USA v France betting picks and preview | Group A | Olympics 2021

USA v France Latest Odds & Series Info
Olympics odds	USA -1000 at Bovada | France +480 at Bovada
When	8am EDT, Sunday, July 25
Where	Saitama
Watch Live	ABC (US), Sky Sports (UK), NBA Live Pass

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The United States Men’s Basketball Team begins its quest for a fourth straight Olympic gold medal this Sunday in Japan in a group stage matchup against France. The USA and France are the two favorites to advance out of Group A, which also includes the Czech Republic and Iran.

(Betting odds via the top basketball betting sites)

United States (-11.5) vs. France, OVER/UNDER 177.5 points

The USA got off to a rocky start in their friendlies leading up to the Olympic games with losses of 90-87 against Nigeria on July 10 and 91-83 against Australia on July 13. Gregg Popovich’s squad turned things around in its final two friendlies with a convincing 108-80 win over Argentina on July 13 and a strong defensive effort in an 83-76 win over Spain on July 18. All four of those games were played without Devin Booker, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, who will join the team in Tokyo now that the NBA Finals are over.

France’s national team is led by two-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. The team also features a handful of other NBA players including Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Frank Ntilikina. France enters the Olympics in poor form coming off of three straight losses in July friendlies to Spain twice (86-77, 87-79) and to Japan (81-75). This group will need to elevate its game in a hurry to have a shot at upsetting this high-powered USA team.

Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum are the top stars on this year’s USA team. Many of the nation’s top stars opted not to play in this year’s Olympic games, while others have been forced out of action due to injury or virus-related symptoms as shooting guard Bradley Beal was. But even with so many elite players eligible to represent the United States choosing not to do so, this group is still clearly the most talented squad In Japan and the favorites to win the gold medal.

While the USA should eventually pull out a win in this game, the 11.5-point spread may be a bit high. Obviously this group is capable of blowing out anyone when these elite shooters get going. But considering how little time this team has had to practice together and all of the roster movement it has had to deal with, a cohesive unit like France should at least be able to keep this one competitive. Look for a gritty game, similar to the one the United States had against Spain, in this Olympics opener.

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