This is the 80th anniversary since basketball became an official Olympic sport. Rio is the center of attention for all basketball fans, starting on the 6th of August until the 21st. The basketball action will take place in the Olympic Arena 1 and Deodoro Arena. There are going to be 2 separate tournaments, one for men and the other for women. Each tournament comes with 12 basketball teams in 2 groups.
The 1st stage of the tournament requires each team to play against every other team in its group, which makes it 5 games in total. The top 4 teams in each group will advance to the next stage of the tournament, whereas the remaining 2 of both groups will end their journey of the Summer Olympic Games in Rio 2016. 30 games in total, top-notch basketball excitement. The quarter finalists will continue their journey on the 17th and the 16th of August, men and women respectively.
It’s a tight schedule, that’s for sure. Considering the fact that the semi finalists will have to play on the 19th and the 18th of August. The grand finals will take place on the 20th for women, whereas the men’s finals will be held the following day.
Men’s Basketball Tournament
Group A
France, USA, Venezuela, Serbia, China, Australia
Group B
Argentina, Spain, Brazil, Lithuania, Croatia, Nigeria
Women’s Basketball Tournament
Group A
France, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Belarus, Turkey
Group B
Canada, Spain, USA, Senegal, Serbia, China
Swimming
The Favorites
Both men’s and women’s basketball competitions are dominated by the USA. They are by far the biggest favorites to scoop yet another batch of Olympic medals. The men’s USA team has 14 golden medals, 1 silver and 1 bronze, whereas the women’s USA basketball team has won 7 golden medals, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal so far. The 2nd place in the men’s competition is held by the old USSR with 2 golden medals, 4 silver ones and 3 bronze Olympic medals. Australia’s women’s basketball team holds the 2nd place with 3 silver medals and 2 bronze. It’s highly likely that the Australian girls will win the silver medal. Serbia is also a worthy contender for some of the medals. In the past, they’ve proven to be a merciless opponent,even the USA have felt the bitter end because o them.
Odds and Predictions – Basketball, Men’s Category
Without any doubt, the undisputed favorite to win the tournament is the USA, which will encounter China in its first match of the Summer Olympic Games in Rio 2016. A bet on the USA to win the tournament comes at odds of 1.05 at 888 Sport. We can already see the “Dream Team” getting the golden medal. Backing the Spanish squad can bring you a prize equal to 12 times the bet amount. Lastly, you can opt for Brazil at odds of 21, and Argentina and Lithuania as some of the contenders that might surprise us at odds of 26.
The USA to win outright may not look appealing, but if you place a higher bet, the prize can make it a profitable investment.
Most of the online bookmakers are offering these same exact odds. However, we expect them to change as we get closer to the start of the tournament.
Odds and Predictions – Basketball, Women’s Category
The women’s USA basketball team also sits at the top of the sportsbooks. Bet365 offers odds at 1.10 if the USA women’s team wins the tournament. The 2nd place is held by Australia at odds of 9.50 and the 3rd by France and Spain at odds of 17.00. You might also want to think about betting on Spain, Serbia and Turkey since the odds of 23.00, 34.00 and 51.00 look very appealing.
All of the aforementioned odds change rapidly. You better place your bets immediately as they can go down as more accurate information becomes available to the general public.
If you don’t use this opportunity to spice up the basketball action of the Summer Olympics, you’re going to have to wait 4 more years to experience the thrill. Take your time, do your research and your analysis. However, the timing is of the essence.
