Who will win USA vs. Canada? Picks, predictions, odds for the 2026 Olympic men's ice hockey gold medal game
Who will win USA vs. Canada? Picks, predictions, odds for the 2026 Olympic men's ice hockey gold medal game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It's been 12 years since NHL players competed in the Olympics, but the 2026 tournament has been worth the wait. The men's knockout stage has featured five one-goal games, including three in overtime, leading to the crown jewel of a gold medal game: the United States vs. Canada.
When these two teams take the ice, the best players in the world will face off in a battle of two perceived superteams. On one side is a Canada team that has won three of the last four gold medals featuring NHL players. On the other side is a United States team that hasn't won a men's ice hockey gold medal of any kind since 1980.
This matchup will be highly anticipated and a fitting conclusion to the 2026 Winter Olympics. A year ago, when Canada and the United States played in the 4 Nations final, it took a Connor McDavid overtime goal to decide the winner.
No matter what happens on Sunday, the game will be remembered for years to come, just like Canada's overtime winner against the United States in the 2010 gold medal game. In fact, these teams have only met twice in a gold medal game, both resulting in a Canada win.
Of course, there has to be a winner. Here's a breakdown of the United States vs. Canada to close out the 2026 Winter Olympics.
MORE 2026 OLYMPICS: Live medal tracker | Viewer's guide | Day-by-day schedule
USA vs. Canada betting odds
- Spread: Canada -1.5
- Over/under: 5.5
- Moneyline: Canada -125, United States +105
Canada is a slight favorite in the gold medal game, according to DraftKings, and the over/under for the game is 5.5. By all accounts, this expected to be a close game.
MORE: Complete history of the United States vs. Canada in the Winter Olympics
USA vs. Canada pick, prediction
The United States and Canada were the two favorites to meet in the gold medal game, and both enter Sunday with perfect 5-0-0 records.
Canada had an impressive preliminary round, winning three straight games by a combined score of 20-3. However, the Canadians faced more difficulty in the knockout stages, winning both the quarterfinal and semifinal by just one goal each. That could be a warning sign when Canada takes on a team as talented as the United States, as both games required comebacks to advance.
The breakout star for Canada has been Macklin Celebrini, the former No. 1 pick and second-year NHL star for the San Jose Sharks. Celebrini has played on the top line with Connor McDavid and is the only player in the Olympics with five goals in the tournament.
It's hard to beat the best on Canada, which features McDavid, Celebrini, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews. When it's crunch time, head coach Jon Cooper leans on these players.
However, the big questions for Canada will be Sidney Crosby's health. The captain left the quarterfinals with an injury, and didn't play in the semifinals on Friday. Crosby is the most experienced player in the Olympics, having scored a golden goal to win the 2010 gold medal, so his loss would be a massive blow.
MORE: How 'Free Bird' became Team USA's goal song
The United States has gotten to the gold medal game in a similar fashion, dominating the preliminary rounds and having an overtime scare against Sweden in the quarterfinals. The difference is that the U.S. had a pretty stress-free win in the semifinals, allowing the team to look ahead to Sunday.
Unsurprisingly, the Tkachuks and the Hughes brothers have been stars for the United States, who have had a more balanced scoring attack throughout. Captain Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel have also been effective, producing six points each.
Where the United States has the biggest advantage is in goal. Connor Hellebuyck is the reigning NHL MVP, and he's played like it following, while Jordan Binnington has been shakier in net for Canada despite playing better than he has in the NHL this year.
Hellebuyck has made 90 saves on 95 shots, allowing just 1.23 goals per game, the best in the Olympics among starters. Binnington's 74 saves on 81 shots is very good himself, but not to the Hellebuyck's level.
When these teams met in the four nations final last year, Binnington outplayed Hellebuyck with one of the best games of his career. This time around, Hellebuyck will return the favor and prove to be the difference between gold and silver.
USA vs. Canada final score prediction
USA 2, Canada 1
Australia blow as goalkeeper Micah ruled out of Women's Asian Cup
Australia suffered a setback Saturday in their quest to win the Women's Asian Cup with goalkeeper Teagan Micah ruled out of the tournament with concussion.
The Lyon star was shaping as the frontrunner to be Joe Montemurro's first-choice keeper for the tournament hosted by Australia from March 1-21.
She was named in his squad on Thursday, but said on Instagram she was "simply not ready".
"I am truly devastated to have to withdraw from the Asian Cup," she wrote.
"I recently sustained another concussion and although I have pushed my hardest to be back in time, I am simply just not ready.
"The timing feels absolutely cruel ... and sometimes football and elite sports can break your heart and truly test you not just as a player but as a person."
It was another blow for Micah who also missed the 2023 World Cup on home soil due to the lasting effects of concussion.
She has been replaced by Brisbane Roar goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln, with the Portland Thorns' Mackenzie Arnold now Montemurro's number one.
The Sam Kerr-led Australia kick off the 12-team tournament in Perth on March 1 against the Philippines.
The Matildas have only lifted the trophy once in 20 editions of the competition -- in 2010.
China are defending champions and get their campaign underway against debutants Bangladesh in Sydney on March 3.
mp/mtp
Chael Sonnen disagrees with Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez odds
Chael Sonnen doesn't think the odds are an accurate reflection of how the UFC Fight Night 267 main event will go.
Sean Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) takes on Anthony Hernandez (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) on Saturday (Paramount+) at Toyota Center in Houston. According to FanDuel, Hernandez is a sizable -300 favorite against the former UFC middleweight champion, who's a +235 underdog.
"They got Hernandez as a 3-1 favorite. Do you guys see it that way?" Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. "Three-to-one? You are three times more confident that Hernandez is going to beat Sean than you are that Sean can stand his ground with Hernandez? That surprised me."
Sonnen sees a lot more to lose for Strickland than the streaking Hernandez, which is why he finds the odds troubling.
"It doesn't hurt Hernandez that bad if he gets bumped by Sean," Sonnen said. "Hernandez is a young guy, and he's got all sorts of paper behind him, and now he's the main event. Hernandez has got a rocket ship tied to his ass. He's gonna be a star, but Sean could really fall. The way you look does matter. What the performance looks like does matter.
"Hernandez says he's going to dominate him. He says he's going to whip him. DraftKings has him as a 3-1, which means they think Sean is about to get whipped. Is Sean about to get whipped? I don't see this fight this way. I don't see anybody that can just come in and big brother Sean Strickland. Am I wrong?"
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez odds surprise UFC analyst