Prediction, Odds & Betting Tips for Serbia vs. USA at Olympic Basketball
Prediction, Odds & Betting Tips for Serbia vs. USA at Olympic Basketball
USA is the top favorite to win the gold medal at the Olympics, yet Serbia stands as one of the teams that could beat Steve Kerr’s crew. During the test period, we saw that such an outcome wouldn’t be likely when these two units met. The Americans smashed Serbia, who was shorthanded, sending a strong message to Jokic and the boys.
Serbia
The Serbs have mixed success during the test period. They would lose both matches in Dubai against Australia first, 84-73, and then against Serbia 105-79. However, don’t be deceived by these poor results because some of their key stars skipped these events, like Bogdan Bogdanovic or Nikola Milutinov.
Bogi is one of the best shooters in the NBA, and his presence on the court is huge, particularly because Jokic has way more options with him onboard.
The team, in general, is adaptable and fluid, as any, with Jokic leading the way. A big concern might be Vasilije Micic’s poor form, as he didn’t show much of his talent during the preparation period.
USA
What can we say about Team USA that you already didn’t know? They escaped death against South Sudan, 101-100, with the officials not calling for a clear foul on one of the Sudanese players, but they are the ultimate favorite to take the gold.
LeBron, Steph, Durant, Ant, etc., are all elite, and there isn’t a team in the world with a roster that’s even similar to the American. They can hold an incredibly high pace for all 40 minutes.
There were some rocky stretches in their games, but in the end, everything fell perfectly into place. From what we saw, the outside shooting will be their primary weapon because of the high percentages in decisive moments of every test game played.
Serbia: Micic, Bogdanovic, Marinkovic, Jovic, Jokic
USA: Curry, LeBron, Holiday, Tatum, Embiid
The match in Dubai saw the Americans win 105-79. The teams were even until the latter part of the second quarter when the Americans (read Curry) started blasting from three-point territory. That part broke the Serbs, who simply broke in the second half.
Team USA will win here and probably with 10+ points. We don’t believe that the Serbs will be inferior like in the opening event, but the difference will kick in when Jokic exits. Also, even if he plays for 40 minutes, the Serbs will have a problem with the point guard position unless Micic explodes, and even then, he needs to face Holiday or White to guard him.
Our verdict: USA +10