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USA vs South Sudan Olympic Men’s Basketball Prediction & Picks: Don’t Expect Another Scare for the Americans

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Just a week and a half ago, Team USA survived by the skin of their teeth in an Olympic men’s basketball tournament warm-up game against South Sudan. Will today’s rematch be another close contest, or will the gold medal favorites flex their muscles again and record a second straight rout in Group A action?

Eleven days ago, Team USA and South Sudan met in an Olympic prep matchup in London. It was expected to be an easy win for the Americans, who were favored by 41.5 points.

Team USA jumped out to an early 12-2 lead, and it looked like the rout was on. But South Sudan went on runs of 21-6 and 19-4 and would lead 58-44 at halftime.

Unsurprisingly, the Americans stepped their game up in the third quarter. A pivotal point was an 18-0 run that turned an 11-point deficit into a seven-point lead and seemingly put them in control early in the fourth.

However, they couldn’t put the game away, and a late 8-0 run put South Sudan ahead by one. But LeBron James saved the day for the USA, driving in for a go-ahead layup with eight seconds left, and the Americans escaped with a 101-100 win.

South Sudan may not have been able to pull off an upset that would have made major international shockwaves, but their performance may well have helped inspire an impressive 90-79 victory over Puerto Rico in their Olympic debut on Sunday.

South Sudan gave up 54 first-half points and trailed by six at halftime, but they dominated in the second half, outscoring Puerto Rico 42-25. Now, they have a real chance of making the quarterfinals in their first Olympics and will still be in the hunt even if they lose to the USA today.

USA vs South Sudan Odds

Spread

USA -29 (-108)
South Sudan +29 (-112)

Over/Under

Over 191 (-110)
Under 191 (-110)

See more USA vs South Sudan odds at BetOnline. Check out our BetOnline sportsbook review, then bag a bonus to bet on this blockbuster Olympic women’s basketball tournament matchup.

USA vs South Sudan Betting Analysis

After their scare against South Sudan, Team USA wrapped up their prep for the Olympics with another close shave against Germany, with LeBron coming up clutch down the stretch in a 92-88 win.

But when the lights came on Sunday, the four-time defending Olympic champions showed up and showed out. The end result was a 110-84 victory over Nikola Jokic and Serbia, their top competition in Group A.

Serbia jumped out to a 10-2 lead, but Team USA responded, and an 18-3 run put them in command early in the second quarter. Serbia did pull within two late in the quarter, but a 10-0 run to end the first half and start the second half put an end to their hopes of keeping it close.

It was a serious statement by Team USA (-600), who remains well out in front of Canada (+900), France (+1400), and Germany (+1400) atop Olympic men’s basketball tournament gold medal odds.

Will a rout of South Sudan move the needle much for Team USA? No, it won’t.

However, putting together a much more definitive display than in the first meeting will provide another indication that the favorites are firmly focused on the gold goal and aren’t taking anyone lightly. And this time around, Team USA will know that they must take South Sudan seriously from the tip. As a result, I expect a much more convincing victory this time around.

USA vs South Sudan Prediction & Picks

There won’t be any fear from South Sudan, but as I stated in my Serbia-USA preview, Team USA’s best is far better than anyone else’s best.

Even their 90% is better than anyone else’s best, save for perhaps Canada. That they put up 110 points against Serbia without Jayson Tatum, one of the very best basketball players in the world, playing a single minute says a lot about the task facing South Sudan and the rest of the Olympic men’s basketball field.

That said, this is a large spread. It is significantly smaller than the 41.5-point spread from the first meeting, but it is still a large spread. There are better options on the board than taking either side of the spread here.

One of those options is for the first half to be the highest-scoring half. Entering today, the first half has been the highest-scoring half in each of the first ten games of the Olympic men’s basketball tournament. That trend even survived an overtime contest between France and Japan yesterday. At -136 at Bovada, the value is still quite good considering it has hit ten straight times.

For my other two plays, I’m going with Team USA to light up the scoreboard again and for South Sudan’s Carlik Jones to fill up the stat sheet again. Jones had a triple-double (15 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) in the near-upset, and he had 19 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in Sunday’s win over Puerto Rico.

USA vs South Sudan Prediction: USA to win

USA vs South Sudan Picks: 1) USA team total over 109.5 points (-120 at Bovada), 2) Carlik Jones over 29.5 points + rebounds + assists (-115 at Bovada), 3) first half to be the highest-scoring half (-136 at Bovada)

Other Olympic Men’s Basketball Betting Information

Where to Bet on USA vs South Sudan & the Olympic Men’s Basketball Tournament

With NBA stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama taking part, the Olympic men’s basketball tournament will garner a lot of betting interest from far and wide. Therefore, bettors will not be lacking in options for where to bet on Olympic men’s basketball tournament odds.

The odds in this piece come from BetOnline, which has a wealth of betting markets for this event and other Paris 2024 events.

Including BetOnline, below are some of the sites that we recommend for betting on the Olympics.

Best Betting Sites for the Olympics

Are you unfamiliar with any of the sites listed? Check out our reviews for each site to learn more about them. Our sportsbook reviews cover available betting options, deposit and payout options, mobile betting, and bonuses and loyalty/VIP programs.

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USA vs South Sudan Olympic Men’s Basketball Prediction & Picks: Don’t Expect Another Scare for the Americans