Best Bets before the Olympic Opening Ceremonies

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics represent a first in the history of the Games; in the past, five Olympics (both Summer and Winter) have been canceled due to World Wars I and II. However, the Games had never been simply put off for a year, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tokyo Games were delayed and will now run from July 23 until August 8 — in venues empty of fans due to the ongoing spread of the disease. Let’s take a look at some prop bets you can consider as part of your sports betting strategy for the games.

Olympic News: Best Bets Before the Opening Ceremonies

Before these games, the leader in medals won in Summer Olympic Games is the United States, with 2,522 medals. That’s almost 1,000 more than the second-place country, which is the Russian Federation (including the medals claimed by the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union). This history, along with the training resources and available population in the United States, is why they remain the prohibitive favorite to win the most medals in these Games. The only country that has odds below +2000 to win the most medals is China. Despite the fact that this country has only taken part in 10 Summer Games, they have won 224 gold medals, fourt among all nations.

Odds to Win the Most Olympic Gold Medals

The Summer Games feature 33 sports this time around. Softball and baseball return for the first time in 13 years. Surfing, sport climbing, skateboarding and karate will all debut as Olympic events. Aquatics, with 49 events, offers a pile of medals, as does athletics (track and field), with 48. Canoeing offers 16 medals; gymnastics offers 18, and cycling offers 22.

Gymnastics, track and field and aquatics are among the most watched Olympic events, particularly in the United States. The top American athletes generally feature in one of those three sports. The women’s gymnastics roster for the United States features Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum for the team events. Jade Carey and MyKala Skinner will also represent the United States in women’s gymnastics, but in individual competition only. The United States is a heavy favorite to win gold in this sport, although odds remain to be announced.

In women’s swimming, Katie Ledecky returns to take part in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle. Caeleb Dressel and Michael Andrew, on the men’s side, will also take part in a minimum of three individual races. Michael Phelps, who has dominated Olympic swimming since 1996, will not come as an athlete; this year, the United States has eleven teenagers on its team, moving on to the next generation.

In track and field, the suspension of Sha’Carri Richardson for a positive marijuana test has dominated Olympic headlines. However, Noah Lyles earned a team spot for the 200m with a time of 19.74, the fastest on the planet in 2021. Sydney McLaughlin broke the world record for the 400m hurdles at the Olympic trials, becoming the first woman ever to run the event in less than 52 seconds. So if you are looking for U.S.-based athletes to bet on, those are some key names.

In men’s basketball, Team USA has not lost an Olympic game since 2004, when they fell in Athens, winning three straight golds in 2008, 2012 and 2016. The 2020 team may lose Bradley Beal to COVID-19 protocols and has dropped two of three exhibition games. The team is going smaller, focusing on outside shooting, which could prove a vulnerability. The women’s basketball team lost to a group of WNBA All-Stars but is still favored heavily to win the gold.

In women’s soccer, the United States team finished fifth in Rio at the 2016 Summer Games. However, this team has won two straight World Cups and looks strong in exhibitions ahead of these Olympics.

Olympics Betting Odds

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