5-3 loss.
Germany's Canuck Christian Ehrhoff
THIS game, featuring two teams who have about as much chance of winning a medal as Leafs do of winning the Stanley Cup, may actually produce one of the more exciting and unpredictable games of the preliminaries.
While the Belarussians are the bookmakers favorites at -110, this match has some of the tightest odds of the entire tournament, so getting a bead on even a slight edge may be enough to turn this one into a money maker.
Only nuttiest bettors will be backing Belarus
WHILE Belarus may have had a chance against the ailing Finns, the outcome of this game is all but predetermined. The Swedes have a roster stacked with NHLers, and will be the Vancouver crowd’s second choice after Team Canada as they feature hometown hero’s Daniel and Henrik Sedin.
Backing the underdogs should prove profitable in this clash
WITH both of these teams entering the Olympics under major question marks, this game may turn out to be the first real treat for fans.
This Finnish national side is unlike any other team in the field because it wants to play defense first. They are confident they can mix it up with any of the powerhouse nations and win games with goaltending.
Odds are against Belarus repeating their 2002 heroics, but betting short money on the long-shot former Soviet’s in 2010 might not be a bad gamble.
No one, especially Las Vegas bookmakers, would have picked Belarus to beat the Swedes in the Salt Lake City quarter finals in 2002. But the unlikely upset came as no surprise to the team themselves. Looking ahead to the 2010 games in Vancouver, are the Belorussians poised to surprise again? After failing to qualify for the 2006 games in Torino, they will feel they have something to prove to the world at these Olympic Games.
