Team USA is always the favorite in Olympic men's basketball. While the field at the Paris 2024 Olympics is deeper than ever, oddsmakers once again see Gold in men's basketball as the Americans' to lose.
Read more
- How to legally bet the 2024 Paris Olympics online
The U.S. roster -- featuring LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Co. -- has a decided talent advantage in Paris, even in a year when Canada, France and Serbia all boast talented squads of their own.
The field also includes a solid Germany squad led by Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder. Germany's Olympic roster is nearly identical to the one that won the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Paris 2024 Men's Olympic Basketball Futures
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | bet365 | |
| USA | -500 | -400 | -650 | -625 |
| Canada | +1100 | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| France | +1200 | +1500 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Serbia | +1600 | +1500 | +1600 | +1800 |
| Greece | +2000 | +3200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Germany | +3000 | +2800 | +1800 | +2000 |
| Australia | +4000 | +4000 | +3300 | +3300 |
| Spain | +5000 | +7500 | +6600 | +6600 |
Team USA Betting Analysis
Anyone who watched the Americans need late heroics from James to beat South Sudan 101-100 on July 20 and Germany by four points on July 22 might be scratching their heads trying to figure out why this team's outrights are as short as -650.
The last-second win over South Sudan was particularly concerning given that on paper, South Sudan is the among the weakest men's basketball teams at the Games.
The glass half-full take, despite some narrow victories in the pre-Olympics exhibition matches, is that once Kerr defines his rotation, Team USA's games will play out much differently. Against South Sudan, nine players played at least 16 minutes, with none logging more than 23. In the win over Germany, only four players -- Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Anthony Edwards and Curry -- were on the court for 20 minutes or more.
The depth and the balance of the 12-man roster at Kerr's disposal will prove beneficial as the tournament plays out. Right now, though, it appears to be both a blessing and a curse, because it's made it tough for the team to establish chemistry and define its identity.
That being said, assuming Kerr can identify his preferred lineup and trim the rotation -- most teams who win in the NBA Playoffs rely on seven or eight guys for good reason -- Team USA has enough firepower to justify its status as the heavy favorite.
And if Kevin Durant, whose health is the biggest question entering Sunday's Group C opener against Serbia, ends up anywhere near 100%, Team USA could cruise to a Gold Medal.
Paris 2024 Men's Olympic Basketball Group C Odds
The U.S. is competing with Nikola Jokic-led Serbia, Puerto Rico and South Sudan in Group C.
Group play will see each team play three games -- one against each of the other teams in its group.
The top two teams from Groups A, B and C will all reach the quarterfinals, as will two more wildcard teams (the third-place finishers that have the best record after group play).
Odds to Win Men's Olympic Basketball Group C
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | bet365 | |
| USA | -1800 | -1200 | -1400 | -1400 |
| Serbia | +900 | +680 | +700 | +750 |
| Puerto Rico | +3000 | +6500 | +5000 | +4000 |
| South Sudan | +5500 | +2000 | +4000 | +4000 |
Men's Olympic Basketball Group C Betting Analysis
The Americans are a lock to win Group C, according to oddsmakers, who see Serbia as the clear second-favorite. In addition to Jokic, Serbia's roster features Bogdan Bogdanovic, who led a roster that did not feature Jokic to Silver at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and former Gonzaga star Filip Petrusev.
While USA and Serbia will likely take first and second place in this group, South Sudan is also worth keeping an eye on. The squad led by South Sudan Basketball Federation President Luol Deng -- a former star at Duke, then with the Chicago Bulls -- and head coach Royal Ivey is one of the early stories of the Games after nearly taking down Team USA last Saturday.
While Carlik Jones, Wenyen Gabriel, Marial Shayok and JT Thor have all been in the NBA at one point, this roster is light on active NBA players, but is nevertheless a tempting play to make it to the quarterfinals at +300 at DraftKings.
USA Men's Olympic Basketball Schedule
Below are the dates and tipoff times of Team USA's matchups in group play:
- USA vs. Serbia -- Sunday, July 28, 11:15 a.m. ET (TV: NBC)
- USA vs. South Sudan -- Wednesday, July 31, 3:00 p.m. ET (TV: USA Network)
- USA vs. Puerto Rico -- Saturday, August 3, 11:15 a.m. ET (TV: NBC)
All four quarterfinal games are scheduled for Tuesday, August 6, followed by the semifinals on Thursday, August 8 at 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., and the Gold Medal game on Saturday, August 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
How to Watch USA Men's Olympic Basketball
All Olympic action will be available on NBC streaming service Peaco*ck and at NBCOlympics.com. Additionally, select events will air on NBC, CNBC, USA and E! Network.
USA's Group C games against Serbia and Puerto Rico will air on NBC, while USA Network will carry USA vs. South Sudan.
Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
");jQuery(this).remove()})jQuery('.start-slider').owlCarousel({loop:!1,margin:10,nav:!0,items:1}).on('changed.owl.carousel',function(event){var currentItem=event.item.index;var totalItems=event.item.count;if(currentItem===0){jQuery('.owl-prev').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-prev').removeClass('disabled')}if(currentItem===totalItems-1){jQuery('.owl-next').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-next').removeClass('disabled')}})}})})
