The Olympic basketball betting odds for the men’s tournament in Paris show us a clear favorite. To no surprise, the United States have been backed to win, even though the rest of the world has improved on the court.
There will be challengers, such as Serbia, Canada, and the host country, France. I go over their basketball Olympics odds and share my analysis and a pick on who will win the gold medal in this article. The tournament tips off on July 27th, and runs until August 11th, so it’s time to prepare.
Get ready for some Olympic basketball predictions and tips ahead of a massive tournament!
Paris 2024 Olympic Basketball Men’s Betting Odds
The following Olympic men’s basketball betting odds courtesy of BetOnline.
| TEAM | ODDS |
|---|---|
| USA | -400 |
| Serbia | +700 |
| Canada | +800 |
| France | +900 |
| Germany | +1600 |
| Spain | +1600 |
| Greece | +1600 |
| Slovenia | +2000 |
It should come as no surprise that Team USA is favored by 2024 men’s basketball Olympic odds at the best sports betting sites. The United States has won seven of the last eight gold medals in men’s basketball, and 16 of 20 gold medals overall.
The NBA is a more international game now, which means Serbia, Canada, and France lead the odds for teams outside the US. These are the most likely challengers, but they are still at least a step or two behind the favorite. Let’s see why!
Men’s Basketball Olympic Odds Favor Team USA (-400)
Steve Kerr is back as the head coach of Team USA, despite leading them to a fourth-place finish at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. However, Kerr has much more talent heading to Paris.
LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant lead the way. Joel Embiid pledged his allegiance to Team USA over France, giving them a fantastic trio of big men, along with Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis.
Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker provide shooting and athleticism, while Tyrese Haliburton is a floor general. Jrue Holiday brings defense, while Jayson Tatum can pick up the slack for Kawhi Leonard, who struggled at the end of the NBA season with injuries.
While the Americans are wildly talented, it’s their experience that has them as the prohibitive favorites in the Paris Olympics basketball odds. This will be the fourth Olympics for James and Durant. Adebayo, Booker, and Tatum were all on the 2020 team. Edwards is the youngest player at 2022, but he was arguably the US’ best player at the FIBA World Cup.
These players know how to play FIBA basketball, to go with their immense talent. They will be very hard to stop in Paris, but the following teams will be confident in their chances.
Paris Olympic Basketball Odds For The Top Contenders
Team USA are highly rated by the Olympic betting sites to win the men’s basketball gold medal, but NBA, the best basketball league in the world, has become much more of an international competition. Just look at the last 5 NBA MVPs – only Embiid is an American, but he could’ve easily picked France!
Here is a look at the three teams that are most likely to challenge the United States in Paris.
Serbia (+700)
Serbia finished second to Germany at the FIBA World Cup. This fantastic result came without three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, who is undecided about the Olympics after Denver lost in the NBA playoffs. If he plays, Jokic should be joined by fellow NBA players Nikola Jovic and Bogdan Bogdanović, giving head coach Svetislav Pešić more top-end talent to choose from.
Vasilije Micic leads a group of non-NBA players who have all played together for their country for a while now. It’s a nice mix that could help the country go far in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Serbia’s best finish under the current flag was a silver medal in 2016, losing to the United States in the final. Jokic and Bogdanović were both on that team, and have come a long way since. Obviously, this team is going to revolve around Jokic, and his teammates are smart enough to play off him.
Serbia will see what they’re made of early in the tournament; their first game is against the United States in Group C action. They’ll be the underdogs at the top offshore sportsbooks, but you always have a chance when the reigning NBA MVP is on your team!
Canada (+800)
Canada won silver at the inaugural Summer Olympics in Germany in 1936; they haven’t been on the podium since. But head coach Jordi Fernandez has a wealth of NBA talent to select from. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in NBA MVP voting to Jokic. Despite being 25 or younger, Gilgeous-Alexander, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Lu Dort, and RJ Barrett all have lots of NBA experience. Kelly Olynyk provides grit and veteran leadership. Jamal Murray confirmed his participation following Denver’s playoff loss.
This team announced its arrival at the FIBA World Cup. They lost to Serbia in the semifinals, then defeated the United States in overtime in the bronze-medal game. With a certified star in Gilgeous-Alexander, and a team that knows their roles, Canada could make it to the final in Paris.
France (+900)
As the hosts, France automatically qualified. However, head coach Vincent Collet wasn’t assured of keeping his job after the FIBA World Cup. France failed to progress from the group stage, getting blown out by Canada and falling to Latvia. It was a reality check for France, which had won third at the previous two World Cups. They also won silver at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Collet will need Rudy Gobert to be better after a terrible World Cup. Real Madrid’s Guerschon Yabusele will also be a focal point.
But Les Bleus will revolve around Victor Wembanyama, who was the unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year. He also finished second to Gobert in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Wembanyama was one of the NBA’s brightest lights down the stretch. He’ll be looking to take that form to the world stage, especially in his home country.
The Best Of The Rest
Some of these teams still have to qualify for the Paris Olympics. And yet, there is still some star power on these teams that’s worth taking a look at. You might find some sports betting value here.
Spain (+1600)
Spain finished sixth at the 2020 Olympics, their first time in four Olympics they failed to win a medal. They’ve won three silvers and a bronze at the Games but finished only ninth at the FIBA World Cup.
Spain still has to actually qualify for the Olympics through a tournament in early July. This puts the team’s state into perspective right now. Unfortunately, the once mighty basketball power is not an elite team nowadays.
Germany (+1600)
Germany took down Serbia in the FIBA World Cup final. They’re led by Dennis Schröder and Franz Wagner, who is coming off a poor postseason in the NBA.
However, if Germany is going to medal for the first time at the Summer Olympics, they’ll need Schröder to play even better than he did as the World Cup’s MVP. Still, getting +1600 for the reigning world champions looks like a decent deal.!
Greece (+1600)
Like Spain, Greece also has to play their way into the Olympics. They’ll be hoping for a healthy summer from two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. He missed the last two weeks of the NBA season and the entire postseason with a calf strain.
If he’s not 100% healthy, Greece might not even make it to Paris. If Giannis is back to his best, though, this team could deliver a deep run in the men’s basketball tournament.
Slovenia (+2000)
Slovenia will go only as far as Luka Dončić takes them. The superstar, who finished third in NBA MVP voting, has been hampered by injuries during the playoffs and is on a deep run with the Mavericks. Slovenia also has to get into the Olympics through the qualifying tournament.
That’s too many question marks for a team that’s not that good to begin with, so backing Slovenia for the gold is not the best idea.
2024 Men’s Olympic Basketball Predictions And Betting Pick
There are definitely more good teams on the world basketball stage now. Serbia, Canada, and France all have excellent teams with star players plying their trade in the NBA.
However, the United States are still massive favorites according to Olympic basketball betting odds for a reason. They’re extremely talented and deep. If they’re fully motivated at this tournament, the Americans should win their 17th gold medal handily.
Where to Bet On The Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament?
You can bet on the 2024 Olympic basketball odds for Team USA and more at BetOnline, our recommended Olympic betting site. The site has a welcome bonus of 50% up to $1,000 for sports betting!
If you’re making your first deposit with crypto, it becomes a 100% match bonus! You can use the extra cash to bet on Olympic basketball and the rest of the sports action at Paris 2024!
