Yanks To Win Most Golds But Norwegians To Win Most Medals

The Olympic Winter Games is a multi-sport event into which bookmakers chime only once every four years and that makes it one in which they are especially prone to make errors.

There are organisations that watch the various winter sports closely, though, and at times such as these often it is well worth reviewing their thoughts and seeing how they match up with those of the people setting the betting odds. Regularly they do not tally and that opens the door to value punts.

Infostrada Sports has been associated with Olympic Games of both the Summer and Winter variety for decades. Based in the Netherlands, Infostrada Sports is the king of Olympic Games statistics and, once again, it has assessed every Olympic Winter Games event to develop a virtual medal table.

The good news for punters is that the views of Infostrada Sports differ from those of the bookmaking fraternity. The Dutch number crunchers have a strong difference of opinion with the world’s bookmakers about each of the two most popular medal markets – most gold medals and most medals of any colours – so there are value bets for one to snap up.

One will start with most Olympic Winter Games gold medals, a market in which three countries are trading at best prices in single digits – Norway at odds of 2.25 with Ladbrokes, the United States of America at odds of 4.50 with Youwin and Germany at odds of 8.00 with Ladbrokes. Norway is the most successful Olympic Winter Games nation ever, winning 107 gold medals, but the Scandinavian country is the wrong favourite for Sochi 2014 according to Infostrada Sports.

Infostrada Sports is projecting that Norway will win 14 gold medals at the Olympic Winter Games, three more than Canada but two fewer than the United States of America. Infostrada Sports is forecasting that the United States of America will have its anthem blasted out 16 times in Sochi, with its individual stars including Shani Davis and Ted Ligety.

The United States of America is the most Olympic Winter Games medals favourite at odds of 2.40 with Winner. Next in line is Norway at odds of 3.00 with BetVictor while Germany (odds of 7.00 with Bwin), Russia (odds of 10.00 with Ladbrokes) and Canada (odds of 26.00 with William Hill) are given some kind of chance.

Infostrada Sports statisticians think that, while the United States of America has the star power to top the most Olympic Winter Games gold medals chart, its squad does not have the necessary strength in depth to collect the most medals of any colour. According to Infostrada Sports and its final pre-Sochi 2014 projection, the United States of America is on track to win 16 gold medals, nine silver medals and four bronze medals for a total of 29 medals and third place.

Second place on the Infostrada Sports projection is Canada, with the Canucks set to celebrate 11 gold medals, 14 silver medals and eight bronze medals for a total of 33 medals at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. But Infostrada Sports has got Norway pencilled in for first place, tipping that the Norwegians will pocket 14 gold medals, 11 silver medals and 12 bronze medals for a total of 37 medals and top spot.

According to Infostrada Sports, 21 nations are likely to win at least one Winter Olympic Games gold medal. Perhaps the pick of the country-specific markets is Canada at odds of 1.83 with Ladbrokes to go over eight and a half gold medals. Infostrada Sports is forecasting that Canada will win 11 gold medals and go close on another 22 occasions. Also worthy of consideration is Austria at odds of 2.05 with Boylesports to go under five and a half gold medals. Austria is down to win three gold medals, eight silver medals and 11 bronze medals according to the Infostrada Sports boffins.

The Winter Olympic Games in Sochi get under way on Friday 7 February and end on 23 February provided that the Russian organisers do not encounter any dramas along the way.