2018 Olympics: Odds and Favorites for Friday's Schedule of Events
The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony took center stage in Pyeongchang on Friday, and while the parade of nations was colorful and memorable, attentions in the United States will switch to the significant competitions going on in curling and snowboarding.
The United States takes on China in a mixed doubles curling match at 7 p.m. ET. This is the first time that mixed doubles is contested in the Olympics, and the Americans are represented by the brother and sister team of Matt and Becca Hamilton.
Mixed doubles has a different look than the traditional four-person curling team since it consists of just one man and one woman. It is played at a significantly faster pace than the traditional game, and fewer curling rocks are thrown.
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This quicker game is designed in part to make the game more popular on a worldwide basis. It is often quite difficult for some of the teams to fill their rosters with elite-level players, and a two-person team lessens that requirement.
The team from the United States won a bronze medal in the 2016 World Mixed Doubles Championship, and the Hamiltons hope to do the same thing or better in the Olympics.
They finished 10th in the 2017 World Championships, but they put together a dynamic performance in winning seven straight games in the U.S. Olympic mixed doubles team trials.
Canada is the overall favorite to win the gold medal in mixed doubles curling at minus-110, according to OddsShark. China is a favorite to beat the United States.
Here's a look at the full odds in mixed doubles curling:
Canada +110
Switzerland +350
China +350
USA +800
Norway +1000
Republic of Korea +2000
Finland +2500
In addition to the U.S.-China match, Norway will take on Finland, Canada will face Switzerland and the South Koreans will face the Olympic Athletes from Russia (not on OddsShark's list of wagering options).
The qualifying round of men's slopestyle snowboarding gets underway at 8 p.m. ET. This event made its debut in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and Sage Kotsenburg of the United States took gold in the event.
The Americans were underdogs four years ago, but Kotsenburg provided the highlights and led the way for his team. He has since retired, and Chris Corning, Red Gerard, Kyle Mack and Ryan Stassel are the Team USA slopestyle performers in Pyeongchang.
Corning may be the most accomplished of the American slopestyle snowboarders, but he is competing with back issues, according to Shawn Smith of NBCOlympics.com. Stassel competed on the U.S. team four years ago, and he is the only returning veteran on the team.
Marcus Kleveland of Norway is the 9-2 favorite to win gold, according to OddsChecker. Mark McMorris and Max Parrott of Canada are both 15-2, and so is Gerard.
Kleveland is a phenom in the sport and is expected to set the standard with his athleticism and creativity. The Canadian slopestyle performers are also solid.
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