Tony Kelshaw 
The absence of NHL stars has obviously affected everybody’s Winter Olympics 2022 Ice Hockey predictions and is also reflected in our power rankings. There will still be a host of proven performers and hot prospects on show, though, so we’re still expecting plenty of thrills.
Chris Eubank Jr will have to overcome a hostile reception when taking on Welsh warrior Liam Williams in Cardiff on Saturday night. However, the 32-year-old seems to have the same ice-cold temperament as his famous father and is fancied to silence the home supporters.
Keith Thurman has been out of action since July 2019 but still commands pay-per-view status for his comeback bout versus Mario Barrios in Las Vegas. Both fighters are former world champions looking to secure another title shot and an all-action contest is on the cards.
Calamity struck curling’s traditional super-power Canada in Pyeongchang but the Canucks are expected to bounce back in Beijing this month. Two familiar faces will spearhead the recovery mission and hopes are high of making amends in many Winter Olympics predictions.
We’re taking a look at five major medal hopes from the Winter Olympics 2022 Team Canada roster and their betting odds for success in Beijing. There are 215 squad members competing in 14 different sports, with 45 past medalists present and many more rising stars.
Canada are enjoying a dream international break and can move even closer to qualifying for this year’s World Cup by winning in El Salvador. The Canucks are coming off triumphs over Honduras and the USA, which made it five consecutive victories for the group table toppers.
USA are under fire and under pressure after losing to Canada, but should get their World Cup campaign back on track when entertaining Honduras. Los Catrachos are bottom of the CONCACAF group after tasting defeat in six straight qualifiers and failing to score in the last couple.
Vancouver enjoyed a nice win in Chicago last night but backing up on the road against a strong home team like Nashville is a tough task. The Canucks did prevail 3-1 at Bridgestone Arena last month but it was the Predators who had played the previous day on that occasion.
Edmonton were beaten 6-4 by Ottawa earlier this month but have really hit form since that defeat and are now fancied to gain revenge. The Oilers hadn’t played for 10 days due to Covid issues but are healthy again and hoping to make a push for the play-offs from here on.
Chicago and Vancouver have both probably been playing better than their bare form suggests of late and a close encounter could be on the cards. They have already won one head-to-head clash each this term and it was just 1-0 to the Blackhawks in the last meeting in November.
The Winter Olympics 2022 are set to take place from February 4-20 in Beijing, China. The games will include a record number of events – a total of 109 across 15 disciplines in seven different sports – with each nation having its own strengths and weaknesses.
Canada and USA are both bang on course to qualify for this year’s World Cup finals in Qatar and a draw in Hamilton may satisfy both teams. With three automatic places up for grabs, Mexico are just behind but Panama crucially lost ground due to Thursday’s defeat at Costa Rica.
Rafael Nadal is chasing a record 21st grand slam title in the Australian Open final but Daniil Medvedev will be a tough nut to crack. The Russian was blown away by Novak Djokovic in last year’s decider but went on to gain revenge and break his major duck at the US Open.
Anaheim beat Ottawa 4-0 at Honda Center a couple of months ago and are playing well enough to confirm that superiority at Canadian Tire Centre. To be fair, the Senators have improved since that drubbing themselves but preference is still for the Ducks to shade a closer contest.