2022 Beijing Winter Games Finland vs. ROC men's hockey line, predictions: Odds and best bet for Saturday night's gold-medal game from Olympics expert

The men's hockey competition at the 2022 Beijing Olympics comes to a close Saturday night when Finland takes on the Russian Olympic Committee team in the gold-medal game. Opening face-off at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing is set for 11:10 p.m. ET. Both teams are listed at -110 on the money-line (risk $110 to win $100) in the latest Finland vs. ROC odds from Caesars Sportsbook, and the Over/Under for total goals is set at 4.5. Finland is a slight +150 favorite on the 60-minute money-line, with ROC at +155 and a tie priced at +265. 

Before locking in any ROC vs. Finland picks or Beijing Olympics 2022 predictions, you need to see what SportsLine's Olympics expert, Mike Tierney, has to say. (Head over to SportsLine's 2022 Olympics page for more analysis and updates.)

A national sportswriter whose work appears in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Tierney has covered nine Olympic Games in person. For Rio in 2016, Tierney profited big-time. He told readers to bet Over on Team USA's gold medal count (41.5) and Over on Team USA's overall medal count (102.5). The result? 46 golds, 121 medals and two easy cashes.

For the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Tierney hit two of his three predictions: Germany (+200) to win the most gold medals and the United States winning Under 10.5 gold medals (+110). And at last year's Tokyo Games, he correctly predicted the United States would go Over 111.5 total medals (-110).

The Finns haven't allowed an even-strength goal since the opener, and goaltender Harri Sateri has allowed just four goals on 115 shots in the tournament. They beat Slovakia 2-0 to advance, with Sakari Manninen (team-high four goals) scoring late in the first period. 

The Russians haven't been scoring much, but they have been finding a way to win. They needed a shootout to reach the gold-medal game after Sweden tied the game in the third period. Anton Slepyshev scored in the semifinal and is one of three ROC players with two goals.            

Now, Tierney has analyzed Saturday night's gold-medal game. We can tell you that he is leaning Under the total of 4.5 goals, but his stronger play is on one side of the money line. He knows a crucial x-factor that makes one side a must-back. You ABSOLUTELY need to see what he has to say before locking in your picks. 

Who wins the Finland vs. ROC gold-medal men's hockey game Saturday night? And what x-factor makes one side a must-back? Join SportsLine right now to find out which team you should back in the men's hockey final, all from the expert who has crushed his Olympic picks!

Tierney's pick and analysis: 

Men's Hockey Gold-Medal Game 
Finland vs. ROC (11:10 p.m. ET)
Pick: Finland -110 money line
To win, you've got to score. The Russian Olympic Committee squad has reached the gold-medal game despite a paucity of goals -- only five all tournament when the net was not vacated by the opposing goalie. Finnish netminder Harri Sateri is on fire, with four goals yielded on 115 attempts. Since its opener, Finland has not allowed a single even-strength goal. ROC might have begun two weeks ago as the clear-cut favorite, but the Finns have been more impressive. The Russians must strike at least twice to have a chance. Don't count on it.
Odds: Caesars

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