Olympic Men, Final on Sunday, 22.02.2026, 14:10
Hours before the start of the game, there is a persistent rumor that US President Donald Trump will go to Milan to attend the final in person – that alone shows you what kind of attention this final is attracting.
And my Canada USA tip on the possible outcome of the game not only promises this epic exchange of blows expected by many, but also promises betting fans a decent payout.
If you are a fantasy manager as a hobby, then you would not be able to put together a selection from one of the two squads. Because both the Canadians and the US boys at this Olympics would simply blow up any imaginary budget cap.
But it is precisely these two illegally good NHL rosters that have actually made it to the finals – as was predicted by all kinds of experts and betting providers with a German license!
The Canada USA odds are so balanced that I can’t give you a value-based tip based on a 1X2 bet. But in the next section, I’ll present you with some selected special bets that might be of interest to you.
At bet365, for example, the betting boost “Win Canada, McDavid scores & MacKinnon scores” promises such great odds of about 11.00 in this form that I personally would give myself a jolt in view of the beckoning payout and actually dare to try.
The two NHL icons belong to the dreaded front row with Macklin Celebrini, who poses the most danger anyway. If you believe in an Olympic champion Canada, then this is probably exactly the trio that will lead them to gold with their shots!
After all, it was MacKinnon’s millimetre-precise last-minute goal in the semi-final against Finland – which, by the way, was unsuccessfully challenged by the Scandinavians – that brought the Maple Leafs this far in the first place!
The selection 1st period: Over 1.5 goals turns one euro stake into almost exactly two and in my opinion is also associated with a positive expected value.
Ice hockey is not as easy to brick as it is in football, for example – and in such a historic final, the US boys in particular will want to make a lot of noise in front of the opponent’s goal in front of their president.
Once the 1-0 is scored, it shouldn’t be long before the equaliser follows. Both sides can quickly cope with setbacks and create a special dynamic that could easily lead to an intermediate score of 2:2 at the first period break.
The direct comparison is only interesting if we only use the duels at the 4-Nations Face-off for evaluation. Because at all other tournaments, the best players from both countries never move out.
And funnily enough, I would be successful with all three Canada USA bets for the final in Milan presented so far, if the game takes exactly the same course as it did in the last meeting in this constellation exactly 364 days ago.
At that time, the Maple Leafs won the final of the 4-Nations face-off in overtime, two goals were scored in the first period and both MacKinnon and McDavid were each celebrated as goalscorers. That’s what I call a good omen!
Conclusion: It will be a historic and unique ice hockey experience. There has never been a game in the history of this sport where so much capital was on the ice at the same time. If you add up the player value of both rosters, you get an absurdly high sum.
In any case, the bookmakers have done their homework: There is no clear favorite. Consequently, I see overtime as probably the best value pick in a match that will be fought on an equal footing through and through.
What I can tell you, however, is that my gut feeling tells me that the front row of Canadians – as in the semi-final against Finland – will be on hand when a single seated shot decides gold or silver outside of regular time!
