Staff USA narrowly escaped with its life within the semifinal match in opposition to Serbia on Thursday, successful 95-91.
After opening as 17.5-point favorites in opposition to Serbia, sharps guess them all the way down to +15.5 by recreation time (we received them at +16), they usually practically upset the goliath People in a 95-91 slugfest.
Thursday’s semifinal felt like Sport 7 of the NBA Finals and, truthfully, was most likely the true gold medal match.
France, whereas profiling as a staff with a whole lot of measurement and power, lacks the flexibility {that a} Nikola Jokic brings them.
Give Victor Wembanyama 4 extra years earlier than we begin anointing him, the newly “Chosen One.”
He and guard Evan Fournier are extremely unlikely to have the ability to lead their solution to victory in opposition to Staff USA.
USA opened as 12-point favorites in opposition to France, however sharp bettors have skyrocketed that quantity, shifting it to 16 factors on the time of writing.
USA is -1600 to win the gold medal on Saturday.
USA vs. France prediction
Serbia at one level was 15-for-29 from 3-point vary and ended the sport 15-for-39 from past the arc.
Non-coincidentally, Serbia blew a 15-point lead throughout that 0-10 stretch.
When the 3-point photographs dry up, who do you go to?
The reply for France must be to play a whole lot of Rudy Gobert and Wembanyama down the stretch and see if the 2 towering massive males can carry them to victory.
Two bets intrigue me right here, the primary being the sport totals beneath, as we may anticipate loads of hard-nosed, bodily protection with a really favorable whistle to the home-country French and difficult shot-making circumstances.
Search for France additionally to cowl this unfold in opposition to america as the road has gotten out of whack at 16, there must be some buyback right here on the road.
2024 PARIS OLYMPICS
The French aren’t pretty much as good as Serbia, however that doesn’t imply both staff must be 16-point underdogs on this bodily play-style that the Olympics breeds.
PICK(S): France (+16) | Underneath 176.5 (-110)