
After a nail-biter in an exhibition prior to the Olympics which saw Team USA edge South Sudan 101-100, the Americans are back for a bit of revenge on Wednesday as they aim to move to a perfect 2-0 to begin their run at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Jayson Tatum is expected to see some run in this one after riding the bench in an opening win over Serbia as Team USA looks for a way to top Marial Shayok on the wing, but if the line here is any indication oddsmakers aren't entirely sure matchups will play a huge role in deciding the outcome of this one.
Are the South Sudanese a real threat to the Americans, or was last week's scare merely a result of a relaxed attitude from the favorites?
Let's get right into the best way to bet on USA vs. South Sudan in the Men's Basketball competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday, July 31.
Looking to bet on FanDuel? Click here to read about the sportsbook and app.
Olympic Matchups:
Other Matchups:
It's not necessarily a marvel that South Sudan was able to play a competitive exhibition game against the United States a week and a half ago.
The scary part of that one is that South Sudan managed to shoot just 34.5% from 3-point range and did most of its work inside, commanding 55 rebounds to Puerto Rico's 37.
That should have the attention of Team USA here, considering Puerto Rico was a considerably better rebounding side than South Sudan at the FIBA World Cup and the Americans managed to win the battle on the glass in their previous meeting by a margin of two.
The Americans did put forth a good showing on the glass against Serbia and limited them to just 24.3% shooting from outside, but while they did do well on defense they still allowed Nikola Jokic to have whatever he wanted inside and all Serbia's starters had great nights from the field while the bench -- and an insane shooting night from the Americans -- gave them the win.
I think the numbers here should come back down to Earth from 3 against a South Sudan team which has shown it can lock up the perimeter, holding Team USA to just 25% shooting from downtown in their exhibition.
With even some slight regression from the Serbia game and some solid work for the South Sudanese down low this one should be much closer than anticipated.
Best Bet: South Sudan +29.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Team USA is going to need LeBron James in a big way here. He logged a team-high 27 minutes against Serbia and matched the team with 23 minutes in that previous meeting against South Sudan, and with a threat on the wing like Shayok it makes sense for Steve Kerr to continue leaning on one of the greatest basketball players of all time to lift the stars and stripes to victory.
I expect a ton of usage for James again, and with South Sudan most vulnerable to the interior jumpshot and an occasional drive to the rim there's no better man to back to score the ball on Wednesday.
Best Bet: LeBron James Over 15.5 Points (-128 at FanDuel)
© 2005-2024 BALLISLIFE.COM - PO BOX 15355. IRVINE, CA 92623
21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.