The 2026 Winter Olympic Games are a breath of fresh air for sports bettors that are looking for something a little different to wager on.
Of course, Olympic hockey will garner most of the attention in Canada over the coming weeks when the Winter Olympic Games open on Feb. 6, although several events begin a few days prior, such as curling and women’s hockey.
Canada is projected to win a whopping 27 medals in Italy, just one shy of its 2018 record of 28 at the South Korea Games, according to Shoreview Sports Analytics. Exactly 10 of those medals are projected to be gold, with the freestyle skiing and short track speed skating disciplines accounting for seven of those Canadian gold medals.
Most online sportsbooks have Canada’s gold medal over/under count set at 8.5, paying at around even-money odds. The Over on this Olympic prop appears to have tremendous value at these odds given Canada’s elite athletes in short track speed skating, freestyle skiing, curling, and ice hockey.
Canada over 8.5 gold medals
Let’s take a look at some of Canada’s most prominent medal contenders as we handicap the 2026 Winter Olympics gold medal betting projections & predictions
Projected Canadian Gold Medallists
| Athlete | Sport |
| Canada | Women’s Curling |
| Canada | Men’s Ice Hockey |
| Canada | Men’s Short Track 5000m relay |
| Reece Howden | Men’s Freestyle Skiing Ski Cross |
| Megan Oldham | Women’s Freestyle Skiing Big Air |
| Mikael Kingsbury | Men’s Freestyle Skiing Dual Moguls |
| William Dandjinou | Men’s Short Track 1500m |
| Steven Dubois | Men’s Short Track 500m |
| Courtney Sarault | Women’s Short Track 1000m |
| Eliot Grondin | Men’s Snowboard Cross |
Projected Canadian Silver Medallists
| Athlete | Sport |
| Canada | Men’s Curling |
| Canada | Mixed Freestyle Skiing Team Aerials |
| Canada | Women’s Ice Hockey |
| Canada | Women’s Long Track Team Pursuit |
| Naomi Urness | Women’s Freestyle Skiing Big Air |
| William Dandjinou | Men’s Short Track 500m |
| William Dandjinou | Men’s Short Track 1000m |
| Courtney Sarault | Women’s Short Track 1500m |
| Kim Boutin | Women’s Short Track 500m |
Projected Canadian Bronze Medallists
| Athlete | Sport |
| Canada | Mixed Curling Doubles |
| Canada | Women’s Short Track Relay 3000m |
| Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier | Figure Skating Ice Dance |
| Mikael Kingsbury | Men’s Freestyle Skiing Moguls |
| Megan Oldham | Women’s Freestyle Skiing Slopestyle |
| Ivanie Blondin | Women’s Long Track Mass Start |
| Isabelle Weidemann | Women’s Long Track 3000m |
| Ted-Jan Bloemen | Men’s Long Track 10000m |
Canada’s Best Gold Medal Bet – Will Dandjinou (Speed Skating)
If you haven’t heard of Montreal’s Will Dandjinou yet, you certainly will by the conclusion of these Olympic Games later this month. He’s been dominating across multiple speed skating disciplines for the past two seasons and is expected to thrive in his first Olympics, with Shoreview Sports Analytics projecting him to win a whopping four medals, including a pair of golds in the men’s 1500m and as a member of Canada’s men’s 5000m relay team. Projections also have him picking up silver medals in the men’s 500m and 1000m races, although most online sportsbooks have him listed as the favourite in both of those events.
Will Dandjinou to win 500m short track
Dandjinou is the top-ranked skater in the men’s world tour standings after earning eight medals individually during the 2025-26 season, including seven gold and one silver. He’ll lead an all-Quebec men’s team at these Olympics alongside Steven Dubois, a triple medallist at the Beijing Games, Maxime Laoun, Jordan Pierre-Gilles, and Felix Roussel. The team is being coached by Marc Gagnon, a five time Olympic medallist.
As of Monday afternoon, odds are only available for the men’s short track speed skating events in the 500m and 1000m disciplines. Dandjinou is favoured to win the 500m event with +200 odds at bet365 ahead of fellow Canadian Steven Dubios (+300). He’s also the betting favourite in the 1000m with +150 odds, with Dubios once again nipping at his heels with +350 odds.