Tag: 2024 Summer Olympics men’s soccer betting odds line picks predictions best bets

2024 Summer Olympics: Friday’s best bets, picks and predictions

Analyzing Friday’s Summer Olympics odds and lines, with expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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We’re down to the final days of the 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, which conclude Sunday in Paris, France. We’ll review the best bets for Friday. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines for the best bets and prop plays for Friday’s Olympic action, and make our expert Summer Olympic picks and predictions.

Each day we’ll check out the best bets, as well as the top prop plays when applicable.

On Friday, men’s and women’s taekwondo continues as does the men’s and women’s modern pentathlon, and round 3 of the women’s golf tournament.

In addition, we’ll have men’s and women’s diving, group rhythmic gymnastics, men’s team table tennis medal matches, men’s and women’s sport climbing, men’s and women’s canoe sprint, men’s sailing (weather permitting), men’s water polo consolation and semifinals matches, men’s and women’s cycling track, women’s field hockey medal matches, the women’s soccer bronze medal match, men’s weightlifting, women’s breaking, the men’s volleyball bronze medal match, men’s handball semifinals, women’s basketball semifinals, women’s beach volleyball medal matches, artistic swimming, wrestling, men’s marathon/open-water swimming and various track and field events.

Friday’s 2024 Olympics best bets

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:39 a.m. ET.

Men’s water polo semifinal: HUNGARY ML (+124) vs. Croatia

This match takes place at 1:35 p.m. ET.

Croatia won 3 of 5 games in Group A play in the preliminary round, finishing 4th in the table with a plus-1 goal differential. The 57 goals allowed and the goal differential were the 2nd-worst among qualifying teams with only Serbia ranking lower.

Hungary also won 3 of 5 games in the preliminary round in Group B play, notching 62 goals, 2nd-best in the tournament, while posting a plus-8 goal differential. That was the 2nd-best among B teams.

Hungary nipped Italy 12-10 in a shootout in the quarterfinals to get to this point. Goalkeeper Soma Vogel came up huge to help Hungary, one of the best all-time water polo nations, keep its dreams of gold alive.

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Men’s boxing 92kg gold medal match: LOREN ALFONSO, Azerbaijan (-122) vs. Lazizbek Mullojonov, Uzbekistan

This bout is scheduled to start at 4:34 p.m. ET.

Azerbaijan’s Loren Alfonso, sometimes listed in full as Loren Berto Alfonso Dominguez, has managed a 49-17 record across his pro-am career. Originally born in Cuba, he defected to Azerbaijan.

He competed in the middleweight division in the Cuban Championships in 2017, before moving on to Azerbaijan. He finished 3rd in 2018, and 2nd in 2019 in the Azerbaijani light heavyweight championships.

Alfonso started off these Olympics by upsetting Cuba’s Julio Cesar La Cruz, the gold medalist at both the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

Alfonso will have his hands full against Uzbekistan’s Lazizbek Mullojonov, who has won his 3 bouts by a combined score of 13-2 in these games.

Alfonso is on a roll, however, and a strong play at this price.

Men’s marathon — Gold medal winner: BENSON KIPRUTO, Kenya (+105)

This event actually begins at 2 a.m. ET on Saturday.

Kenya is a long-distance running power, and Kipruto is already a decorated runner. He posted a personal best of 2:02:16 at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon, and he also has won the 2021 Boston Marathon and the 2022 Chicago Marathon. In addition, he secured wins in the 2018 Toronto Waterfront Marathon and 2021 Prague Marathon, too.

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge (+310) has won the past 2 Olympics marathons — at Rio De Janeiro (2016) and Tokyo (2020) — and Kenya has posted golds in 3 of the past 4 games. Kipchoge is a tempting play for the chance to triple up, and he likely will end up on the podium with Kipruto Saturday morning.

The biggest threat to the Kenyan dominance is Uganda’s Victor Kiplangat (+220) and Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta (+650).

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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More USA TODAY Summer Olympics coverage:
News | Medal count | Meet Team USA

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2024 Summer Olympics: Saturday’s best bets, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s Summer Olympics odds and lines, with expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, run through Aug. 11 in Paris, France. We’ll review the best bets for Saturday. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines for the best bets and prop plays for Saturday’s Olympic action, and make our expert Summer Olympic picks and predictions.

Each day we’ll check out the best bets, as well as the top prop plays when applicable.

For Saturday, Aug. 3, it’s another busy day of Olympic action.

It’s time for Round 3 of the men’s golf tournament, and the schedule also includes judo, women’s badminton, men’s and women’s beach volleyball, women’s handball, men’s and women’s skeet shooting, men’s and women’s volleyball, women’s archery, men’s and women’s rowing, women’s shooting, men’s rowing, equestrian, women’s field hockey, various track and field events, men’s water polo, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s cycling road race, men’s and women’s swimming, tennis, men’s and women’s sailing (weather permitting), women’s fencing, women’s table tennis, women’s soccer, men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, men’s and women’s boxing, men’s and women’s canoe slalom, as well as men’s and women’s surfing (weather permitting).

Medals will be awarded for men’s and women’s shooting, equestrian, men’s and women’s rowing, men’s cycling road race, tennis, women’s table tennis, men’s and women’s sailing (weather permitting), women’s archery, women’s badminton, men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, judo, women’s fencing, various track and field, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s surfing (weather permitting) and women’s boxing.

Saturday’s 2024 Olympics best bets

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 4:03 a.m. ET.

Men’s shot put — To win a medal: PAYTON OTTERDAHL, USA (+220)

Otterdahl led Group B in the men’s shot put qualification with a throw of 21.52m, besting New Zealand’s Tom Walsh (21.48m) and fellow American Joe Kovacs (21.24m). Kovacs has shorter odds (-180) to medal than Otterdahl, despite a worse qualification distance.

Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri (-550) topped Group A at 21.76m, just edging out Czechia’s Tomas Stanek (21.61m) and USA’s Ryan Crouser (21.49m).

Otterdahl showed out in qualification, and he is one of the best values for a chance to more than double up if he simply reaches the podium.

The competition starts at 1:35 p.m. ET.

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Men’s water polo: ROMANIA +6.5 (-114) vs. Italy

Romania (0 wins, 3 losses, 0 draws) is still searching for some modicum of success at the Paris Olympics. Romania hung with Croatia Thursday but lost 11-8, although it was able to cover as a 6.5-goal underdog.

On the flip side, Italy (3-0-0) is unbeaten. It has an average margin of victory of just 3.0 goals per game (GPG), including a narrow 11-9 win over Montenegro Thursday as it failed to cover as a 3.5-goal favorite.

Romania is not going to beat Italy, the group favorite and leader. But a margin of more than 6 goals is quite a bit. Look for the Romanians to hang around and grab a cover as the ‘dog.

The match starts at 3:05 p.m. ET.

Men’s individual archery — Gold medal winner: KIM WOOJIN, South Korea (+105)

KIM WOOJIN (+105) is the chalk to win the gold medal in the men’s individual event. He is the top-ranked archer in the world — South Korean archers are routinely at the top across all competitions.

Woojin won gold in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in the team competition, but he was a disappointing 19th in the individual event in Rio, and 5th in Tokyo in the individual event, missing the podium. Turkey’s Mete Gazoz shocked the world in Tokyo with a gold, and Italy’s Mauro Nespoli took silver, with Japan’s Takaharu Furukawa earning bronze.

Look for a Woojin resurgence in Paris as he has his mojo back, and he is motivated after his disappointment 3 years ago. Ku Bon-chan won gold for South Korea in 2016, and Oh Jin-Hyek won gold in London in 2012. Woojin is looking to join the club.

The competition starts Sunday at 3:30 a.m. ET.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

More USA TODAY Summer Olympics coverage:
News | Medal count | Meet Team USA

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2024 Summer Olympics: Friday’s best bets, picks and predictions

Analyzing Friday’s Summer Olympics odds and lines, with expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, run through Aug. 11 in Paris, France. We’ll review the best bets for Friday. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines for the best bets and prop plays for Friday’s Olympic action, and make our expert Summer Olympic picks and predictions.

Each day we’ll check out the best bets, as well as the top prop plays when applicable.

For Friday, Aug. 2, the schedule is once against chock full of Olympic action.

We have Round 2 of the men’s golf tournament, as well as men’s and women’s badminton, men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball, women’s beach volleyball, men’s and women’s shooting, men’s volleyball, mixed team archery, men’s and women’s rowing, men’s and women’s field hockey, judo, men’s and women’s table tennis, men’s decathlon, men’s and women’s track and field, men’s basketball, men’s diving, men’s handball, men’s and women’s swimming, tennis, men’s and women’s trampoline gymnastics, men’s and women’s sailing (weather permitting), men’s fencing, equestrian, men’s and women’s canoe slalom, men’s soccer, men’s boxing, men’s and women’s cycling BMX racing and much, much more.

Medals will be awarded in women’s shooting, men’s synchronized diving, men’s and women’s pairs rowing, tennis, men’s and women’s double sculls rowing, men’s sailing, women’s trampoline gymnastics, equestrian jumping team final, men’s and women’s windsurfing, mixed team archery, judo, men’s fencing, men’s and women’s swimming (various events), men’s 10,000m final and men’s and women’s cycling BMX racing.

Friday’s 2024 Olympics best bets

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 4:37 a.m. ET.

Equestrian team jumping — Gold medal winner: GREAT BRITAIN (+490)

No matter which nation you decide, there is money to be made in team jumping. Sweden (+350) is the chalk where you can multiply up by 3½ times your initial wager if Sweden wins.

However, we’re backing GREAT BRITAIN (+490) at the Grand Canal at Versailles. Great Britain’s Ros Canter, Laura Collett and Tom McEwen picked up that nation’s 1st gold in eventing team jumping Monday. Collett also collected a bronze in the individual eventing competition.

Great Britain’s trio of Scott Brash, Harry Charles and Ben Maher finished 3rd out of 10 qualifiers for Friday’s final. Maher won the individual gold medal in Tokyo, and he is competing in his 4th Olympics.

This is an experienced team which could help you nearly multiply up by 5 times.

The competition starts at 8 a.m. ET.

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Men’s field hockey: DRAW (+340) Ireland vs. New Zealand

Ireland and New Zealand square off in a Pool B match, and each team is looking to get into the win column. So far, both teams are 0-0-4 (win-draw-losses).

Ireland opened with a 2-0 loss to Belgium (4-0-0) Saturday, and it was tripped up 2-1 against Australia (3-0-1) Monday. On Tuesday, Ireland lost 2-0 to India (2-1-1), and it was nipped 2-1 by Argentina (2-1-1) Wednesday.

New Zealand was topped 3-2 by India Saturday, lost to Belgium 2-1 Sunday, was blanked 2-0 by Argentina Tuesday and was stomped 5-0 by Australia Wednesday.

Both Ireland and New Zealand have had difficulty scoring. A DRAW (+340), for a chance to more than triple up, is worth a look in this matchup.

The match starts at 11 a.m. ET.

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Men’s handball: SLOVENIA — WINNING MARGIN 1-5 (+178) vs. Japan

Japan (0 wins, 0 draws, 3 losses) limps into this match with a minus-16 goal differential, worst in Group A preliminary round play.

Slovenia (2-0-1) suffered a 25-22 loss to Spain (2-0-1) in the opening match Saturday. It then edged Croatia (2-0-1) by a 31-29 count, before stopping Sweden (1-0-2). However, Slovenia has a plus-4 goal differential, and winning by 6 or more is a rather tall order.

Last time out, Japan showed vast improvement, falling 37-33 in a high-scoring battle against Spain. Naoki Fujisaka and Kosuke Yasuhira each managed 7 goals in the narrow loss. Japan was an impressive 11-of-15 on 6 meter shots, too, while connecting for 6 successful goals from 9m.

It’s unlikely Japan knocks off Slovenia, it should be able to hang around in another potentially high-scoring battle. BACKING SLOVENIA on the WINNING MARGIN PROP of 1-5 GOALS pays a solid +178.

The competition starts at 1 p.m. ET.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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More USA TODAY Summer Olympics coverage:
News | Medal count | Meet Team USA

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2024 Summer Olympics: Thursday’s best bets, picks and predictions

Analyzing Thursday’s Summer Olympics odds and lines, with expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, run through Aug. 11 in Paris, France. We’ll review the best bets for Thursday. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines for the best bets and prop plays for Thursday’s Olympic action, and make our expert Summer Olympic picks and predictions.

Each day we’ll check out the best bets, as well as the top prop plays when applicable.

For Thursday, Aug. 1, it’s another full schedule of Olympic activity.

The men’s 20km race walk kicks off the new day in Paris, while the men’s golf tournament also gets underway.

In addition, we have men’s and women’s badminton, men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball, women’s handball, men’s and women’s shooting, men’s and women’s volleyball, women’s 20km race walk, men’s and women’s archery, men’s and women’s rowing, men’s field hockey, judo, men’s and women’s table tennis, men’s water polo, women’s basketball, men’s and women’s boxing, equestrian, men’s and women’s swimming, women’s fencing, men’s and women’s beach volleyball, tennis, men’s and women’s sailing, women’s artistic gymnastics and men’s and women’s cycling BMX racing,

Medals will be awarded in men’s and women’s race walk, men’s and women’s shooting, men’s and women’s rowing, men’s and women’s sailing, men’s canoe slalom, women’s artistic gymnastics, judo, women’s fencing and men’s and women’s swimming.

Thursday’s 2024 Olympics best bets

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 4:19 a.m. ET.

Men’s water polo: ROMANIA +6.5 (-122) vs. Croatia

In the pool, Romania (0-2) is looking for its 1st win when it faces Croatia (1-1) at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Romania was doubled up by Greece 14-7 Sunday in a preliminary round match, while falling 14-8 to the United States (1-1) Tuesday. With a match looming against powerful Italy (2-0) Saturday — Greece is also 2-0 — it’s imperative Romania finds a way to grind out a win to remain alive in pool play.

Croatia eased by winless Montenegro 11-8 Sunday, while holding its own against Italy in a 14-11 loss Tuesday. While the Croats are fully expected to win this match, laying more than 6 points is a rather tall order.

BACK ROMANIA +6.5 (-122) with the points.

As a bonus play, also BET UNDER 21.5 (-114) for the total, although it cannot be combined for a Same-Game Parlay (SGP) wager.

Romania is averaging just 7.5 goals per match (GPM) and has allowed 14.0 GPM in its 2 contests. Croatia is averaging 11.0 GPM on offense, while allowing 11.0 GPM on defense.

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Men’s BMX racing — To win a medal: DIEGO OSPINA, Colombia (+200)

Colombia’s Diego Ospina can help you double up if he is able to get onto the podium.

Ospina is behind France’s Joris Daudet (-250), the 2024 UCI World Champion, France’s Romain Mahieu (-180), the 2023 UCI World Champion, and fellow Colombian Carlos Alberto Ramirez Yepes (+185) to secure a medal. It won’t take much for Ospina to find his way to at least a bronze, if not more.

The competition starts at 2 p.m. ET.

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Men’s handball: NORWAY -0.5 (-102) vs. Egypt

– This is a Friday matchup.

After Egypt (1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss) claimed an opening 35-32 win over Hungary (1-0-2), the Pharaohs have had a rough go of it, playing gold medal favorite Denmark (3-0-0) and host nation France (0-1-2). Now they must face gold medal contender Norway (3-0-0) Friday at 3 p.m. ET.

Egypt was getting buried by Denmark Monday, before making it respectable in a 30-27 setback while cover as a 5.5-point underdog. Two days later, Egypt allowed France to score at the buzzer for an emotional 26-26 draw — but the Pharaohs covered as 3.5-point dogs.

Egypt a sparkling 3-0 against the spread (ATS) in preliminary round play.

Norway (3-0-0) spanked Argentina 36-31 Saturday, before dropping France 27-22. It was forced to rally Wednesday for a 26-25 win over Hungary, but it failed to cover the spread for the first time in 3 tries.

Norway has been fairly consistent, and high-scoring. The Norwegians are the play, laying the half point, rather than playing the -136 draw-not-bet moneyline, for a slightly better value. However, even if Egypt falls into a hole, it has proven it plays to the final buzzer, and no deficit is too large.

BET NORWAY -0.5 (-102)

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More USA TODAY Summer Olympics coverage:
News | Medal count | Meet Team USA

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2024 Summer Olympics: Wednesday’s best bets, picks and predictions

Analyzing Wednesday’s Summer Olympics odds and lines, with expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, run through Aug. 11 in Paris, France. We’ll review the best bets for Wednesday. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines for the best bets and prop plays for Wednesday’s Olympic action, and make our expert Summer Olympic picks and predictions.

Each day we’ll check out the best bets, as well as the top prop plays when applicable.

For Wednesday, July 31, the schedule is chock full of Olympic action. The men’s and women’s triathlon takes place in the early-morning hours Wednesday, while we also have men’s and women’s beach volleyball, men’s handball, men’s and women’s shooting, men’s and women’s rowing, equestrian, men’s and women’s field hockey, men’s and women’s table tennis, men’s and women’s basketball, boxing, diving, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s archery, men’s, women’s and mixed tennis, men’s and women’s cycling, men’s and women’s fencing, men’s and women’s surfing, men’s and women’s soccer/football, as well as gymnastics, and much, much more.

Medals will be awarded in men’s and women’s triathlon, women’s synchronized 10m platform diving, men’s and women’s quad sculls finals in rowing, men’s and women’s park final BMX freestyle, judo, women’s shooting trap final, women’s canoe single slalom final, men’s all-around artistic gymnastics final, men’s sabre team finals fencing, as well as several men’s and women’s swimming finals.

Wednesday’s 2024 Olympics best bets

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 7:16 p.m. ET.

Men’s handball: EGYPT +3.5 (-120) vs. France

It’s a tall order for Egypt. Not only is it playing the host nation, Egypt is coming off a 30-27 loss to gold medal favorite Denmark.

The 3-goal loss could’ve been much worse. Denmark opened a 19-9 lead at halftime and led by double digits into the 2nd half before Egypt made a giant comeback.

In fact, Egypt shot 66% (27-of-41) to just 59% (30-of-51) for Denmark. The Egyptians were outstanding from 6 meters, too, hitting 68% (13-of-19). Egypt was able to cut the margin to just 2 goals at one point, but couldn’t get closer as it suffered its 1st loss.

The 3.5-goal line is a little bit high of a number considering the French just lost to Norway 27-22, and the never-say-die attitude of Egypt.

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Men’s team sabre — To win a medal: USA (-155)

The American men are not quite the favorites for the gold medal in the men’s team sabre in fencing, but they have the 3rd-shortest odds (+430) behind South Korea (+160) and Hungary (+380).

However, Team USA is among the favorites to make the podium, receiving either gold, silver or bronze at the Grand Palais strip. Boston native Eli Dershwitz is the reigning sabre world champion.

Team USA will face Iran in the quarterfinals, and if it were to advance, it would face the winner of Hungary and Italy.

Men’s individual all-around gymnastics — Gold medal winner: ZHANG BOHENG, China (-105)

China’s Zhang Boheng is the favorite in this event, and he was so very crisp in the team competition. While Japan edged China out for the gold medal, Zhang is fully expected to secure the gold in the individual.

It’s likely China and Japan will battle again for gold in this event. Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto (+135 to win gold) and Zhang have quite the rivalry. Zhang edged Hashimoto for the world title in 2021, but Hashimoto secured the gold in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, holding off China’s Ziao Ruoteng, another contender in 2024.

Zhang is trying to become the first men’s individual gold medalist from China since Yang Wei earned gold in Beijing in 2008.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

More USA TODAY Summer Olympics coverage:
News | Medal count | Meet Team USA

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2024 Summer Olympics: Tuesday’s best bets, picks and predictions

Analyzing Tuesday’s Summer Olympics odds and lines, with expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, run through Aug. 11 in Paris, France. We’ll review the best bets for Tuesday. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines for the best bets and prop plays for Tuesday’s Olympic action, and make our expert Summer Olympic picks and predictions.

Each day we’ll check out the best bets, as well as the top prop plays when applicable.

For Tuesday, July 30, it’s another busy day of Olympic action. We’ll get plenty of men’s and women’s badminton, women’s handball, men’s and women’s shooting, men’s volleyball, men’s and women’s rowing, men’s and women’s beach volleyball, men’s field hockey, judo, men’s and women’s table tennis, men’s water polo, men’s basketball, men’s and women’s boxing, equestrian, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s archery, men’s and women’s sailing, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s cycling, women’s fencing, women’s rugby, women’s canoe, men’s soccer, men’s and women’s surfing, men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball, among others.

Medals will be awarded in team shooting, mixed table tennis, judo, women’s artistic gymnastics, women’s rugby, women’s fencing, men’s and women’s swimming and men’s and women’s surfing.

Tuesday’s 2024 Olympics best bets

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 7:26 a.m. ET.

Men’s 3×3 basketball: LATVIA -1.5 (-106) vs. Lithuania

In the Men’s pool round of 3×3 basketball, Latvia looks to get off to a quick start in defense of its gold medal from the Tokyo games. Latvia matches up with fellow Baltic nation Lithuania at 12:35 p.m. ET.

Latvia will have Francis Lacis, Karlis Lasmanis, Nauris Miezis and Zigmars Raimo on the roster as it looks to successfully defend its gold medal in the inaugural Olympics competition of this event in the 2020 games. Lasmanis and Miezis were on the roster for gold in Tokyo, too.

The Latvians are tied with host France for the 3rd-shortest odds (+600) to win the gold medal behind co-favorites USA and Serbia (+170 each). On the flip side, Lithuania (+1400) has rather poor odds.

Back the defending champs, especially with the experienced Lasmanis and Miezis leading the charge.

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Men’s 3×3 basketball: FRANCE -2.5 (-122) vs. Poland

The host nation gets underway at 4:05 p.m. ET at La Concorde, and the Poles aren’t expected to offer much resistance.

As mentioned above, France is tied with defending gold medalists Latvia (+600) for the 3rd-shortest odds to secure gold in Paris.

Poland (+4000) is the biggest long shot.

Lucas Dussoulier, Jules Rambaut, Franck Seguela and Timothe Vergiat comprise the roster for the French side. This assortment should get off to a quick start, especially with the backing of the home crowd, against a team not expected to do much. BET FRANCE -2.5 (+122).

Women’s 3×3 basketball: USA -5.5 (-122) vs. Germany

Team USA enters the event as the gold medal favorite, led by WNBA stars Dearica Hamby (LA Sparks) and Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), TCU’s Hailey Van Lith and retired WNBA veteran Cierra Burdick. This game is scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Burdick, who played at the University of Tennessee 2011-15 before a 5-year WNBA career with 7 teams, was a member on the 2022 US World Cup team as well as the 2023 US World Cup champions in Vienna, along with Van Lith.

Van Lith transferred to TCU in the offseason after starring at Louisville for 3 seasons and at LSU her senior year last season.

The Americans also won gold in Santiago, Chile in the 2023 Pan American Games with Burdick on the roster.

Germany should serve as nothing more than a speed bump as Team USA gets off to a fast start in its quest for a 2nd consecutive gold medal.

Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

More USA TODAY Summer Olympics coverage:
News | Medal count | Meet Team USA

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2024 Summer Olympics: Monday’s best bets, picks and predictions

Analyzing Monday’s Summer Olympics odds and lines, with expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, run through Aug. 11 in Paris, France. We’ll review the best bets for Monday. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines for the best bets and prop plays for Monday’s Olympic action, and make our expert Summer Olympic picks and predictions.

Each day we’ll check out the best bets, as well as the top prop plays when applicable.

For Monday, July 29, it’s another day chock full of Olympic action. We have men’s and women’s water polo on the schedule, with men’s beach volleyball, women’s fencing, men’s handball, men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s team archery, men’s and women’s rowing, men’s badminton, men’s and women’s field hockey, men’s and women’s judo, men’s and women’s table tennis, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s boxing, equestrian, sailing, men’s skateboarding, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s rugby, men’s canoeing, women’s swimming, among others.

Medals will be decided in men’s team archery, men’s and women’s air rifle, equestrian jumping team final, men’s mountain bike, men’s synchronized 10m platform final, men’s and women’s judo, men’s canoe final, men’s gymnastics team final, men’s and women’s fencing and men’s and women’s surfing.

Monday’s 2024 Olympics best bets

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 4:50 a.m. ET.

Men’s handball: HUNGARY -6.5 (+102) vs. Argentina

In Men’s Group B handball action, Argentina and Hungary square off at 3 p.m. ET as both are looking to avenge losses in their respective first group play openers.

Hungary was on the short end of a 35-32 score against Egypt Saturday — which was great news since we backed the African nation laying the 1.5 points.

Egypt built a 19-15 lead at halftime, while Hungary managed just 2 fast breaks. However, it was pretty solid on 7m shots, converting at an 83% (5-of-6) clip. Hungary was also 71% (32-of-45) on total shots, but it struggled from the wing, making just 29% (2-of-7). Bence Imre was the difference maker, like he was in Olympic qualifying, making 7 shots on 10 attempts, including 5-of-6 from 7m.

Argentina lost 36-31 to Norway. Argentina was able to make just 61% (31-of-51) of its total shots, to 77% (36-of-47) for Norway. Argentina was good on fast breaks (3-of-3) and 7m shots (3-of-3), but it struggled from 9m (7-of-16) and along the wing (3-of-7). Argentina also had 3 suspensions (2 minutes), which was its undoing, as Norway didn’t have any. Argentina had just a 12% total saves (5-of-41) percentage, while Norway was much better at 33% (15-of-46).

Diego Simonet paced the team with 5 goals on 9 shot attempts, including 2-of-2 on 6m shots, and 1-of-1 on fast-break attempts.

Let’s BACK HUNGARY -6.5 (+102) to bounce back and level its group play record at 1-1.

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Women’s field hockey — 2-team parlay:
Netherlands ML (-450) vs. Germany
& Australia ML (-230) vs. Great Britain

We’re backing 2 rather heavy favorites here, although pairing both together makes for a rather nice price for the 2-LEG PARLAY (-133).

The Netherlands women (-210) are the heavy favorites to take home the gold medal in this discipline. Australia (+1100) has the 4th-shortest odds on futures, just behind Germany (+1000) and Argentina (+600).

NETHERLANDS opened with a resounding 6-2 win over host nation France Saturday, while Germany blanked Japan 2-0 Sunday. The Dutch will have the advantage of a full day of rest, while the Germans go back-to-back against the toughest team in the field. They’re slated to start at 1:45 p.m. ET.

AUSTRAILIA picked up a 2-1 win against South Africa in Pool B Sunday, while Great Britain was on the short end of a 2-1 defeat against Spain. Both teams are playing on no rest, so the scores might again be rather low in his battle. They’re scheduled to start at 11 a.m. ET.

Let’s back to the table toppers to get the job done.

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Men’s soccer: USA vs. Guinea — Both teams to score: NO (+110)

– This match is Tuesday at 1. p.m. ET.

Team USA suffered a 3-0 loss against host nation France in the opening match, although it held its own against the gold medal favorites for most of the competition. The Americans  had a 55%-to-45% possession advantage over Les Bleus, but it couldn’t find the back of the net.

France broke a scoreless tie at 61′, added a 2nd goal at 69′ and tacked on an insurance goal at 85′, but the young Americans didn’t play poorly.

Team USA responded by routing New Zealand 4-1 Saturday. In fact, the Americans had 3 goals in the opening 30 minutes. F Djordje Mihailovic scored on a penalty kick 8 minutes into the match, D Walker Zimmerman scored 4 minutes later and MF Gianluca Busio’s goal at 30′ made it 3-0. MF Paxton Aaronson scored Team USA’s final goal at 58′. New Zealand got on the board late at the 78-minute mark.

With each team having one game left in pool play. France (2-0-0) is in first with 6 points and a 4+ point differential. US and New Zealand are 1-0-1 (win, draw, loss) with 3 points each, but US has a 0 point differential to New Zealand’s -2. Guinea is 0-0-2, also with a -2 point differential.

Guinea lost 1-0 to France Saturday, and 2-1 to New Zealand Wednesday.

Look for USA to show well again, while keeping a clean sheet, too.

Check out Pro Soccer Wire: For the American soccer fan, USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s website provides a fresh look at the beautiful game.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

More USA TODAY Summer Olympics coverage:
News | Medal count | Meet Team USA

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2024 Summer Olympics: Saturday’s best bets, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s Summer Olympics odds and lines, with expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, run through Aug. 11 in Paris, France. We’ll review the best bets for Saturday. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines for the best bets and prop plays for Saturday’s Olympic action, and make our expert Summer Olympic picks and predictions.

Each day we’ll check out the best bets, as well as the top prop plays when applicable.

Saturday, we have plenty of action in the men’s basketball tournament to keep our focus. But that’s not all. You know you want to bet some handball, and what better way to get your feet wet than some Olympic action on Day 1?

In fact, the schedule is full of events, starting with badminton, as well as men’s handball, men’s and women’s rowing, shooting, men’s volleyball, equestrian, women’s fencing, men’s field hockey, judo, men’s artistic gymnastics, women’s synchronized diving, women’s swimming, men’s skateboarding, men’s beach volleyball, women’s cycling, women’s water polo, men’s rugby, men’s canoe slalom, men’s soccer, men’s and women’s table tennis, tennis and much, much more.

Saturday’s 2024 Olympics best bets

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 9 p.m. ET.

Men’s handball: EGYPT -1.5 (-106) vs. Hungary

The men’s handball event gets underway Saturday. Egypt and Hungary face off at 5 a.m. ET (Peacock, NBCOlympics.com).

Egypt hosted the 2024 African Championship Jan. 17-27 in Cairo, and it dominated Group A play with a plus-52 goal differential. Groupmates Cameron, Congo and Guinea never stood a chance against the host nation.

Egypt features a solid lineup with players like Yehya Khaled, Yehya El-Deraa, Ahmed Hesham and Ali Zein.

Egypt rolled past Angola in the quarterfinals 37-25 while the Egyptians dominated with 67% wing shots to just 33% for the Angolans. Egypt was deadly on the 7mm shots, too, cashing in at a 100% clip.

Egypt eased past Tunisia 30-25 in a semifinal before taking care of Algeria 29-21 in the final. Again, Egypt was a perfect 100% on 7mm shots.

In the 2024 Olympics qualification tournament, Hungary took advantage of its status as host, placing 2nd in the standings behind Norway in group play. Looking at common opponents, Hungary took down Tunisia 33-24 in March,

The Hungarians lost to Norway 29-25, but topped Portugal 30-27 to qualify at Tatabanyai Multifunkcionalis Sportcsarnok in Tatabanya. Hungary’s Bence Imre registered 9 goals against Portugal and is the player to watch.

Let’s BACK EGYPT -1.5 (-106) to get the job done Saturday by at least 2 goals as it has a little more depth.

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Men’s basketball: Japan vs. Germany OVER 178 (-110)

Japan and Germany tip off at 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday in Group B play at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France. The game can be viewed on Peacock, USA Network and NBCOlympics.com.

Don’t sleep on Germany, the 2023 World Cup champions. The Germans gets Brazil, Japan and the host nation in France in Group B play. More importantly, it avoids Team USA, at least for now.

Germany should have a tremendous size advantage over Japan in this clash. In a tune-up game Monday, the Germans gave the Americans all they could handle, falling just 92-88 in a high-scoring affair.

Germany had 5 players go for 12 or more points, with Dennis Schroder (Brooklyn Nets) posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists. Moritz Wagner (Orlando Magic) managed 12 points and 7 rebounds in just 14 minutes. The roster is littered with NBA or NBA-caliber players, while Japan has just Rui Hachimura (Los Angeles Lakers) and rookie Keisei Tominaga (undrafted out of Nebraska, signed with Indiana Pacers) among its NBA players.

The Japanese should be overmatched and undersized, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Germans hit triple digits. OVER 178 (-110) is a strong play in this one.

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Men’s soccer (3-way handicap — regular time):
ARGENTINA -1 (+100) vs. Iraq

– Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook.

This match is set for a 9 a.m. ET start (Peacock, NBCOlympics.com).

Argentina’s U23 soccer team got off to a dreadful start this week, falling 2-1 to a talented Morocco side Wednesday in Group B play. La Albiceleste had a last-minute equalizer disallowed after an hour delay.

It appeared Argentina had the game-leveling goal at 106′, courtesy of Cristian Medina’s boot. However, a VAR (video assistant referee) check ruling wiped out the goal, giving Morocco the wild, unbelievable victory.

Argentina had a 53%-to-47% possession advantage, but Morocco did draw 2 more corners, while taking more shots.

Argentina should take it out on Iraq Saturday as it desperately fights to get out of this strange hole it’s in, and into the knockout stages.

Iraq spoiled the day for Ukraine, winning 2-1 in an opening match despite taking just 2 total shots. Ukraine dominated in possession 55% to 45%, but Iraq found a way. It won’t be as fortunate against Argentina.

Check out Pro Soccer Wire: For the American soccer fan, USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s website provides a fresh look at the beautiful game.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

More USA TODAY Summer Olympics coverage:
News | Medal count | Meet Team USA

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2024 Summer Olympics: France vs. USA men’s soccer odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Wednesday’s France vs. United States odds and lines, with Olympics men’s soccer expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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In 2024 Summer Olympics men’s soccer action, host nation France and the United States meet Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET (USA Network / Peacock / Telemundo). Kickoff is at Orange Velodrome in Marseille, France. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines for the France vs. United States, and make our expert Summer Olympic picks and predictions.

France and United States meet in their opening match of Group A play. The group also includes Guinea and New Zealand, which face off earlier in the day.

French manager Thierry Henry has an inexperienced, but talented U23 group. France (+210) is the gold medal favorite, slightly ahead of Argentina (+240) and Spain (+280) before the odds get much longer for the other competing nations.

France is led by Alexandre Lacazette, who plays for Lyon in France’s top tier Ligue 1. The talented striker played for Arsenal in the English Premier League for 5 seasons (2017-2022).

While there are 3 overage spots available to include players older than 23 years of age, France will not have star and usual team captain F Kylian Mbappe. His new employer Real Madrid was against the idea of its big investment competing in the Olympic format.

Meanwhile, Team USA won’t have F Christian Pulisic. The Americans qualified for the Olympic tournament for the first time since the 2008 games in Beijing. Despite no Pulisic, manager Marko Mitrovic has a talented U23 squad. GK Gaga Slonina is top-notch, and the team features F’s Paxten Aaronson and Taylor Booth, as well as MF Gianluca Busio to provide the scoring.

France vs. United States odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:23 a.m. ET.

  • 3-way moneyline (ML): France -240 (bet $240 to win $100) | United States +600 (bet $100 to win $600) | Draw +360
  • 2-way spread: France -1.5 (+130) | United States +1.5 (-160)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 2.5 (O: -145 | U: +109)

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France vs. United States picks and predictions

Prediction

France 1, United States 0

Moneyline

Look for the host nation France (-240) to get off to a quick start. However, risking nearly 2½ times your potential return is quite a bit, and there is just not enough reward.

Instead, it’s a good idea to play HALF-TIME RESULT DRAW (+135). This match kicks off prior to the opening ceremonies. Expect the energy to be a bit low, and the play uneven as these 2 young sides get started. It will take a while to feel each other out and gain any offensive momentum.

2-way Line/Against the spread

UNITED STATES +1.5 (-160) is worth look as this team definitely isn’t devoid of talent. The USMNT should at least be able to hang around and keep it within a goal … even in facing the host nation.

It’s likely a good thing that this young USA squad is facing the hosts earlier rather than later as France should gain steam and confidence as the tournament goes on.

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Over/Under

UNDER 2.5 (+109) at plus-money might be the best play on the board.

Yes, we have some young players on both sides, and they’ll be excited to try and make a name for themselves. But, again, this is before the Olympics really kick into gear with opening ceremonies taking place Friday.

There won’t be a ton of attention on Wednesday’s match, which should get off to a very, very slow start before the offense takes root and starts developing a little chemistry and consistency.

Check out Pro Soccer Wire: For the American soccer fan, USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s website provides a fresh look at the beautiful game.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

More USA TODAY Summer Olympics coverage:
News | Medal count | Meet Team USA

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2024 Summer Olympics: Men’s soccer gold medal picks and predictions

Analyzing the 2024 Summer Olympics men’s soccer odds and lines, and tabbing the 3 best gold medal bets.

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The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, run from July 26 through Aug. 11 in Paris, France. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines for the best men’s soccer gold medal Futures, and make our expert Summer Olympic picks and predictions.

We have 8 matches set for Wednesday, July 24, officially ahead of the Opening Ceremonies, including Argentina, as all 16 Olympics squads are in action for the 1st time.

La Albiceleste, fresh off a Copa America championship victory against Colombia in Miami, gets underway in Group B play against Morocco at 9 a.m. ET.

Spain, which just won Euro 2024, also begins play at 9 a.m. against Uzbekistan in Group C play. Meanwhile, France and the United States meet at 3 p.m. in a Group A battle.

In the 2020 Summer games in Japan — which due to COVID were actually held in 2021 — Brazil won the men’s soccer gold medal, Spain took home silver and Mexico picked up bronze. On the women’s side, Canada won gold, Sweden claimed silver and the USWNT secured bronze.

In the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, host nation Brazil secured the gold medal in men’s soccer, with Germany ending up with the silver and Nigeria coming up with a bronze.

In 2012, it was Mexico topping Brazil in London, with South Korea winning the bronze. In 2008, the medal winners on the men’s side in Beijing were Argentina (gold), Nigeria (silver) and Brazil (bronze).

Going back to 2004, the medal winners on the men’s side in Athens were Argentina (gold), Paraguay (silver) and Italy (bronze). In 2000 in Australia, Cameroon (gold), Spain (silver) and Chile (bronze) were your medal winners on the men’s side.

And, if you remember the 1996 Atlanta games, our medal winners on the men’s side were Nigeria (gold), Argentina (silver) and Brazil (bronze), while in 1992, Spain (gold), Poland (silver) and Ghana (bronze) claimed medals.

2024 Olympics men’s soccer gold medal odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday, July 23, at 7:34 a.m. ET.

  • France: +210 (bet $100 to win $210)
  • Argentina: +240 (bet $100 to win $240)
  • Spain: +280 (bet $100 to win $280)
  • Morocco: +1400 (bet $100 to win $1,400)
  • Paraguay: +2100 (bet $100 to win $2,100)
  • USA: +2400 (bet $100 to win $2,400)
  • Egypt: +3000 (bet $100 to win $3,000)
  • Japan: +3000 (bet $100 to win $3,000)
  • Ukraine: +3000 (bet $100 to win $3,000)
  • Mali: +3900 (bet $100 to win $3,900)
  • Israel: +6000 (bet $100 to win $5,000)
  • Uzbekistan: +6500 (bet $100 to win $6,500)
  • Guinea: +7500 (bet $100 to win $7,500)
  • Iraq: +10000 (bet $100 to win $10,000)
  • Dominican Republic: +50000 (bet $100 to win $50,000)
  • New Zealand: +50000 (bet $100 to win $50,000)

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2024 Olympics men’s soccer — expert pick

FRANCE (+210)

The men’s soccer tournament was last won by a host nation at Rio 2016 when Brazil claimed the gold medal. Les Bleus look to delight the home fans this summer, and France enters as the chalk to do just that.

As mentioned, a European nation hasn’t won the gold medal in the men’s soccer tournament since the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

France is in Group A with United States, Guinea and New Zealand. However, if you’re looking for F Kylian Mbappe on manager Thierry Henry’s roster, you’ll be sorely disappointed. His new club Real Madrid was against the idea of their big investment competing in the Olympic format.

F Alexandre Lacazette, who plays for Lyon in French Ligue 1, is the captain in Mbappe’s place. Another star France will look to is teen phenom F Desire Doue, who plays for Stade Rennais in Ligue 1.

Being the host nation, while having several strong club players, gives France the upper hand — or leg — in the men’s tournament.

2024 Olympics men’s soccer — contender

MOROCCO (+1400)

Morocco has never won an Olympic medal in men’s soccer, but Atlas Lions have a very good chance of not only getting on the podium, but winning the whole thing.

We saw the quality of Moroccan football at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, as they captured the imagination of fans everywhere, upsetting Spain in the Round of 16 and taking down Portugal 1-0 in the quarterfinals before eventually bowing out against France in the semis. It also lost the 3rd-place match to Croatia, but still made its presence as a world power known.

Manager Tarik Sektioui has plenty of star power on his squad, and a lot of the players are known to French fans, playing club soccer all around the country. In fact, MFs Amir Richardson (Stade de Reims), Yassine Kechta and Oussama Targhalline (Le Havre AC), F Eliesse Ben Seghir (AS Monaco), MF Benjamin Bouchouari (Saint-Etienne) and D Achraf Hakimi (Paris-St. Germain) all play in France for a paycheck.

It gets real in a hurry for Morocco as it opens against Argentina. But, it’s a watered-down Argentina as most of its major stars — who won the past 2 Copa Americas and the World Cup — are sitting out this tourney.

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2024 Olympics men’s soccer — long shot

UKRAINE (+3000)

This isn’t some kind of conspiracy theory, but how much of a feel-good story would it be if The Blue and Yellow were able to make a run in the Paris games, taking their fellow countrymen’s minds off of the terrible war against Russia, at least for a little while?

Don’t write it off as far-fetched. The national team has been playing home matches in Lodz, Poland, and it collected 4 points in the UEFA Euro 2024, losing 3-0 to Romania, topping Slovakia 2-1 and playing to a scoreless draw against Belgium to just miss a trip out of the knockout stages.

Manager Ruslan Rotan has a squad full of mostly players from club teams in Ukraine, obviously relocated due to the war. That includes MFs Dmytro Kryskiv and Kyrylo Siheiev, who play for FC Shakhtar Donetsk. F Danylo Sikan and GK Kiril Fesiun also play for Donetsk, and MF Maksym Braharu plays for FC Dynamo Kyiv.

Don’t overlook Ukraine as this team might play with more heart than any of the other squads in the Olympics combined.

Check out Pro Soccer Wire: For the American soccer fan, USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s website provides a fresh look at the beautiful game.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

More USA TODAY Summer Olympics coverage:
News | Medal count | Meet Team USA

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