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In the 2024 Summer Olympics men’s basketball gold medal game, USA and France meet Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock/Universo). The match takes place at Accor Arena in Paris, France. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines for USA vs. France, and make our expert Summer Olympic picks and predictions.
Team USA had to dig deep and pass a stern test from C Nikola Jokic and the Serbian National Team in Thursday’s semifinal win. USA won 110-84 against the Serbs in group play, but it was a much different story in the semis.
USA trailed 31-23 after the 1st quarter, 54-43 at halftime and 76-63 after the 3rd quarter. However, the Americans regrouped and outscored the Serbs 32-15 in the final quarter to escape for a chance at gold.
The Americans shot 57.4% (35 of 61) from the field, and 50% (16 of 32) from behind the arc, while allowing Serbia to outrebound them 34 to 33. The Americans did themselves no favors at the free-throw line, either, hitting just 64.3% (9 of 14) while turning it over 10 times to just 7 for the Serbs.
If USA secures gold, it’s due to the heroics of G Stephen Curry. He was unconscious from downtown, hitting 9 of 14 on 3-pointers, finishing with 36 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.
For France, it outlasted Germany 73-69 in the semifinals to punch its ticket to the final, avenging an 85-71 loss to the Germans in the group finale on Aug. 2. In addition, France surprised Canada 82-73 in the quarterfinals, covering both outings as an underdog.
In the semis, France had 4 players go for 10 or more points, including C Victor Wembanyama, who finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocked shots. However, he shot a dismal 4 of 17 from the field.
The USA team is averaging 106.8 points per game (PPG) in 5 games in Paris while allowing just 86.2 PPG. On the flip side, France has scored 85 or fewer points in 4 of 5 games in these Olympics.
USA vs. France odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:15 a.m. ET.
- 2-way moneyline (ML): USA -1800 (bet $1,800 to win $100) | France +880 (bet $100 to win $880)
- 2-way spread: USA -16 (-112) | France +16.5 (-108)
- Over/Under (O/U): 175.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
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USA vs. France picks and predictions
Prediction
USA 103, France 82
Moneyline
USA (-1800) is going to get the job done in the gold medal game, but you can’t risk 18 times your potential return. There is never a good reason to bet such a heavy favorite with so much risk.
The Americans played their worst game of the tournament against one of the best players in the world in Jokic. After being down entering the 4th quarter, USA kicked it into gear and got the job done. The scare will propel this Dream Team version to glory.
PASS.
2-way line/Against the spread
After USA -16 (-112) struggled for a majority of the semifinals contest with Serbia, the 1st thought might be to back the host nation France +16 (-108). However, the Serbs have the Joker, while the French have a talented big in Wembanyama, but he is still relatively young, and he can’t take over the entire game against a stacked team of NBA players like Jokic.
The alarm clock went off for the Americans in the 4th quarter of the semis, and you can expect they’ll go off in this game and get the job done, hitting the century mark once more.
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Over/Under
The OVER 175.5 (-105) is a strong play, as the USA team will hit triple digits again. This offense is so good, and it will be able to take advantage of France, especially when Wembanyama is on the bench getting a breather.
Again, Team USA has averaged 106.8 PPG in 5 Olympic games, and that’s what is driving this Over play. The worry is if France can get into the 80s to make it a comfortable afternoon.
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More USA TODAY Summer Olympics coverage:
News | Medal count | Meet Team USA
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