Winter Olympics Cortina 2026 | Full Schedule, Events & Betting Odds

The Winter Olympics offer a wealth of exciting betting opportunities for sports fans. From the high-octane snowboarding big air to the endurance-testing biathlon, Milano Cortina 2026 provides a massive range of markets for UK punters. Whether you prefer backing the heavy favourites or hunting for value with the underdogs, there is plenty of action to get stuck into. Read on to discover the top contenders and the best ways to place your bets!

What to expect at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

The 2026 Olympic Winter Games are returning to Italy from 6-22 February 2026, marking the first time the winter spectacle has been hosted there since Turin 2006. This edition is unique due to its dual-city model, with events split between the fashion hub of Milan and the renowned alpine slopes of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Milano Cortina 2026 will see roughly 2,900 athletes from 92 nations competing for 116 medals across 8 sports and 16 disciplines. The action will be spread across five clusters in Northern Italy, with the opening ceremony held at Milan’s iconic San Siro Stadium and the closing ceremony at the historic Verona Arena.

Several major changes are set for 2026. Ski Mountaineering makes its Olympic debut with five medal events. Crucially for fans of ice hockey, NHL players will return for the first time since Sochi 2014, restoring the tournament to a "best-on-best" format and driving massive global interest. New additions also include Women's Large Hill ski jumping and Mixed Team skeleton events. With 87% of venues using existing or temporary structures, these Games are designed to be the most sustainable yet.

Complete schedule and key events for punters

The 2026 Winter Olympics will feature 17 days of elite competition, beginning two days before the official opening and finishing with the men's ice hockey final. Here is the full schedule of events:

Total: 116 Medal Events

Top nations and sports at the 2026 Winter Games

The Winter Olympics traditionally features nations with deep-rooted winter sports cultures, though the field has grown more diverse. Countries qualify based on athletes meeting strict standards, with many nations, including the UK, focusing on specific disciplines where they have a competitive edge, such as Curling or Skeleton.

Participating Countries by Continent:

Europe

Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, Netherlands, Russia (participation pending), Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Denmark, Iceland

North America

United States, Canada, Mexico

Asia

Japan, China, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore

Oceania

Australia, New Zealand

South America

Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador

Africa

South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Madagascar

Punters can find the best sportsbook platforms to bet from any country with BettingRanker's country lists.

Norway

Denmark

Sweden

Italy

How to bet on the Winter Olympics in the UK

Winter Olympics betting offers a variety of markets to suit every level of experience. For those new to sports betting, Outright Winner (Moneyline) bets are the most straightforward – you simply pick who will win the gold medal or the specific match. These are popular for individual events like alpine skiing or team sports like ice hockey.

More seasoned punters might look at Over/Under wagers on stats such as a country’s total medal haul or the number of goals in a hockey game. Handicap betting (often called the Puck Line in hockey) helps level the odds by requiring the favourite to win by a specific margin.

Head-to-Head markets are excellent for sports like cross-country skiing, where you can bet on which of two specific athletes will finish higher, regardless of whether they reach the podium. For a more conservative approach, Podium Finish wagers allow you to back an athlete to win any medal (gold, silver, or bronze) at lower odds.

Specials and Prop bets focus on specific events within a competition, such as whether a figure skater will land a specific jump. Futures are long-term bets on outcomes like which nation will top the medal table. Accumulators (or Accas) combine multiple selections for a higher potential return, though all picks must win for the bet to pay out.

Live betting allows you to place wagers as the action unfolds with real-time odds updates, while Each-Way betting splits your stake between the winner and a "place" (usually the top 3).

Top Sites for Winter Olympics Betting

• 1xBet- Provides a vast range of Winter Olympics markets and a mobile app featuring live streaming for various events.
• Betwinner - Offers competitive odds across all disciplines and unique specials for the biggest medal events.
• 22Bet- Well-regarded for early prices on Olympic futures and various promotions for new players in the UK.

Top contenders and betting odds for Milano Cortina 2026

Norway enters the 2026 Winter Games as the heavy favourite (-280) to top the medal table, continuing their long-standing dominance. With incredible depth in cross-country skiing and biathlon, the Norwegians are projected to secure over 35 medals. Their main competition is expected to come from the United States (+600), a nation that has significantly bolstered its winter sports funding recently.

Germany remains the force to reckon with in sliding sports, expected to lead the way in bobsled, luge, and skeleton. Their consistency in these high-medal disciplines makes them an interesting value bet at +1200 for the overall medal count.

The ice hockey tournament is set for a major shake-up with the return of NHL stars, reigniting the rivalry between the US and Canadian teams. Canada (+130) starts as the favourite with Connor McDavid expected to lead the line, but the USA (+190) has narrowed the gap with a new generation of elite talent like Auston Matthews.

Individual stars will also dictate the odds. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) is the firm favourite in the Alpine Skiing slalom, while figure skater Ilia Malinin (USA) is the overwhelming favourite (-1400) in the men’s singles, with the world watching to see if he lands the first-ever Olympic quintuple jump.

Other athletes drawing significant interest include snowboarder Chloe Kim (USA), aiming for a third consecutive halfpipe gold, and Italy’s own Sofia Goggia (Alpine Skiing), who will have the backing of the home crowd.

History of Top Contender Countries for Winter Olympics

Norway has historically dominated the Winter Olympics, topping the medal table in both 2018 and 2022. Their success is built on a national culture that prioritises winter sports and world-class training facilities. Their strength is most evident in Nordic disciplines, where stars like Johannes Høsflot Klæbo have become household names.

The United States has seen a steady rise in performance since the 1990s, particularly in "X-Games" style events like snowboarding and freestyle skiing. These additions to the Olympic programme have significantly boosted the American medal tally.

Germany maintains a dynasty in sliding sports, having led the luge medal table in 15 out of 16 Winter Olympics. Their technical expertise and systematic approach to training have created a level of dominance that is hard to break.

Canada’s ice hockey programme is their pride and joy. The women’s team has medaled in every Olympics since the sport was introduced, and the men’s team is expected to be a top contender for gold now that NHL players are back in the mix.

The Netherlands takes a highly specialised approach, focusing almost entirely on speed skating. This strategy has been incredibly successful, with the nation winning over 80% of its all-time Winter Olympic medals on the ice track.

Recent years have also seen the rise of Asian nations. Japan has shown incredible strength in snowboarding and figure skating, while China has made strategic investments to become competitive in sports where they previously had little presence. Players in the UK should keep a close eye on these shifting dynamics when looking for value in the 2026 markets.