Pictured clockwise from left, Kevin Durant and Team USA basketball, Christine Sinclair and the Canadian women's soccer team, Canadian golf phenom Brooke Henderson and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt will all get our betting attention at Rio 2016.
When I was a youngster and the Olympics came around, it meant two weeks of parking myself in front of the TV.
Whether it was the gold medal game in hockey or the battle for 10th place in fencing, I didn’t discriminate. If the Olympics were on TV, I was watching.
Things have changed. Maybe it’s what happens when you get older and have other responsibilities. Maybe it’s the saturation of TV sports coverage we now enjoy.
Whatever the reason, I now narrow the Olympics down to a short list of things I absolutely need to see (and bet on). Somehow, I’ll have to live with not watching the equestrian dressage.
Here’s our Top 10 list of Rio 2016 Olympics must-watch events for Canadians.
(If you don’t understand the odds and what they mean, check out our article about how to read betting odds.)
1. Men’s 100 Meter Dash
When: Sunday, August 14 (9:25 p.m. eastern)
Track and field is one of the original staples of the Summer Games, and track events don’t get any better than the 100-meter dash.
It’s 10 seconds of edge-of-your-seat excitement, especially when Usain Bolt is involved. The legendary Jamaican sprinter is a -150 favourite at www.Pinnacle.com, even though he missed Olympic trials with a hamstring tear. American runner Justin Gatlin is his biggest challenger, paying +173.
If you’re interested in betting on a Canadian, www.SportsInteraction.com is offering a neat prop on who will finish first in the race other than Bolt and Gaitlin. Scarborough native Andre de Grasse is tied with two other runners atop those odds, paying +350.
2. Men’s Kayak 200 Meter Sprint
When: Saturday, August 20 (9 p.m. eastern)
Of the events in which Canada appears to have a legitimate chance at gold, this is probably the most exciting one (with apologies to the legions of heptathlon fans out there).
The men’s kayak 200 meter sprint is usually completed in less than 40 seconds, with the finishers separated by tenths of a second.
Canada’s Mark de Jonge is a two-time world champion in the event and was third at the 2012 Games in London. He’s ranked second behind France’s Maxime Beaumont on the 200m odds at Pinnacle (you’ll find them under Men’s Canoe), paying better than 2:1 return.
3. Women’s Soccer
When: August 3-19 (final on Friday, August 19 at 4:30 p.m. eastern)
We’ll go with the women over the men when it comes to soccer because A) Canada’s actually in the tournament, and B) women’s soccer at the Olympics features the world’s best players, while men’s soccer is limited to Under-23.
Besides, the last time we saw the Canadian women in the Olympics, they nearly defeated the USA in the semifinals (losing in extra time), then won the bronze medal on a goal in injury time. It doesn’t get much more exciting than that.
Canada pays nearly 12:1 to win the gold medal at Pinnacle sportsbook, but you might enjoy the tournament more if you bet game by game. The Canucks are +230 underdogs to win their first game against Australia on Aug. 3, and the Over/Under was set at 2.5 goals.
4. Men’s Basketball
When: August 6-21 (final on Sunday, August 21 at 1:45 p.m. eastern)
Even though Canada didn’t qualify, and even though it’s a foregone conclusion that Team USA will win the gold (you’d have to bet $1400 to win $100 on that), men’s basketball will be one of the biggest draws in these Olympic Games.
Olympic men’s basketball is like 2 weeks of the NBA All-Star Game – except this time, teams are playing defence. Although a few of the biggest NBA stars have pulled out (Steph Curry and LeBron James, to name a couple), we’re looking forward to seeing guys like Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins and the Raptors’ Kyle Lowry and Demar Derozan on the same squad.
There are players to watch on other teams too. Spain is led by veterans Pau Gasol, Jose Calderon and Juan Carlos Navarro, France features five NBA players including Tony Parker, Nic Batum and Boris Diaw, and Argentina has Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola.
5. Golf
When: August 11-14 (Men’s), August 17-20 (Women’s)
After a 112-year drought, golf returns to the Olympics this year with individual competition in both men’s and women’s divisions.
Unfortunately, many of the world’s top players have decided not to participate (including the top four men’s players: Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy). But the sheer return of golf to the Games should make it interesting to watch, and there are still many recognizable names in the field.
It’s also a chance to see Canadian phenom Brooke Henderson, who is the second-ranked women’s player in the world. The 18-year-old Henderson became the youngest-ever winner of the Women’s PGA Championship in June and has already claimed 8 victories on the LPGA Tour. Canada’s also sending Graham DeLaet, David Hearn and Alena Sharp to Rio.
Americans Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson join Great Britain’s Justin Rose as the favourites on the men’s side at Pinnacle sportsbook, with New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and Korea’s Inbee Park expected to lead the women. We haven’t seen odds on Henderson yet.
6. Men’s Indoor Volleyball
When: August 7-21 (final on Sunday, August 21 at 12:15 p.m. eastern)
It’s been 24 years between men’s volleyball appearances at the Olympics for Canada, which finally qualified earlier this year with a five-set win over China.
A gold medal is a pipe dream for Canada, which pays 100:1 or higher to win the tournament. But volleyball’s a fun sport to bet on because of all the swings in momentum, and betting on individual games should be exciting. Host team Brazil is the favourite, but USA, Russia (if they’re allowed to come), France, Italy and Poland are all given strong chances to contend for gold.
7. Women’s Beach Volleyball
When: August 6-17 (final on Wednesday, August 17 at 9 p.m. eastern)
We can’t mention Olympic volleyball without including the beach variety, especially the ladies.
The two-player game is fascinating to watch, and there are some interesting storylines to follow in this year’s women’s beach tournament.
The United States’ team of April Ross and 36-year-old Kerri Walsh is a 2:1 favourite to win the gold, but Brazil’s Liliane Maestrini and Talita Antunes are hot on their heels at +240 and could benefit from the home crowd support.
8. 4×100 Meter Relay
When: Friday, August 19 (9:35 p.m. eastern)
What’s better than the 100 meter dash? How about four of them in a row, along with a baton that the participants need to pass to each other?
Whether it’s a strong anchor runner closing on the leader in the final seconds, a dropped baton or a lane violation, there’s always plenty of drama in the 4×100 meter relay, making it a must-see and must-bet event.
Bolt and the Jamaican team are solid favourites to win the race, listed at -189 at Pinnacle. The Americans are poised to challenge (+161 odds), and we can’t forget about the Canadian team of Andre De Grasse, Brendon Rodney, Aaron Brown and Justyn Warner who won bronze at last year’s worlds.
9. Tennis
When: August 6-14 (finals on August 12-14)
Unlike golf, nearly all of the world’s top players will be vying for Olympic gold medals in tennis.
The men’s tournament is headlined by Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, with Djokovic as the even-odds favourite and defending champion Murray ranked second at nearly 4:1. Unfortunately, we won’t get a rematch of the 2016 Wimbledon final between Murray and Canadian Milos Raonic as Raonic pulled out of the Olympics.
Women’s action might not be as wide open as the men’s, with defending champion Serena Williams (+120) the lone player paying less than 6:1 at Pinnacle. However, there are seven other female players who pay 25:1 or less, compared to just five under 50:1 in men’s competition. Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard is a 42:1 darkhorse to win the women’s Olympic tennis gold.
10. Men’s Swimming 100 Meter Butterfly And 200m Individual Medley
When: Thursday, August 11 (200m individual medley); Friday, August 12 (100m butterfly final)
Incredibly, the USA’s Michael Phelps will have two chances to become the first swimmer to win four straight Olympic gold in the same event – and he’s favoured to accomplish the feat in both of them.
Phelps is approximately even odds to win the 100m butterfly in Rio, and his chances will get even better if Russia’s Chad le Clos (+200) is not allowed to participate.
The 31-year-old also has a chance to win his fourth straight gold in the 200m individual medley. Again, he’s an even odds favourite, but this time US teammate Ryan Lochte (+200) appears to be his greatest challenger.