2024 Paris Olympics Basketball Odds & Picks: Thursday (8/8)
There are four teams left in the Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament! Three of those four teams will earn a medal, and no matter what happens in the semifinals, each team has a chance to medal in the following game.
Frace will take on Germany, and Serbia will face the United States for the third time this year during exhibition, group play, and the upcoming semifinal matchup.
The two winners will compete for a gold medal on August 10. Meanwhile, the two losers will face off for a bronze medal before the gold medal game.
I’ll provide a pick for each semifinal game below.
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Thursday’s Best Olympic Basketball Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
France vs. Germany
France looked the best it looked in the Olympics during Tuesday’s win against Canada. France held a Canadian team filled with NBA players to just 37.9% from the floor. Meanwhile, France shot nearly 42% from the field and hit 32.1% from downtown.
The big change was that France sat Rudy Gobert and didn’t give Bilal Coulibaly many minutes. These are two NBA players who were forced to sit, and it worked out in an 82-73 win over Canada. Isaia Cordinier added 20 points, while Guerschon Yabusele scored a team-high 22.
Nic Batum, Victor Wembanyama, and Frank Ntilikina combined for just 13 points despite starting. So it was a weird game for France. Ultimately, the defense showed up more than anything.
They’ll take on Germany in the semifinals. After the first half, Germany was tied with Greece 36-36. However, in the second half, Germany pulled away with a 76-63 win. Germany allowed Greece to shoot 50% from the floor. Yet, Germany forced 15 turnovers and was more efficient from downtown, thanks to Germany’s bench. It’s incredible to think that Germany held Greece to just 63 points after Greece shot 50% from the field. Keeping the fouls down was also a key reason why.
Let’s back the Under 157 for this matchup.
Pick: Under 157 (-108)
Serbia vs. United States
The United States has already defeated Serbia multiple times this year, including a group-stage matchup where the USA scored 110 points in a 110-84 win.
In that game, the USA shot 62.3% from the field and 56.3% from downtown. The defense still allowed Serbia 84 points, and the offense still turned the ball over 17 times.
However, in a quarterfinal matchup against Brazil, the United States bought in on both ends of the floor. They defeated Brazil 122-87 and shot 57.7% from the field. Every player scored at least one bucket, and the team limited turnovers to just 11 in the entire game.
Remember, the United States scored 122 points and had many possessions. To have 11 turnovers was a big win for the US and Brazil.
Meanwhile, Serbia earned an epic comeback win over Australia. Down 24 points early in the game, Serbia stormed back and forced overtime. Eventually, Serbia made some plays down the stretch to move on. Although Serbia won, Australia still shot 50% against Serbia and drained 40.9% from downtown. The turnovers were just really high, and some were extremely costly.
Overall, Serbia’s defense won’t stop the United States. This team is finally clicking on all cylinders.
Pick: United States -16.5 (-108)
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