Tim Hortons Brier 2022: Odds, predictions, best bets for Canadian men's curling championship

While the competition of the 2022 Tim Hortons Brier is just getting started, the focus of oddsmakers is already on the finals. 

Brad Gushue and Kevin Koe enter as the leading favorites to win this year's bonspiel, according to Sports Interaction. The two have combined for five out of the past six titles in Canada's men's curling championship. 

Brendan Bottcher, who skipped Team Alberta to a gold medal in 2021, and his crew enter this weekend's competition with the fourth-highest odds at repeating as champions. The last time there was back-to-back Brier winners was in 2017-18 when Gushue accomplished that feat with Team Newfoundland and Labrador and then Team Canada. 

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Here are all the betting odds ahead of the 2022 Tim Hortons Brier. 

Who is the favorite to win the 2022 Tim Hortons Brier?

Entering the 2022 Tim Hortons Brier, it's the same two favorites that fans are used to seeing at the forefront of the competition.

Gushue's Team Wild Card 1 and Koe's Team Alberta are the two favorites to win the championship. 

Before 2021, either Gushue or Koe had skipped the winning team at the previous five Briers. Bottcher snapped that streak with a win over Koe in the finals last year. 

Here are the odds for the winner of the Brier. 

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Who is the favorite to win Group A at the Brier?

Koe enters the tournament as the clear favorite to win Group A. 

In a bit of a twist, according to Sports Interaction, Matt Dunstone and team Wild Card 2 have better odds to win the group than Bottcher, despite Bottcher having higher odds to win the whole tournament. Dunstone has earned bronze in the previous two Briers with Team Saskatchewan. 

Here are the odds to win Group A. 

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Who is the favorite to win Group B at the Brier?

Gushue enters as the Group B favorite, coming in at -105.

The greatest competition for him and Team Wild Card 1 shapes up to be Brad Jacobs' Team Northern Ontario and Mike McEwen's Team Manitoba. Jacobs won the 2013 finals and made it to the 2015 finals before falling to Pat Simmons. McEwen has never appeared in a finals, only getting as far as a bronze medal in 2017. 

Here are the odds to win Group B. 

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Who has previously won a Brier?

Of the skips in this year's competition, four have previously won Briers. 

Koe, who won in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2019, is going for a record fifth win. He nearly accomplished the feat last year but fell in the championship. 

Gushue is looking for his fourth Brier title, which, if successful, would put him in a category with Koe, Ernie Richardson, Randy Ferbey and Kevin Martin. He's coming off a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics. 

Jacobs has one Brier title, winning in 2013. The other winner is last year's champion, Bottcher. 

Here is a look at the winners from the past 10 Briers. 

2012: Ontario (Glenn Howard, Wayne Middaugh, Brent Laing, Craig Savill)
2013: Northern Ontario (Brad Jacobs, Ryan Fry, E.J. Harnden, Ryan Harnden)
2014: Alberta (Kevin Koe, Pat Simmons, Carter Rycroft, Nolan Thiessen)
2015: Canada (Pat Simmons, John Morris, Carter Rycroft, Nolan Thiessen)
2016: Alberta (Kevin Koe, Marc Kennedy, Brent Laing, Ben Hebert)
2017: Newfoundland and Labrador (Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant, Geoff Walker)
2018: Canada (Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant, Geoff Walker)
2019: Alberta (Kevin Koe, B.J. Neufeld, Colton Flasch, Ben Hebert)
2020: Newfoundland and Labrador (Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant, Geoff Walker)
2021: Alberta (Brendan Bottcher, Darren Moulding, Brad Thiessen, Karrick Martin)