On Sunday, the United States won its 58th straight women’s Olympic basketball game, knocking off the Germans by 19 points, 87-68. That ensured the U.S. of being the No. 1 seed when knockout play begins on Wednesday against Nigeria.
Nigeria is the first African team to make it this far in women’s basketball, while on the other side, the U.S. is going for its eighth consecutive gold medal. The Americans are favored to beat the Nigerians by 26.5 points, easily the largest point spread of the quarterfinals. The over/under for the U.S. vs. Nigeria is 157.5, which is nearly 20 points higher than the other three Wednesday games.
The win over the Germans wasn’t the best offensive performance by the U.S. But they forced Germany into 23 turnovers and finished with 12 steals. The U.S. finished the game with 11 more shots than Germany, and they now have 27 steals in three games.
Australia (-8) vs. Serbia
The first quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday features Australia vs. Serbia. The Australians beat France on Sunday to finish 2-1 in their group and advance to knockout basketball. The Serbians lost to Spain in their final game in pool play, and they come into Wednesday’s game as eight-point underdogs.
Australia is paying -360 on the moneyline to advance to the semifinals, which will be played on Friday.
Belgium (-5.5) vs. Spain
The second quarterfinal has Belgium against Spain, with the Spaniards as the only other team besides the U.S. to win all three games in pool play. But Spain’s total point differential was only 10 points in the three games, and they come into Wednesday’s game as 5.5-point underdogs.
Belgium beat Japan by 27 points on Sunday, 85-57, and had the misfortune of being put into Group C with the United States and Germany. Belgium’s record is only 1-2, but they are -230 moneyline favorites to beat Spain and advance to the semifinals.
France (-5.5) vs. Germany
France and Germany head into the knockout stage coming off losses. However, France did look good winning Group B in pool play, winning 75-54 over Nigeria and 75-54 over Canada.
Germany has wins over Japan, 75-64, and Belgium, 83-69. But they are the 5.5-point underdogs against the home country. France is -250 on the moneyline, while a German win and advancement to the semifinals pays +205.
Gold Medal Odds
The United States has dominated women’s basketball like no other, and they are the heavy favorites to extend their Olympic winning streak to 61 games and their gold medal streak to eight. Team USA is -3000 to win gold on Sunday, with France well behind them in second place at +2500.
If you are tempted to bet on the rest of the field against the U.S., you can get +1200 odds.
The favorites to win the MVP are A’ja Wilson at -125 and Breanna Stewart at +120. No one else is below +4000.
With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.
