The first matchday in Olympic men’s basketball is in the books, with one major surprise coming on the opening day.
That one was South Sudan taking out Puerto Rico in a result that I don’t think anyone saw coming.
My Analysis
The other results from Matchday 1 went pretty much as expected, so now we move on to the next set of games, with the first 4 coming our way on Tuesday.
For some teams, this is going to be make or break, while others might well be able to clinch their spot in the next round with a win.
We are going to take a look at all 4 of the Tuesday games and offer up some betting predictions.
^Spain +142 vs Greece -200
Tuesday at 5:00 AM EST | Heading into the Olympics, there were some concerns about Spain, especially given the long road they had to take to qualify.
Those concerns proved true, with Spain falling to Australia in Matchday 1.
Giannis looked great in the opening game for Greece, scoring 34 points, but it proved to be something of a one-man show in a loss to Canada.
Both of these teams need a win in the worst possible way, and I think if Giannis can put in a similar performance to the opener, this could be a win for Greece, who are -4 favorites.
^MyBookie Olympics Odds & Lines to Win
Canada -286 vs Australia +194
Tuesday at 7:30 AM EST | Both of these teams won their opening game, but that does not mean the pressure is off.
The loser of this one is going to have a nervy time in the final group stage game. That said, both teams are considered to be in medal contention, so I think they will both ultimately move on.
It is Canada who is in as a 6 ½ point favorite for this game, but I think it might be a good deal closer than that.
While I do like Canada to win, I am leaning toward Australia to cover the spread.
^Japan +851 vs France -3333
Tuesday at 11:15 AM EST | Japan came into the Olympics on a losing run, which continued in their opening game of the tournament, which was a double-digit loss to Germany.
Things are not about to get any easier for Japan, as they will be up against the host nation next.
France battled a little in their opener against Brazil before eventually settling into cruise control to get a comfortable win.
I think we are looking at more of the same here, with France winning and covering the 17 ½ point spread.
^Brazil +519 vs Germany -1111
Tuesday at 3 PM EST | The Germans came into this tournament as the FIBA World Champions, with fans and pundits believing that they are more than good enough to win a medal in Paris.
Germany rolled to an easy 20-point win over Japan in their opener and come into this one as a 12-point favorite.
Brazil tried to put up a fight against host nation France in their opening game, but they still fell to a double-digit loss.
I expect to see more of the same here, which is why I am on Germany to win and cover the spread.
^Odds to Win Olympic Basketball Men’s Tournament
- USA -699
- Canada +890
- France +1375
- Germany +1650
- Serbia +1925
- Australia +2400
- Greece +4800
- Spain +10000
- South Sudan +20000
- Brazil +48000
- Japan +55000
- Puerto Rico +65000
Remy 🤝 Ant
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 28, 2024
Cooking in Paris pic.twitter.com/620d6knlRi
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