2024 Paris Olympics Soccer Odds & Picks: Wednesday (7/24)

by Trenton Pruitt |
Jul 24, 2024

The 2024 Olympic games get underway on Wednesday, and the first two competitions taking the stage are soccer and rugby. The soccer competition features 16 nations, which are divided into four four-country groups. They'll play a classic round-robin style format before moving onto an eight-team knockout stage.

It's worth noting that this is an under-23 tournament, but each country can select three overage players. This ESPN article dives into the notable older players who will be taking the pitch. As for this article, I'll be diving into three of Wednesday’s matches from a betting perspective and providing my favorite play for each contest.

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2024 Paris Olympics Soccer Best Bets (Wednesday)

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Argentina (-125) vs. Morocco (+370), DRAW (+260) | 2.5 (+110/-135)

It has been a successful run for Argentinian soccer recently, and the South American nation will look to keep things rolling when they send their U23 team to France this summer. Their opening contest comes in a Group B clash, where they'll square off against Morocco. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. ET from Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne, France.

Argentina's priced as the Group B favorite (-185), while Morocco sits with the second-shortest odds (+275) of the bunch. This means we'll have a pivotal match right off the jump. With that being said, I'm riding with Argentina on the moneyline as short favorites.

The White and Sky Blue looked very sound in their qualifying matches, posting an impressive unbeaten mark of 4-4-0. The offense shined, averaging 2.1 goals per match. Factor in that one of Argentina's overage players is Manchester City's Julian Alvaraz, and this attack is looking dangerous. Meanwhile, Morocco is a pedestrian 2-1-2 in their last five friendlies, and they also haven't played together since an early-June 2-2 draw with Belgium. Argentina's a soccer powerhouse right now, and I'll back them to secure a win in the opener.

Bet: Argentina Moneyline (-125)

Iraq (+390) vs. Ukraine (-130), DRAW (+260) | 2.5 (+125/-155)

The other Group B tilt on Wednesday pits Iraq against Ukraine. Iraq's in the cellar in terms of betting odds to win the group (+4000), while Ukraine sits at +500 to finish first. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET from Groupama Stadium in Lyon, France.

I'm riding with Ukraine in this contest. They enter this competition on a high note, recently winning the Maurice Revello Tournament in France back in June. Ruslan Rotan's men went 4-0-0 before edging out Ivory Coast in the championship on penalties 2-2 (5-4). They kept up the unbeaten streak following the tournament, adding a couple of draws against Egypt (1-1) and Paraguay (2-2), more recently.

As for Iraq, they're coming off a third-place finish in the U23 Asian Cup, where they beat Indonesia 2-1 in extra time in the third-place contest. However, their defense hasn't been very sound leading up to the Paris games. Iraq has conceded in eight of its last nine matches, allowing 1.4 goals per match over the span. The questionable defensive structure against lesser competition leads me to believe that Ukraine should be able to outpace them on Wednesday.

Bet: Ukraine Moneyline (-130)

France (-225) vs. USA (+600), DRAW (+380) | 2.5 (-150/+120)

All roads lead to an exciting Group A contest on Wednesday night as the host nation, France, takes on the United States of America. This is the Olympic nightcap on Wednesday, and kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. ET from Orange Vélodrome in Marseille, France.

As much of a patriot as I am, there's simply no denying that France's soccer program is lightyears ahead of the USA's. The legendary Thierry Henry will lead this year's U23 squad for France, and I think they'll manage to secure the three points in game one. They've been rolling recently, going 3-2-0 in their five friendlies leading up to the tournament. One of those matches was a 2-2 draw with the USA back on March 23rd, but the French conceded two 86+-minute goals to allow the USA to draw even.

I don't think that'll be the case on Wednesday, especially considering France is playing in front of its home crowd. Les Bleus will also feature a couple of star overage players, including Alexandre Lacazette of Lyon and Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace. Ultimately, I don't think America's offense will be able to keep pace with the hosts. I'll lay the goal with France in the opener.

Bet: France -1.0 (-150)

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