2012 London Olympics: USA Olympic Basketball Team Schedule

Team USA are the hot favorites to win the basketball at the 2012 London Olympics—and understandably so.

The likes of Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James all combining makes for one incredible team, and they enter the competition as the team to beat.

They'll be gunning for nothing less than the gold medal at the Games, so let's take a look at their schedule and the path they'll have to take to get there.

USA vs. France

Date:

Sunday, July 29 at 9:30 a.m. ET

Notable opponents:

Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, Ronny Turiaf

Preview:

Team USA kick off their Olympic campaign against France on Day 2 of Olympic action. Expect the favorites to prove why they are the team to beat with a dominant performance, though not before they face some stiff competition from the ageless Tony Parker.

United States wins by 24 points.

USA vs. Tunisia

Date:

Tuesday, July 31 at 5:15 p.m. ET

Notable opponents:

Salah Mejri. Never heard of him? That's fine—all you have to know is that he's 7'1" tall.

Preview:

Tunisia could be the surprise package of the campaign, but they won't pull off what would be the greatest upset in Olympic history. Team USA will provide plenty of game rest for their starters and plenty of minutes for their substitutes, and they'll still win in a blowout.

United States by 49 points.

USA vs. Nigeria

Date:

Thursday, August 2 at 5:15 p.m. ET

Notable opponents:

Ike Diogu, a ten-year veteran of the NBA

Preview:

Nigeria only just snuck into the Olympics with a five-point win over the Dominican Republic. United States beat the Dominican Republic by 54 points.

You do the maths.

United States win by 39 points.

USA vs. Lithuania

Date:

Saturday, August 4 at 9:30 a.m. ET

Notable opponents:

None. 

Preview:

Lithuania are by no means an easy-beat in the 2012 London Olympics—currently ranked fifth according to FIBA's world ranking having taken the bronze medal in the 2010 FIBA World Championships.

They will be tough, but the experience and skills of Team USA will pull the favorites through. Expect a close first half, but for James and Durant to take control throughout the second.

United States by 20 points.

USA vs. Argentina

Date:

Monday, August 6 at 5:15 p.m. ET

Notable opponents:

Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola, Carlos Delfino

Preview:

The USA will face their toughest encounter of the group stage against Argentina, led by Manu Ginobili, who are more than capable of making some noise at the Olympics.

Argentina took down the "Dream Team" of 2004, but can they do it again at London 2012?

I don't think so, but expect them to challenge the United States in this match and still be competitive throughout the latter stages of the tournament.

United States to win by 12 points.

Knockout Matches

Quarterfinal:

Wednesday, August 8 at 9 a.m. ET

Semifinal:

Friday, August 10 at noon ET

Gold medal match:

Sunday, August 12 at 10 a.m. ET

What do you think of Team USA's chances at the 2012 London Olympics?

Comment below or hit me up on Twitter:  Follow @dantalintyre

All dates and times courtesy of www.london2012.com