It’s the hosts against the highest-profile nation in the Olympic men’s basketball gold medal game, as France gets ready to take on the United States in Paris. Could there be a more ideal ending from a storyline perspective? Soon, we’ll find out whether the Americans can pick up their fifth consecutive gold medal, or whether the hometown team can provide an all-time upset. Let’s dive in.
| United States Moneyline Odds | -2200 |
| France Moneyline Odds | +1100 |
| Total | 176.5 points (Over -110, Under -110), |
| Point Spread | United States -16.0 (-110) |
| Time/Date | Aug. 10, 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: CBC Stream: CBC Gem |
About the United States (5-0 SU, 2-3 ATS)
It took a bit of a scare, but the United States took care of business against Serbia on Thursday. By a “bit of a scare,” I don’t mean a short hiccup, either – the Americans were down by as many as 17 points (sorry, 18-point early cashout bettors) and entered the fourth quarter down by 11 to Nikola Jokic and his squad. It was a far cry from their blowout win against the same Serbian team in the group stage, and almost resulted in an unexpected exit from gold or even silver medal contention.
But then, a team full of “decide to win”-level talents did just that. The fourth quarter was a 32-15 rout, with the veteran trio of LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant leading the way. Curry was the most notable standout of not just that contingent, but the whole team, having easily his best night of the tournament and likely his best ever for the national team. After scoring just 29 points in the first four games combined, Curry exploded for 14 of the USA’s first 15 points and 36 total on the evening. This left him just one point shy of Carmelo Anthony’s record for most points in a men’s national team game at the Olympics.
LeBron was sensational as well, on both sides of the ball. He put up his second Olympic triple-double and had an absurd six rebounds and four assists in the fourth quarter. Needless to say, when the stars want to turn it on, they can. The question now becomes – was that the “emptying of the tank,” or do they have even more to give in the gold medal game?
United States to Win Gold in Men’s Basketball at 2024 Olympics
-2200
About France (4-1 SU, 2-3 ATS)
France has given their home fans a pretty great show over the course of this tournament, and now find themselves back at the gold medal game for the fourth time in their history as a result. Les Bleus began their tournament with a 12-point win over Brazil, a narrow four-point win over Japan, and a tough loss to Germany in the group stage. They were able to shake off that defeat by simultaneously taking advantage of Canada’s struggles and executing on their own end in the quarterfinals and by stepping up their defensive game in a rematch against the Germans on Thursday.
In that game, while they only scored one more basket than they did in the group stage, they trimmed Germany’s total down from 85 to 69, with lockdown performances from not just the NBA talent like Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert (who played sparingly in this game), but from veterans like Guerschon Yabusele and Isaia Cordinier, who also contributed offensively.
An issue leading into this final game is France’s play on the ball. They totalled 13 turnovers against Germany, and when they shot from three, they were a mess, going just 6-for-27. Against an American team that can go white-hot, that’s a major concern, as they’ll have to match them bucket-for-bucket.
France’s gold medal appearances in basketball came in 1948, 2000, and 2020. They lost all three times, all against the United States. The most recent edition was closer than most would expect, with the United States winning by five (87-82).
Also In Action: Bronze Medal Game
Before the gold medal game tips off, Serbia and Germany will battle for bronze. It’s a rematch of the gold medal game from last year’s FIBA World Cup, which the Germans won by an 83-77 final score. This time around, the Serbians are slightly favoured, with a 1.5-point lean on the spread and -125 moneyline odds. After the impressive effort they put up against the Americans on Thursday, it’s hard to bet against them. Tipoff for this one is at 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time, so if you’re going to follow along live, I hope you have your coffee ready!
Player Props And Team Bets To Consider
- Joel Embiid over 12.5 points (-125): All eyes are going to be on The Process in this one, as the 2023 NBA MVP has been the target of a lot of negative attention from the French crowd. The Cameroon-born superstar initially expressed interest in playing his international hoops for France, but ultimately pivoted to the United States last October. While he’s thought to be banged up right now, this would be the perfect time for him to have a statement game.
- Victor Wembanyama under 30.5 points, assists, and rebounds (-125): While many are hoping for a monster game from the generational youngster, I’m inclined to feel like this will be a learning experience for him. Thirty combined points/assists/rebounds would be a little under his NBA averages, but his average night doesn’t see a super team like this on the other side.
- After seeing the semifinals and knowing both teams are comfortable playing close in this tournament, I might be inclined to suggest taking the 176.5 under (-110) on this game. It doesn’t seem terribly likely that this will end up a two-way barn-burner, with either a closer, lower-scoring battle or a one-sided USA result being the most likely outcomes.
Joel Embiid (USA) Over 12.5 Points
-125
France vs. United States Prediction
Once again, we’re going to have to go with the United States here. Defeat doesn’t seem to be in this group’s vocabulary, with even Thursday’s shell shock only being a matter of a quick readjustment before going back the other way. With no disrespect meant to the French squad, they don’t (yet) have the singular talent that Serbia had in Jokic to create that scare. While they can send out four legitimate NBA talents, including two stars in Wemby and Gobert, it just doesn’t seem likely to go the other way.
We can see this being pretty tight if France executes well and the USA doesn’t go full tilt. But anything less than an optimal effort from the underdogs would be a dagger, and if the Americans go full tilt, this could be over in a hurry. Hopefully, the stars will shine on both sides and give us a memorable game!
