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Most of the online bookies have a tough time getting aroused even after overdosing on Viagra. But this week, USA vs. Canada Olympic Men's Hockey Championship betting is promising to be hotter than sex.
The Winter Olympics in general doesn't attract much in the way of betting, and neither does the NHL for that matter.
But Olympic hockey is different.
"USA vs. Canada was the most watched in the history of Canadian television," explains Don Shapiro of Gambling911.com. "This will be like a mini Super Bowl in the sense that people who might not normally bet will be placing small wagers."
Sports Interaction.com, which was the first online sportsbook licensed in Canada, had that country as a favorite to beat the United States even though they lost just a few days ago. Canada was at -200. USA was at +330.
"The value for the US is obviously good," says Shapiro, pointing out that a $100 bet would pay out $330.
And there will be plenty of those living in the USA betting on their home team as well. Ratings for the USA vs. Canada were the second highest for MSNBC, only after the 2008 Election Night coverage.
8.22 million viewers watched in the US alone compared to the quarter million that typically watches an NHL hockey game. 37 million people live in Canada and another 308 million live in the US. The Olympic Men's Hockey Championship should attract even more viewers than the preliminary, especially since a lot of people in the States may have been disinterested just a few days ago.
"Do the math for both nations and it is easy to see why bookmakers are suddenly quite happy about hockey," Shapiro says.
Ean Lamb, Gambling911.com
