2022 Beijing Winter Games odds, picks: Best bets for bobsled, biathlon and speed skating from accomplished Olympics expert

There's plenty of action left in the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, and SportsLine has you covered for picks on the bobsled, speed skating and biathlon events that take place Friday and early Saturday. 

Before locking in any Beijing Olympics 2022 picks or 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).

Now, Tierney has analyzed Friday's and Saturday's events and locked in confident picks for them.. We can tell you one of these picks is a longshot who Tierney says "is coming off a masterful effort" and has a great chance to take home the gold medal! You ABSOLUTELY need to see what he has to say before locking in your picks. 

Who wins gold in the bobsled, biathlon and speed skating? And what long shot is worth a flyer? Join SportsLine right now to find out whom you should back, all from the expert who has crushed his Olympic picks!

Here are Tierney's picks and analysis: 

Bobsled, 4-man (8:30 p.m. ET): Johannes Lochner, Germany (+650)

The Germans, led by Francesco Friedrich, monopolized medals in the two-man competition this week. Maybe Friedrich, who copped both golds in 2018, is ready to share the wealth. His sled's first training run Thursday was the 25th slowest out of 28 times, a shocker that he blamed on worn ice on the track. Perhaps he is worn out enough to step aside for countryman Lochner. At -280, Friedrich is too short a price despite his recent dominance. 

Speed skating, men's mass start (4 a.m. ET Saturday): Bart Swings, Belgium (+275)

At his third Olympics, Joey Mantia of the U.S., the second pick at +400, finally managed a medal with a bronze in the team pursuit. However, he is 36 and, with another event before this one, fatigue could set in. Swings, the favorite, is more rested and should take a step up from his silver at the inaugural Games mass start in 2018. The world record in the 10,000-meter inline skate belongs to him. 

Biathlon, women 12.5K mass start (2:30 a.m. ET Saturday): Elvira Oeberg, Sweden (+550)

The biathlon queen in individual biathlon events in Beijing has been Marte Olsbu Roeiseland of Norway. Her suitcase is packed with two golds and a bronze, which justifies her favoritism at +150. Yet Oeberg is just as full with awards. She placed second to the Norwegian in the latter's wins and is coming off a masterful effort in delivering a gold to Sweden in the relay Wednesday. A mere 22 years old, nine years younger than her rival, Oeberg will be imbued with confidence in the individual finale. 

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