The COVID delayed Olympics begin next week in Tokyo, Japan, and the two-week event provides plenty of options for sports betting. There are both sports and individuals to bet on, along with how many medals separate nations will win. MyBookie offers many different bets on team sports before the games begin on July 23 and Team USA is among the favorites. Let’s have a look at our betting update so you can get ready to make your bets against their Olympics odds.
Plenty of Betting Options for the Olympics
NBA Players have US Favored in Men’s Basketball
Except for the disaster in Athens in 2004, the Americans have won every Olympics gold medal since NBA players were allowed to start playing in 1992. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is taking over as head coach, but the team has had issues preparing for Tokyo. Bradley Beal is no longer with the team after testing positive for COVID at training camp, and the team was upset by both Nigeria and Australia in exhibition games.
With those results and the Beal news, the US is up to -400 to win the Gold, with Spain and Australia next at +1200. France, the 2000 silver medalists, are +2000, and they face the US in the Group A opener on July 25. Serbia, who won silver in 2016, did not qualify for this Olympics, while Spain beat Australia in the 2016 bronze medal game.
USA Big Favorites in Women’s Basketball
The US can make Olympics history with a seventh-straight gold medal in women’s basketball. Dawn Staley’s team is complete with WNBA stars, and in 2016 they beat Spain for gold 101-72. This time around, they are -750 to cut down the nets again, with Australia next in line at +1000.
The Australians took silver to the US at the 2018 FIBA World Championships. Spain, France, and Belgium are all in a battle for a medal with +2300 odds to win gold. The US starts play in Group B against Nigeria on July 27.
Both Volleyball Tournaments Wide Open
The odds for the men’s and women’s volleyball tournaments show that both are wide open, not only for gold but for all three medal spots. Brazil won the men’s competition on home soil in 2016, while China won the women’s tournament. The United States won bronze in both competitions back in 2016.
Poland is the men’s favorite after they claimed the last World Championship. They are +160, with defending champion Brazil at +300. France checks in next at +450 with Russia at +550, and the United States are +600. Italy, which won silver in 2016, is +750 to take gold this time around.
On the women’s side, China is favored to repeat at +200, with the US right on their heels at +220. Italy is +400 and the 2016 silver medalists, Serbia, are +500. The US, China, and Italy are all in Group B.
The men’s tournament starts on July 24, with the women’s tournament starting the next day.
Track Leads Betting Options for Individuals
The 100m race is always the most anticipated of the track and field events at any Olympics. Even more so this year, with the retirement of Usain Bolt on the men’s side and the women’s race being in the news lately with the marijuana suspension of US champions Sha’Carri Richardson. The 100m heats are on July 31, with the final on August 1, but MyBookie early betting closes on July 23.
Bolt won the men’s 100m race at the last three Olympics, in dominating fashion. With the Jamaican retired, this race appears wide open. American Trayvon Bromell is the favorite at +130, with countryman Ronnie Baker at +400 and South African Akani Simbine at +500. Bromell ran a career-best 9.77 in June, the seventh-fastest 100m time in history.
Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who won gold in 2008 and 2012 before taking bronze in 2016, is the women’s favorite at -110. Elaine Thompson-Herah, the 2016 champion and another Jamaican, is next at +150. British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith is +500 while Javianne Oliver is the top American on the board at +5000.
