I know I should be following NFL odds like a good citizen right now, but what can I say? I’m a die-hard hockey guy and I can’t help but notice that teams are starting up their Olympic camps.

Some thoughts on the major contenders…

The Canadians are the obvious online betting favorites at home but, believe it or not, I wonder about their goaltending stability. Pretty much every option has question marks; Martin Brodeur has health and age concerns, Roberto Luongo crumbled when it mattered most in the 2009 playoffs, Steve Mason runs the risk of a sophomore jinx, Carey Price is an enigma, Cam Ward is inconsistent year to year…

Crazily enough, the U.S. tandem of Tim Thomas and Ryan Miller seems sturdier. Sure, those two have much lower ceilings, but you really know what you’re getting with them.

I don’t expect much from the defending champion Sweden at Vancouver. Many of their key contributors from the 2006 gold medal team — Mats Sundin, Markus Naslund, Nicklas Lidstrom, Daniel Alfredsson — are past their prime or retired. The Swedes will rock again in a few years when guys like Patrick Berglund, Victor Hedman and Sven Karlsson reach their potential, but I think the 2010 team will be a young, raw, rebuilding group.

To me, the Russians are Canada’s greatest threat. Ovechkin, Malkin, Datsyuk — that’s arguably three of the top four forwards in the world and doesn’t even include Ilya Kovalchuk or Alex Kovalev.

Remember when the Czech Republic was a powerhouse? Seems to me like the country’s hockey program has sagged this decade.

So, while I’m not as accurate of a predictor as top-of-the-line betting software, that’s my two cents about Olympic sports picks.