Olympics Men’s Basketball: USA vs France Preview & Best Bets
Ben DiGiacomo
Host · Writer
Prediction
Prediction: USA 102 - France 80
Result: USA -16 | OVER 177.5
It's hard to imagine a scenario where Team USA doesn't win the Gold Medal after their game against Serbia on Thursday. How could you go through all that to lose the next game? France is undoubtedly a formidable squad worth a ton of respect, with Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, and Victor Wembanyama leading the way, especially considering they upset Canada and Germany. However, this is Team USA's gold to lose, and many expect Team USA to have their best game yet in the most meaningful one of them all.
Gold Medal Game: USA vs. France
We made it to the Gold Medal match, and it's hard to find a matchup that would have a better setting than France vs. USA in Paris. France wasn't supposed to be here, as they beat Canada and Germany despite being noticeable underdogs in each game. They won't be intimidated by Team USA, and they'll enjoy having the home crowd behind them.
On the other end, Team USA is supposed to be here, but they found a way to make it hard on themselves by allowing Serbia to carry a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter on Thursday. Well, we saw the most elite basketball that Team USA is capable of in that fourth quarter, and it's hard to imagine that they'll come out flat on Saturday after that performance. Expect Steve Kerr to rely heavily on his "core four" of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, and Kevin Durant and not allocate too many minutes to the rest of the guys. On Thursday, Curry kept them alive, Embiid willed them back into the game, and both LeBron and Durant finished the job, so I'd be shocked if all four guys don't each see at least 25-30 minutes.
We're going to have a fun battle on Saturday afternoon, so be sure to tune in to some of the best basketball the sport has to offer.
USA vs. France Where to Watch
USA vs. France
- Time: Saturday, 3:00 p.m. ET | TV: NBC | Streaming: NBC, Peacock
- Spread: USA -16 | Moneyline: USA -1500 | Total: 177.5
Where to Watch the Olympic Games Paris 2024 Today | TV Listings & Schedule
Best Bet: USA First Quarter -4.5 (-120)
Team USA appeared not to be mentally focused heading into their matchup with Serbia, and after the scare they had, do we expect Team USA to come out slow again? I can't imagine it. Facing France in Paris could be a challenging environment, but these are the best NBA players in the world at the end of the day. They aren't intimidated by any setting. Their talent is too much for the French to compete with, especially at the guard position, so I expect the Americans to come out on a mission to ensure that the French don't think they have a chance in this game. We'll back the first-quarter spread at -4.5 and hope Stephen Curry comes out blazing hot from deep.
Top Prop: Joel Embiid OVER 12.5 Points (-115)
We backed Joel Embiid against Serbia on Thursday for at least ten points, and he ended up being one of the best players on the floor, finishing with 19 points. The big man played 27 minutes by himself as Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo combined for 20 minutes, and I don't expect Steve Kerr to change up the rotation that worked down the stretch with the Gold Medal on the line. Embiid has improved every game throughout the Olympics, so I'm counting on him to play at least 25 minutes on Saturday, giving us an excellent opportunity for him to exceed 12.5 points.
Plus, Embiid enjoys when the crowd is against him, and we've seen him enjoy the boos from French fans throughout this tournament. He'll want to do everything he can to put on a show for them.
Prediction
Prediction: USA 102 - France 80
Result: USA -16 | OVER 177.5
It's hard to imagine a scenario where Team USA doesn't win the Gold Medal after their game against Serbia on Thursday. How could you go through all that to lose the next game? France is undoubtedly a formidable squad worth a ton of respect, with Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, and Victor Wembanyama leading the way, especially considering they upset Canada and Germany. However, this is Team USA's gold to lose, and many expect Team USA to have their best game yet in the most meaningful one of them all.
Gold Medal Game: USA vs. France
We made it to the Gold Medal match, and it's hard to find a matchup that would have a better setting than France vs. USA in Paris. France wasn't supposed to be here, as they beat Canada and Germany despite being noticeable underdogs in each game. They won't be intimidated by Team USA, and they'll enjoy having the home crowd behind them.
On the other end, Team USA is supposed to be here, but they found a way to make it hard on themselves by allowing Serbia to carry a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter on Thursday. Well, we saw the most elite basketball that Team USA is capable of in that fourth quarter, and it's hard to imagine that they'll come out flat on Saturday after that performance. Expect Steve Kerr to rely heavily on his "core four" of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, and Kevin Durant and not allocate too many minutes to the rest of the guys. On Thursday, Curry kept them alive, Embiid willed them back into the game, and both LeBron and Durant finished the job, so I'd be shocked if all four guys don't each see at least 25-30 minutes.
We're going to have a fun battle on Saturday afternoon, so be sure to tune in to some of the best basketball the sport has to offer.
