Lakers News: Odds Revealed for Team USA-France Gold Medal Olympic Final
![Aug 3, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States guard LeBron James (6), small forward Jayson Tatum (10), shooting guard Stephen Curry (4) and center Joel Embiid (11) in the second quarter against Puerto Rico during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports Aug 3, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States guard LeBron James (6), small forward Jayson Tatum (10), shooting guard Stephen Curry (4) and center Joel Embiid (11) in the second quarter against Puerto Rico during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5916,h_3327,x_0,y_270/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_lakers/01j4yj4njknzm4mq92ry.jpg)
After an exciting comeback against Serbia, Team USA has made it to the gold medal round in Men's Basketball at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Now, they face France in a rematch from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics finals.
Both teams have earned their place in the finals, with France beating Germany 73-69 in the semifinals. France has been led by Guerschon Yabusele and reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembenyama throughout the tournament.
Yabusele scored 17 points in their win over Germany on 7-of-11 shooting. He also added seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Wembenyama scored 11 points with seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.
Add on Isaïa Cordinier, Mathias Lessort, and former NBA All-Star Rudy Gobert, and you have the makings of a potentially dangerous team.
However, it's hard to bet against Team USA in this match-up. Not only has the United States won gold in five consecutive Olympics, they have mostly dominated this year's tournament.
The only exception has been against Serbia in the semifinals. Still, multiple player put up huge numbers to give the US the win.
Most notable was Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors, who scored a whopping 36 points on 12-of-19 shooting, nine of which were three-pointers. Another significant factor was Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, who scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
Then, of course, there's the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James, who is the only player in Olympics history to have earned two triple-doubles. The second came against Serbia, where James boasted 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Then there's the rest of Team USA's roster, which has some of the best talent in the NBA, including Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, and Kevin Durant, who set the record for most points scored by an individual at the Olympics.
Add on the fact that this is likely the last Olympics for James, Curry, and Durant, and it's unlikely that the US will settle for anything other than gold.
According to BetMGM, Team USA is coming out as the clear favorite, with a -16.5 spread and a -2000 moneyline. Meanwhile, France has a +16.5 spread with a +900 moneyline.
That being said, it's never smart to bet against another team at the Olympics, especially when gold is on the line. If a few things went different in the semifinals, we could easily have been looking at Serbia taking on France in the final.
USA vs. France is set to start at 12:30 p.m. PT and can be streamed on Peacock, nbcolympics.com, Fubo TV and Sling TV.
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