It all comes down to this moment. The bronze and gold medal games are here! The men's basketball tournament of the 2024 Paris Olympics wraps up with a doubleheader with medals up for grabs. First up in an early 5 a.m. ET matchup, Dennis Schroder and Germany will have their hands full against Nikola Jokic and Serbia, who just came off of pushing Team USA to their limits in a nail-biting semifinal thriller.
And of course, the men of the hour take center stage at 3:30 p.m. ET with Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and the rest of Team USA going for the gold against young star Victor Wembanyama and France. The task is tall for USA as they have a point to prove in France's home, but we're sure this matchup won't be anything less than exciting.
As we gear up for the final round of men's basketball action in the Summer Games, our experts cover everything from 5 a.m. ET to 3:30 p.m. ET with their best bets for Saturday, Aug. 10. Take a look at their picks below!
Time (ET) | Men's Olympics Basketball Finals Best Bets |
---|---|
5 a.m. | Nikola Jokic To Lead Serbia In Points | Leading Scorer |
5 a.m. | Andreas Obst Over 1.5 3s (-115) |
3:30 p.m. | Kevin Durant Over 13.5 Points |
3:30 p.m. | LeBron James Over 31.5 PRA (-110) |
3:30 p.m. | Evan Fournier Over 1.5 Threes |
3:30 p.m. | Joel Embiid Over 12.5 Points (-120) |
Bet 365 has Jokic to lead Serbia at -115.
That's the one I feel better about. But if you think Jokic is going to lead Serbia in scoring, you might as well take a swing on him at +220 for leading in scoring.
Germany is physical but they don't have anyone who can guard Jokic one on one. Maybe they'll double with Mo Wagner and Daniel Theis, plus Johannes Voigtmann, etc, but if Serbia carries over their shooting against Team USA, it could hurt them.
Ultimately, both teams will want to run. I think this leans over, and Jokic will badly want to win a bronze, giving Serbia their first Olympic men's basketball medal in eight years.
Pick: Nikola Jokic To Lead Serbia In Points | Leading Scorer (Bet365)
By Joe Dellera
Obst is a lethal 3 point shooter and although his minutes were cut a bit against Greece, he played 20 meaningful minutes against France. This is a great opportunity against a Serbian team who plays at a blistering Pace.
Serbia has allowed their opponents to shoot an absurd 44.4% (68/153) from deep across 5 games. Their defensive rotations are not crisp and Obst needs the smallest window to get off a dagger 3.
I’ll grab Obst to make at least two 3s and would sprinkle some alts as well 3+ (+240 Bet365) 4+ (+650 Bet365).
Pick: Andreas Obst over 1.5 3s (-115) (ESPN Bet)
Kevin Durant might be at 14.5 by the time you read this, and I'd be content with that.
He's been under for three straight, but Serbia went the way it went and Durant wasn't really needed for Puerto Rico or Brazil.
Here, France should offer KD's pull up jumper, and they're going to need his ability to shoot over the top of Victor Wembanyama, Mathias Lessort, Guershon Yabusele, and potentially Rudy Gobert if he's freed to play in this one — and he probably should be, given the size.
I prefer this at 13.5, of course, but I'm OK at 14.5, I just wouldn't push beyond that.
Pick: Kevin Durant Over 13.5 Points
By Joe Dellera
LeBron James will lead Team USA to the Gold Medal against France.
LeBron has racked up the most points, rebounds, and assists for the Americans and is coming off a triple double while playing 32 minutes against Serbia. With the chance to further cement his legacy, I expect to see extended run against France.
LeBron has played 20+ minutes in just three of the five Olympic Games and has exceeded 31.5 PRA in two of those games. France has changed their rotation and seemingly excised Rudy Gobert from meaningful minutes, while this optimizes Wemby defensively, it also opens up the floor for LeBron.
I expect the King to get into the teeth of the French defense as the engine to Team USA’s offense. I’ll grab over 31.5 PRA.
Pick: LeBron James Over 31.5 PRA (-110) (DraftKings)
Kevin Durant might be at 14.5 by the time you read this, and I'd be content with that.
He's been under for three straight, but Serbia went the way it went and Durant wasn't really needed for Puerto Rico or Brazil.
Here, France should offer KD's pull up jumper, and they're going to need his ability to shoot over the top of Victor Wembanyama, Mathias Lessort, Guershon Yabusele, and potentially Rudy Gobert if he's freed to play in this one — and he probably should be, given the size.
I prefer this at 13.5, of course, but I'm OK at 14.5, I just wouldn't push beyond that.
Pick: Evan Fournier Over 1.5 Threes (Bet365)
By Joe Dellera
Joel Embiid has destroyed both Gobert and Wemby in his recent games against them. Since Rudy Gobert joined the Wolves, Embiid has tallied 32, 39, and 51 points against him and in the one game against Wemby, Embiid had that legendary 70 point performance. While France can throw some other looks at him with Guerschon Yabusele and Mathias Lessort, Embiid's ability to score in a multitude of fashions will be invaluable. Wemby cannot afford foul trouble here, and I expect Team USA to lean heavily on Joel Embiid to start this game. I'll grab over 12.5 points.
Pick: Joel Embiid Over 12.5 Points (-120)
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