Team USA is eying only its third-ever medal in luge at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, but the betting online odds aren’t favorable for the Americans in all events. In this space, we preview the men’s, women’s and doubles luge events, and shed some light on how the Olympics odds stack up.
Luge By Event
Men’s Singles Outrights: Americans are Longshots
Chris Mazdzer made history four years ago in Pyeongchang by winning the silver medal in men’s luge, the first-ever U.S. Olympic medal in men’s singles luge. Mazdzer finished second with a time of 3:10.728 behind Austria’s David Gleirscher, who took the gold medal. Germany’s Johannes Ludwig took the bronze in 3:10.932.
WOW Upset at the #WinterOlympics #Luge #USA Chris Madder wins 1st medal ever for USA in History Silver🥈,, Germany’s Felix Loch number 1 in the World is upset by
Austria’s Gleirscher he takes Gold🥇
Wow!!! pic.twitter.com/JO6lXzcMaJ— Danny Jimenez (@djimenez22) February 12, 2018
Noticeably absent from the podium in 2018 was Germany’s Felix Loch, the trendsetter and indisputable best athlete the sport has seen in recent years. Loch led until his last run went awry and finished fifth overall.
Loch is back for another crack at Olympic glory. Loch has two gold medals from the 2010 Vancouver and 2014 Sochi Olympics. In Pyeongchang, he was tipped as the best bet for Olympics picks to win a third gold medal and tie Georg Hackl’s record of three gold medals at the Olympics.
Should Loch accomplish the feat in Beijing, he would become only the second person to win Olympic luge gold three times. BetUS sportsbook tips the German as the second-best bet to win gold at +500. Interestingly, defending gold medal champion Gleirscher is a middle-of-the-pack contender at +1400.
Johannes Ludwig emerges as the top bet at +200 to win the gold medal in Beijing while Mazdzer is priced as the longshot bet at +10000. Other Americans in the race are veteran Olympian Tucker West (+12500) and newcomer Johnny Gustafson, but both are longshots in men’s singles.
Women’s Singles Outrights: Odds Long for USA
Germany’s Natalie Geisenberger is the two-time defending gold medalist, and the only luge specialist in the field with significant experience at the Olympics. Her compatriot, Dajana Etberger (2018 silver medalist), didn’t qualify for 2022 while Canada’s Alex Gough (bronze medalist) retired.
However, somewhat surprisingly, the veteran isn’t the top bet according to the books. Geisenberger is priced at +350, which makes her the second-best bet after Germany’s Julia Taubitz and Austria’s Madeleine Egle – both tied at +200.
American hopeful Emily Sweeney emerges as the +4000 longshot despite carrying high hopes for a medal this month. Fellow American Summer Britcher is priced at larger +6500 odds on the online sports betting board.
Sweeney and Britcher could prove value outside bets to medal in Beijing, but the competition will be fierce. Taubitz and Egle head to Beijing on consistent form, and Geisenberger is chasing a third gold medal that would make her one of the greatest lugers in the history of the sport.
Team Relay: Germany Team to Beat
- Germany -185
- Austria +275
- Latvia +600
- ROC +1000
- Italy +1800
- USA +3500
- Canada +6500
The 2022 Olympics betting market for the luge team relay isn’t surprising at all. Given that Germany leads practically every luge singles and doubles event, it follows that it would be the top bet to win the relay. That, and Germany has won both gold medals since the event was added to the Games in 2014. BetUS sportsbook tips the Germans as the -185 bet.
Austria is primed to give Germany a run for their money, and they’re quite rightly priced as the +275 bet. Latvia is a firm third best-bet at +600, but the Russians (+1000) could make things interesting.
Team USA and Canada are the longshots in this event. Mazdzer and doubles partner Jayson Terdiman didn’t make the cut for the doubles event in Beijing, ceding way to rookies Zack Di Gregorio and Sean Hollander. Mazdzer and Terdiman would have probably raised Team USA’s value in the betting, although getting past the Germans will be a tough ask no matter how the team stacks up.
