Ready to close Olympic Betting Basketball? Both Team USA and France needed comebacks in the semifinals of the men’s basketball tournament to make the gold-medal game.
Team USA came back to beat Serbia, 95-91 – a game that the Serbians led by 12 at the half and by as many as 17 in the second half.
The difference between this game and the easy wins that Team USA had had over Serbia in warmups and group play was the hot shooting by the Serbian guards.
They were no match for Steph Curry, though, who nailed nine three-balls and ended up with 36 points. Joel Embiid finally was a difference-maker, shutting down Nikola Jokić in the fourth quarter and notching 19 points.
LeBron James added 16 points, including some key baskets during the late comeback.
France pulled off upsets over Canada and Germany in their first two knockout round games, as forward Guerschon Yabusele put together a pair of huge games to complement Victor Wembanyama.
Now that you have the preview of both, check out the betting analysis and our expert predictions for this Gold Medal Race.
Olympic Betting Basketball: Men’s Gold Medal Game Preview: France vs USA
When: Saturday, August 10, 2024, 3:30 pm ET
Where: Bercy Arena, Paris
TV: NBC
Live Stream: Peacock, NBC Sports App
Olympic Basketball Odds: France +14.5 / O/U 180.5 // France +760 / USA -1400
Why should you bet on France?
This is a sizable point spread for a game that will have an arena full of French fans.
Victor Wembanyama has already shown he can prosper in the NBA, and both South Sudan and Serbia showed us that it is possible to shred Team USA’s defense for extended periods of time.
Interestingly, France has put Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier on the pine to go with a smaller lineup – and it has worked.
The Team USA roster has plenty of solid interior defense (Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant and even LeBron James), so France has elected to go all-Euro and try to win in run-and-gun fashion, relying on an inside-out game and hot shooting from downtown.
Will Guerschon Yabusele get an NBA deal after his run in Paris? He dropped 22 on Canada and 17 on Germany, going 7 of 11 in the semifinal win.
Wembanyama has gone cold the last two games, bricking 21 of 27 shots, and Yabusele has picked up the slack nicely.
Isaia Cordiner added 20 against Canada and 16 against Germany, and if he stays hot, France could make this game interesting.
^Why should you put your money on Team USA?
Team USA has all kinds of depth on the wings and down in the paint. On the wings, the Americans are so deep that Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton couldn’t even find their way onto the floor against Serbia.
Rudy Gobert is one of the best rim defenders in the world, but his finger injury (and a lack of mobility) have kept him on the bench.One school of thought argues that Team USA got its scare from Serbia and will have things locked down against France.
The French decision to go small means that Team USA just needs one center/power forward in the game at a time.
Also, while the game against Serbia featured a four-point margin, the other four Team USA wins in these Olympics have come by at least 13 points.
^France vs USA Final Score and Prediction
Obviously, picking France to win outright gives you a ton of value, but it’s honestly hard to see Team USA falling to France after beating a Serbian team that is significantly better.
The point spread is a different question, though. I think France’s small-ball approach will keep the game moving quickly, and the Americans will be only too glad to oblige.
I see Team USA winning, 105-97, which means I like France to cover.
^For Olympic Gold 🥇
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 10, 2024
🇺🇸 #USABMNT vs 🇫🇷 France
9:30 pm CEST/3:30 pm ET
📍 Bercy Arena, Paris
📺 NBC + Peacock#Paris2024 #Basketball pic.twitter.com/GbF1GmJsp9
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