It’s been a Winter Olympics to forget for Team USA skiing sensation Mikaela Shiffrin. But it doesn’t have to remain that way, and the 2022 Winter Olympics odds favor Shiffrin to change the narrative on Wednesday night’s NBC broadcast (Thursday in China).
Shiffrin failed to complete her first runs in both the Slalom and Giant Slalom and didn’t threaten for a medal in Super-G or the Downhill. The sports betting market, though, has installed Shiffrin as the favorite to win gold in the Women’s Alpine Combined.
As the name suggests, the event is a combination of one Downhill run and one Slalom run. Shiffrin’s versatility is why oddsmakers have her as the favorite.
Shiffrin Grateful For Support
After her shocking mistakes in the Slalom and Giant Slalom, Shiffrin finished ninth in Super-G and 18th in the downhill. Following her Downhill effort – an event where she wasn’t favored to win – she expressed thanks for the support she’s received thus far.
“I would never have expected to feel in this moment — severely underperforming in an Olympics — I would never have felt that humans could be so kind,” she said on NBC. “I never would’ve expected that the most surprising thing of my Olympic experience is how kind people have been in the face of my failure. I mean, it is failure. It’s OK to say that. I am OK with that and I’m sorry for it, but I also was trying and I’m proud of that.”
She’s also found inspiration watching others compete in Beijing.
Oddsmakers see four skiers competing for three medals tonight.
| Sportsbook | DraftKings | BetMGM | BetRivers | Caesars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) | -165 | -115 | -143 | +100 |
| Michelle Gisin (GER) | +235 | +225 | +240 | +188 |
| Federica Brignone (ITA) | +600 | +700 | +600 | +500 |
| Wendy Holdener (SUI) | +600 | +500 | +600 | +550 |
Shiffrin has opted to compete in the mixed team parallel slalom event on Saturday. She’ll become the first American woman to compete in six alpine skiing events in one Olympics.
Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova became the first woman to compete in six alpine skiing events in the same Olympics in 2018.
Three Americans Seeking Men’s Halfpipe Skiing Medals
Team USA is a heavy favorite to snare medals in the Men’s Halfpipe Freestyle Skiing competition that begins Wednesday night with a pair of qualifying runs. The gold medal will be awarded Friday night in the USA (Saturday in China).
New Zealand’s Nico Porteous is the favored for gold. Americans Aaron Blunck, Alex Ferreira, and David Wise are looking to mix it up with Canada’s Brendan Mackay for the other two medals. Team USA’s Birk Irving is sixth on the board, but more of a longshot to medal.
| Sportsbook | DraftKings | BetMGM | BetRivers | PointsBet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nico Porteous (NZL) | +175 | +175 | +175 | +160 |
| Brendan Mackay (CAN) | +250 | +550 | +550 | +550 |
| Aaron Blunck (USA) | +400 | +300 | +325 | +325 |
| Alex Ferreira (USA) | +450 | +550 | +450 | +450 |
| David Wise (USA) | +500 | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Birk Irving (USA) | +1000 | +1200 | +1100 | +1100 |
China’s Eileen Gu is a heavy favorite to win the Women’s Halfpipe Freestyle Skiing gold. The field will make two qualifying runs tonight with the gold medal up for grabs on Thursday night. Brita Sigourney is Team USA’s best chance at medaling.
Team USA’s Brittany Bowe is a heavy favorite to grab a Women’s 1000m Speed Skating gold medal. She’s third on the board at +300. The final round of runs starts at 3:30 a.m. ET on Thursday (12:30 a.m. PT).
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