Olympic Basketball Odds: USA Big Betting Favorite vs. Argentina in Quarterfinals

Despite some close calls in the group stage, Team USA is an even bigger favorite to take home its third straight gold medal in men’s basketball at the Rio Summer Olympics.

The Americans are listed at -2000 (bet $2,000 to win $100) to win gold at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark and sit as consensus 23-point chalk against Argentina in the quarterfinals of the Olympic tournament on Wednesday.

The United States was the lone unbeaten squad at 5-0 in Group A play, with Australia the only other team with fewer than two losses. However, the Americans failed to cover the spread in four of the games even though they opened the Olympics with routs over China and Venezuela by an average of over 50 points.

The two most recent wins versus Serbia and France were a bit concerning considering each game was decided by just three points, and the United States also trailed the Aussies 54-49 at halftime of their matchup.

The Argentinians are led by a pair of NBA players in Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola, who have more combined Olympic experience than American veterans Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant. They were one of four teams with a 3-2 mark in Group B but lost tiebreakers with the other three, putting them into this tough quarterfinal game against Team USA.

The Americans defeated Argentina 111-74 in their first exhibition game prior to the Olympics in Las Vegas back on July 22 behind 23 points from Durant.

Whoever advances in that matchup will take on the winner between Spain and France in the semifinals on Friday. The Spaniards are 5.5-point favorites versus the French and ousted them 66-59 in the quarterfinals four years ago in London as well.

Spain is the +1400 second choice to win gold and ended up settling for silver with a 107-100 loss to Team USA in the last championship game, while Russia edged Argentina 81-77 for the bronze. The Russians did not qualify for the Olympics this time around.

Australia is the +2000 third choice to win gold and at least has the luxury of playing in the other half of the bracket opposite the Americans. The Aussies are 3.5-point chalk versus Lithuania in the quarterfinals on Wednesday and would take on the winner between Croatia and Serbia in the semifinals on Friday if they were to again.

The Serbians gave Team USA one of their biggest scares in the group stage in an eventual 94-91 loss, and they are +2200 to win gold followed by the Lithuanians (+2500) and French (+2800).