Women’s basketball gold medal game: USA vs. France odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Sunday’s USA vs. France odds and lines, with wommen’s basketball expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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Team USA and France meet in the 2024 Summer Olympics women’s basketball gold medal game at Accor Arena in Paris Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET (NBC / Peacock / Universo). Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines for USA vs. France, and make our expert Summer Olympic picks and predictions.

Team USA cruised by Australia 85-64 in a semifinal Friday two days after defeated Nigeria 88-74 in a quarterfinal. The Americans are 5-0, wining each game by 13 or more points, with the closest margin coming against Belgium (87-74)  in group play.

It was a balanced effort against the Aussies Friday as Team USA shot 50.0% (34 of6 8) from the field, including 41.2% (7 of 17) from downtown. USA was especially good from the free-throw line, hitting 90.9% (10 of 11). USA also had a plus-12 rebounding margin, which more than made up for a minus-1 in turnover differential.

F Breanna Stewart went for a game-high 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting with 6 rebounds 5 assists. G Jackie Young added 14 points and 5 assists, G Kahleah Copper finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, while C A’ja Wilson had 10 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks.

France needed overtime to dispatch pesky Belgium its 81-75 semifinal win. After spanking Canada and Nigeria by identical 75-54 scores in the first 2 group games, France lost to Australia 79-72, before powering past Germany 84-71 in the quarters.

Against Belgium, F Gabby Williams led the way with 18 points on 5-of-13 shooting, while she was an efficient 7 of 7 from the stripe. France had 4 players score in double digits, although it was an awful 29.9% (23 of 77) from the field, while going just 22.6% (7 of 31) behind the 3-point line. Against Team USA, that simply won’t cut it.

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 1:04 a.m. ET.

  • Moneyline (ML): USA -2500 (bet $2,500 to win $100) | France +1040 (bet $100 to win $1,040)
  • Against the spread (ATS): USA -15.5 (-118) | France +15.5 (-104)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 155.5 (O: -112 | U: -110)

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USA vs. France picks and predictions

Prediction

USA 89, France 71

Moneyline

Team USA (-2500) is not going to be denied a gold medal. It has too strong of a squad. The French side (+1040) isn’t close to being as deep as the American side. Team USA could substitute all 5 players on the floor and it would still have a better lineup vs. France as the Americans features a cast of competitive WNBA stars and legends of the game.

PASS on a ML play.

Against the spread

Team USA -15.5 (-118) will be in hostile territory for the gold medal game as the home crowd will obviously be pro-France. But, it won’t matter. The crowd isn’t playing, and B-Stew, A’ja and company are just too talented — and too big — to not get the job done.

France barely escaped against Belgium and it lost to Australia. USA’s closest games have been by 13 and 14 points. It might be a close game for the 1st half, but look for the Americans to pull away in the 2nd half to win comfortably, perhaps by 20 or more points if the 3’s start falling.

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Over/Under

The OVER 155.5 (-112) is a good bet. Team USA has scored 85 or more points in all 5 games in Paris. The Americans have been fairly consistent on defense, too, holding 2 opponents under 69 points and allowing 75 or more points just once it its 5 outings.

France has turned up the offense a little in the quarterfinals and semifinals, averaging 82.5 PPG, although the Belgium game did go to OT to bump that average up a little bit. France has allowed 71 or more points in the past 3 games, too, and that average is about to get a whole lot worse against the talented Americans.

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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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We’re down to the final weekend 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 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.

On Saturday, the men’s marathon goes off early in the morning, we have the final round of the women’s golf tournament, and the men’s and women’s pentathlon each continue.

We’ll also have artistic swimming, men’s basketball medal games, men’s beach volleyball medal matches, men’s and women’s boxing gold medal matches, men’s breaking, women’s canoe sprint, men’s and women’s cycling track, men’s diving, women’s handball medal matches, group rhythmic gymnastics, women’s sport climbing, women’s team table tennis medal matches, men’s and women’s taekwondo, the men’s volleyball gold medal match, women’s water polo consolation and medal matches, men’s and women’s weightlifting, more wrestling, as well as various track and field events.

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 1:58 a.m. ET.

Men’s beach volleyball bronze medal match: QATAR ML (+235) vs. Norway

This match is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET.

It’s going to be a tall order for the Qatari duo of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan to score a bronze medal for the 2nd consecutive Olympics. They took care of a Latvian team in Tokyo with a straight-set win to reach the podium, but it’s a much taller order to medal this time around.

Standing in the way is the Norwegian combo of Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, the defending Olympic gold medalists.

Norway bounced back after a 1st-set loss against Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler of Germany in the semis, winning 21-17 in the 2nd set. However, Germany won the tiebreaker 15-13, assuring us of a new Olympic champ.

One of these medal duos will go home empty-handed from these Olympics. Qatar is a much better value for the opportunity to more than double up.

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Men’s 5000m — To win a medal: GRANT FISHER, USA (+210)

This event is scheduled to start at 1:50 p.m. ET.

In the 5000m, USA’s Grant Fisher (+210) is worth a look for the opportunity to more than double up. We’re looking for value in the 5000m, the premier long-distance race of the Olympics.

We saw Kenneth Hooks surprise with a silver medal in the 3000m steeplechase final, and Fisher could run his way to the podium Saturday. He managed a time of 13:52.440 in Heat 2 on Wednesday, the crazy heat which saw a photographer wander onto the track while covering the women’s javelin event.

Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen (-230) is the overwhelming favorite to win gold, but the podium is wide open for the final 2 spots.

Men’s cycling — Madison team gold medal winner: NETHERLANDS (+200)

This event begins at 11:59 a.m. ET.

The Dutch have been thundering around the velodrome in Men’s Cycling Track, posting gold medals in the men’s sprint and men’s team sprint. Harrie Lavreysen took care of Australia’s Matthew Richardson for the men’s sprint individual gold, defending his title from the Tokyo games.

Jeffrey Hoogland of Netherlands was unable to take home the bronze in the event, losing to Great Britain’s Jack Carlin in a controversial run which saw Carlin collide with Hoogland at one point, drawing the ire of Dutch fans.

Yoeri Havik and Jan-Willem van Schip comprise the Men’s Madison team. Havik and van Schip won gold in the Men’s Madison in the 2023 World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

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

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Men’s basketball gold medal game: USA vs. France odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s USA vs. France odds and lines, with men’s basketball expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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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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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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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.

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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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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.

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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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