Serbia vs. USA Olympic Basketball Semifinal Betting Preview: Odds, Picks

Group USA is one recreation away from the Paris 2024 Males’s Basketball Gold Medal Sport, but it surely has to get by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Serbia to achieve the ultimate.

Oddsmakers see the U.S. as the large favourite, which is sensible given how one-sided the People’ video games have been thus far on this competitors.

The USA (which is -700 to win Gold at DK, in comparison with Serbia at +2000) gained every of its first 4 Olympic contests by no less than 17 factors.

The People’ one-sided victories included a 110-84 romp over Serbia on July 28 in its first recreation of group play. It is value stating, although, that for as dominant because the U.S. appeared within the second half of that recreation, it was solely up 50-47 with 1:14 to play within the second quarter.

Serbia has gained three in a row since opening group play with a blowout loss to the U.S., but it surely hasn’t been simple for Jokic and Co. On Tuesday, they wanted time beyond regulation to beat Australia within the quarterfinals in a recreation through which they trailed by as many as 24 factors at one level within the first half.

And after a blowout win over Group C foe Puerto Rico on July 31, they entered the fourth quarter towards South Sudan with only a five-point lead on August 3.

Serbia vs. USA will tip off at Bercy Area in Paris at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday on USA Community.

Beneath are the unfold, moneyline and complete odds for the lads’s basketball semifinal between Serbia and the USA.

Serbia vs. USA unfold odds

Serbia vs. USA moneyline odds

Serbia vs. USA complete odds

Serbia vs. USA Olympic Betting Evaluation

The largest questions coming into the primary Serbia vs. USA matchup of those Video games have been:

• No. 1: Did U.S. coach Steve Kerr have his lineup and rotation discovered?
• No. 2: What model of Kevin Durant would the People have at these Olympics?

USA seems to have recognized beginning lineup

Kerr has performed a ton of men, with everybody on this roster moreover Tyrese Haliburton having seen important minutes in no less than one of many U.S.’s first 4 video games.

And whereas seven gamers have began no less than one recreation, Kerr began the identical 5 towards each Serbia on July 28 and within the quarterfinal vs. Brazil on August 6: LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker, Jrue Vacation and Stephen Curry.

James, Booker and Curry have began each recreation, whereas Embiid and Vacation have began three and two video games, respectively. Anthony Davis began the South Sudan recreation rather than Embiid, whereas Jayson Tatum began towards South Sudan and Puerto Rico after a stunning DPN in his group’s opener vs. Serbia.

Wholesome Kevin Durant makes Group USA just about unguardable

Durant missed his group’s pre-Olympics exhibition matches as a result of a calf damage which raised considerations over his availability. However all he wanted to make it clear that he was prepared to assist lead his group to a different Olympic Gold Medal was the primary half of the opener vs. Serbia.

Durant’s scorching capturing (8-for-9 from the sphere, together with 5-of-5 from 3) despatched a message to the sphere that even in restricted minutes, he could make a group that’s already laborious to cease that rather more potent.

He posted pedestrian capturing and scoring numbers towards South Sudan, Puerto Rico and Brazil, however the specter of one other scorching capturing night time from Durant makes it laborious to think about something moreover one other snug U.S. victory.

Can Serbia flip the script from 3-point land?

The presence of not simply Jokic, but in addition Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, Warmth ahead Nikola Jovic and former EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic, made Serbia an intriguing darkhorse coming into the Olympics, particularly after Bogdanovic led a roster that didn’t function Jokic to silver on the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

However within the Group C opener, Serbia did not hold tempo with Group USA after halftime as a result of a poor capturing efficiency. When Bogdanovic is at his finest, as he was towards South Sudan (30 factors, eight assists on 10-for-14 FG capturing), Serbia might need an opportunity to hold with the U.S. for 40 minutes.

However Serbia will needn’t solely Bogdanovic, who has revamped 38% of his 3-pointers in his NBA profession, however the complete roster to get scorching from outdoors to ship the People residence.

Serbia made simply 9 of its 37 3-point makes an attempt (24%) towards the People on July 28 — with Jokic and Bogdanovic going simply 3-for-12 from downtown. On the identical time, it allowed Group USA to make 18-of-32 from outdoors, which is the most important cause that recreation bought away from Serbia after halftime.

Within the semifinal rematch, if Serbia can do a greater job retaining monitor of the People’ prime shooters and restrict the USA to round 40% capturing from the perimeter (which is admittedly a lot simpler mentioned than finished), and Jokic and/or Bogdanovic can get scorching, Thursday’s recreation might be as aggressive from begin to end as the primary half of those groups’ earlier matchup.

Serbia vs. USA Prediction, Greatest Bets

Whereas there is definitely a case for Serbia to maintain this recreation shut, particularly if Group USA struggles from past the arc, there is not any denying that the People have far more firepower than Serbia (or anybody else within the Olympics).

The U.S. has gained, and gained large, in quite a lot of methods at these Olympics, and it is nearly unfair {that a} group can have the likes of Durant and Anthony Edwards coming off the bench.

It isn’t unreasonable to take a flier on Serbia to maintain Thursday’s semifinal attention-grabbing for a half, or a bit greater than that. That is very true if Embiid is on the courtroom for prolonged minutes and as soon as once more struggles towards Jokic, which is a definite risk.

The truth is, whether or not you assume Serbia is actually prone to lead this recreation at halftime or not, Serbia first-half moneyline is terribly tempting at practically 5-to-1.

However over 40 minutes, the U.S. is simply too deep to advocate a guess on something aside from the chalk.

Greatest bets:

• Serbia first quarter unfold +5.5 (-112) FanDuel
• Serbia 1H unfold +10.5 (-122 at FD) OR Serbia 1H moneyline (+490 at FD)
• USA -16.5 (-112) FanDuel

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