Basketball Olympics, Group stage, Wednesday, 31.07.2024, 21:00
At first glance, you might think that the Olympic men’s basketball tournament could have been a complete waste of time. After all, the USA has sent a phenomenal squad to Paris that is almost certain to win gold.
There’s nothing else to add to that, except perhaps my USA South Sudan tip. Because after studying the underdogs in basketball circles in detail, it’s clear to me that they won’t go down with man and mouse …
It’s a shame that I couldn’t find the time to write a tip for the Serbia-USA game for you. If I had been able to publish one in addition to my research on the current Neobet bonus conditions, he would have seen the US boys’ resounding victory coming from afar.
The Serbs aren’t just anyone, but the reigning runners-up, who reached the final of the World Cup without Nikola Jokić.
However, despite the presence of their NBA superstar, the Balkans lost both the test game (79:105) and the first group game (84:110) against the North Americans in an extremely clear manner in the run-up to this tournament and in the opening game.
That alone says a lot about the tremendous performance of the North Americans at this tournament. In my eyes, it’s the best line-up ever – even better than the 1992 “Dream Team”.
Anyone who has won 7 of the last 8 Olympic basketball tournaments simply has to win another gold medal in view of the quality that is on show this year. Period.
NBA icons such as Kevin Durant and LeBron James scored 23 and 21 points respectively against the Serbs. And even Jrue Holiday – who could almost be classified as too weak for this starting five – was convincing with 15 points
The Americans have an incredible amount of quality, which is particularly evident in the fact that they have the most accurate specialists you could wish for both inside and outside the arc.
A field goal percentage against Serbia of 62.3 % and a 3-point shooting rate of 56.3 % are simply fantastic. Surprisingly, however, Stephen Curry was not the best long-range shooter in the United States.
That’s why I prefer to place an extra player bet at Sunmaker on Kevin Durant, because he is simply in dazzling form. With 5 out of 5 three-point attempts, this was impressively demonstrated
Anyone expecting the Africans to be outclassed by the USA should perhaps reconsider their expectations.
South Sudan may still be a young nation with only one current NBA star in its ranks, but there are three powerful arguments that underline why the Africans could surprise.
Firstly, they lost a test match against the USA by just one point just ten days ago. Secondly, they won their opening game against Puerto Rico 90:79. Thirdly, their physicality
Basketball is first and foremost a game that is decided by physicality and athleticism. Of course, technique and accuracy play no less important a role.
Nevertheless, a physically extremely robust and large team like South Sudan is always extremely difficult to play against.
The Africans dominate on the board and outscored Puerto Rico in the rebounding duel by 18 balls. That is a huge figure.
The underdogs also won the battle for the free ball in the aforementioned test match against the USA, which they lost 100:101. Of course, that alone does not make them the favorites, but it does show that the blatant underdog role is unjustified.
By the way: You will get increased odds for a USA South Sudan bet that assumes a sensation.
However, you don’t have to be that daring to win a tidy profit with a bit of luck.
My recommendation: The Africans lose with a maximum difference of 30 points
Conclusion: It’s almost laughable that the bookmakers offer you odds of 1.70 if South Sudan lose by less than 30 points.
Serbia was already outclassed by the USA in the preparations, while their upcoming opponents lost to the “Dream Team” by just a single point in the last test match before the Olympics.
The physicality of the strong Africans and their enormous self-confidence will ensure that if they are behind on Wednesday, it will be by a relatively narrow margin.
My USA South Sudan tip: The underdog wins with HC +30.5.
