A clear difference is seen in international basketball between the USA and the rest. No team has been more dominant than the Americans. Team USA has won three successive Olympic Gold Medals. Further, the Americans have a whopping 15 total Gold Medals in their Olympic history. And in 1992, the USA brought the Dream Team to the world. Michael Jordan and Larry Bird led the first team of professionals to Gold Medal glory that year in Barcelona. At the onset of 2021, Team USA is an understandable Summer Olympics betting favorite. But flawed exhibition play is raising eyebrows.
2021 Summer Olympic Games Team USA Men’s Basketball Preview
| Date and Time: | July 23 Through August 8, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Location: | Tokyo, Japan |
| TV Coverage: | NBC Family of Networks |
Men’s Basketball Gold Medal Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| United States | -400 |
| Australia | +900 |
| Spain | +1100 |
| Slovenia | +1700 |
| France | +1900 |
| All Other Teams | +3500 or Higher |
2021 Summer Olympics Team USA Men’s Basketball SBG Odds Overview
On the whole, American basketball history and tradition is a huge offshore bookmaker draw to gamblers. The vast majority of gambling money for the Olympics is casual. Squares flock to Team USA as the closest thing to a sure thing. But this year may be different. Sloppy play in the exhibition season and a roster in flux have made for a challenge. Gamblers don’t seem to be overreacting to the early struggles. Team USA beat Spain 83-76 in an impressive exhibition finale.
Preliminary Round Schedule
Team USA shares a bracket with France, Iran, and the Czech Republic. First comes a July 25 game against France. July 28 is a matchup against Iran. And then the preliminary round ends with a July 31 game against the Czech Republic.
France brings a FIBA ranking of 7th in the world. In sum, their best Olympic performance was Silver at the 1948 and 2000 Games. Iran has three appearances in the Olympic Games with no medals. Also, Iran came up empty in three World Cup events. FIBA has the Czech Republic ranked 12th in the world. The Czechs have never won a medal at the Olympic Games. Owing to a 6th place finish in the 2019 FIBA World Cup is hope for a Cinderella run.
Head Coach Gregg Popovich
On the whole, Gregg Popovich is one of the most celebrated basketball coaches in history. Popovich led the San Antonio Spurs to five NBA world championships. Previously in the Olympic Games, Popovich was an assistant on the 2004 team that settled for Bronze at Athens.
Top Players
Naturally, Kevin Durant is one of the biggest names on Team USA. He’s already won two Gold Medals (2012 and 2016) for the America Olympic team. Durant stars for the Brooklyn Nets. Previously he was a key partner with Stephen Curry on the Golden State Warriors dynasty.
Other familiar names on team USA include Bam Adebayo, Draymond Green, Jrue Holiday, Damian Lillard, and Khris Middleton. Correlate that Milwaukee Bucks stars Holiday and Middleton will join up with the team after winning the NBA Finals.
2021 Summer Olympics Team USA Men’s Basketball SBG Free Picks
Team USA will get a virtual pass in the preliminary round. By the time the knockout stage begins, the Americans should be in sync and ready for glory with the Summer Olympic Games odds. Most important of all, there doesn’t seem to be a viable alternative.
2021 Team USA Men’s Basketball Summer Olympics Best Bet: Team USA Gold Medal.