2024 Paris Olympics: A Bettor’s Guide To The Summer Games

By:

Rick Rockwell

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Last Updated on

The Summer Olympics return to Paris for the third time in the history of the Modern Olympic Games. “The City of Love” also hosted the Summer Games in 1900 and 1924 as well. This year, France and city officials are going all out to make the Olympics a spectacle unlike any games before. 

In addition to new events making their Olympic debut, the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Games will not be held in a stadium. For the first time in the history of the modern Olympics, the 2024 Summer Games will feature an Opening Ceremony that takes place on a flotilla of boats parading down the Seine. 

If you are looking to bet on the Olympics, we’ve got you covered. Continue reading our Bettor’s Guide to the 2024 Summer Olympics as we answer all of your questions, examine how to bet on the Paris Games, take a look at all of the scheduled competitions, and more. 

How Often Is The Olympic Games?

The Olympic Games are held every four years. However, since 1994, the Winter and Summer Olympics are held every two years apart. With the Paris Games taking place this summer, the next Olympics will be the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. However, the next Summer Games will be in 2028 from Los Angeles. 

When Are The Paris Olympics?

The Paris Olympics officially begin on July 26, 2024, with the Opening Ceremony taking place on the Seine. However, both the soccer and rugby events will begin on July 24. The XXXIII Olympiad will close on August 11. 

Due to Paris hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics, the 2024 Tour de France had to adjust its route in order to accommodate the Olympics. For the first time ever, the Tour de France will not finish in or near Paris. 

How To Watch Paris Olympics?

NBC will broadcast the 2024 Paris Olympics in the United States. Although France is six hours ahead of the East Coast, NBC will broadcast or stream at least nine hours of coverage throughout each day. Peacock will also stream the majority of events including full replays. Telemundo, an NBCU-owned station, will provide Spanish coverage in the United States. The BBC will broadcast the Olympics in the United Kingdom.

Can You Bet On The Summer Olympics?

Yes, you can bet on the Summer Olympics. Since wagering on sports became legal across the U.S., in 2018, betting on the Olympics has greatly increased in popularity. The best sports betting sites offer odds and prop bets for every competition including overall Olympic medal counts. 

How To Bet On The Summer Olympic Games?

Betting on the Summer Olympics encompasses many strategies including handicapping individual events. ScoresAndStats.com will provide previews and predictions for most of the Paris Olympic events. However, there are some general strategies you can use when looking to bet on the 2024 Summer Olympics:

  • Shop around for the best value: By having multiple accounts at various sportsbooks, you can shop around for the best odds on the Summer Olympic events or athletes that you want to wager on.
  • Study Olympic Trials: The Summer Olympic Trials are a great way to learn more about some of the favorites for various competitions and events. You can gauge how they look and perform, which will help to better handicap your Olympic bets. 
  • Check all available markets: Don’t just focus on moneylines or spreads. Take a deeper dive into the available betting markets for each event. You might find some great value on futures or other Olympic prop bets. 
  • Watch the Exhibitions: Another tool at your disposal is to watch exhibition games or matches in order to gauge the talent, health and viability of various teams and athletes. For example, there will be men’s basketball exhibition games leading up to the Paris Olympics. Check out how well these teams play together and see if the favorites are worth betting on. You might find a few sleepers to wager on. 
  • Check out the fringe sports: Just because you aren’t as familiar with newer events like break dancing, doesn’t mean you should avoid them. In fact, you might be able to find excellent betting value as sportsbooks are also new to handicapping these events as well. 

How Many Sports Are In The 2024 Summer Olympics?

In total, the 2024 Paris Olympics will feature 45 different sports consisting of 329 medal events. 41 of these sports are considered mainstay sports for the Olympics. Over 10,500 athletes from 206 countries will compete in the Paris Olympic Games. 

Olympic Games Schedule

The following is an Olympic Games List of events, dates and locations for the Paris Summer Games:

Olympic Games ListOlympic Games DatesOlympic Games Locations
ArcheryJuly 25 to August 4Esplanade des Invalides
Artistic GymnasticsJuly 27 to August 5Bercy Arena
Artistic SwimmingAugust 5 to 10The Aquatics Centre
AthleticsAugust 1 to 11Stade de France, Esplanade des Invalides
BadmintonJuly 27 to August 5Porte de La Chapelle Arena
BasketballJuly 27 to August 11Bercy Arena
Basketball 3×3July 30 to August 5Place de la Concorde
Beach VolleyballJuly 27 to August 10Champ de Mars – Eiffel Tower Stadium
BoxingJuly 27 to August 10Roland-Garros Stadium, North Paris Arena
BreakingAugust 9 to 10Place de la Concorde
Canoe SlalomJuly 27 to August 5Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium
Canoe SprintAugust 6 to 10Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium
Cycling BMX FreestyleJuly 30 to 31Place de la Concorde
Cycling BMX RacingAugust 1 to 2Esplanade des Invalides
Cycling Mountain BikeJuly 28 to 29Elancourt Hill
Cycling RoadJuly 27 to August 4Pont Alexandre III
Cycling TrackAugust 5 to 11Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome
DivingJuly 27 to August 10The Aquatics Centre
EquestrianJuly 27 to August 6Chateau de Versailles
FencingJuly 27 to August 4Grand Palais
Field HockeyJuly 27 to August 9Stade Yves-du-Manoir
GolfAugust 1 to 10Golf National
HandballJuly 25 to August 11South Paris Arena
JudoJuly 27 to August 3Champ de Mars
Marathon SwimmingAugust 8 to 9Pont Alexandre III
Modern PentathlonAugust 8 to 11Chateau de Versailles, North Paris Arena
Rhythmic GymnasticsAugust 8 to 10Porte de La Chapelle Arena
RowingJuly 27 to August 3Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium
Rugby SevensJuly 24 to 30Stade de France
SailingJuly 28 to August 8Marseille Marina
ShootingJuly 27 to August 5Chateauroux Shooting Centre
SkateboardingJuly 27 to August 7Place de la Concorde
SoccerJuly 24 to August 10Parc de Princes, Stade Velodrome, Bordeaux Stadium, Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium
Sport ClimbingAugust 5 to 10Le Bourget Climbing Venue
SurfingJuly 27 to 31Teahupoʻo, Tahiti
SwimmingJuly 27 to August 4Paris La Defense Arena
Table TennisJuly 27 to August 10South Paris Arena
TaekwondoAugust 7 to 10Grand Palais
TennisJuly 27 to August 4Roland-Garros Stadium
TrampolineAugust 2Bercy Arena
TriathlonJuly 30 to August 5Pont Alexandre III
VolleyballJuly 27 to August 11South Paris Arena
Water PoloJuly 27 to August 11The Aquatics Centre
WeightliftingAugust 7 to 11South Paris Arena
WrestlingAugust 5 to 11Champ de Mars

Will There Be Any New Sports In The 2024 Paris Olympics?

Breaking, more commonly known as break dancing, is the only new sport making its Olympic debut. However, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing are all appearing for the second time after debuting in the 2020 Tokyo Games. The 2028 Summer Olympics will see flag football and squash make their debuts.

Making a list of popular sports can be subjective, but there’s no doubt that the following events are global attractions based on the sports themselves and the athletes involved: 

  • Tennis: With Wimbledon finishing up a few weeks prior, some of the sport’s biggest stars like Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek will head to France to compete for Olympic Gold. 
  • Basketball: Since 1992, NBA Teams have allowed to compete in the Olympics. That also means that some of the most popular athletes in the world like LeBron James and Luka Doncic will be in Paris this summer. It’s hard to argue that there’s an Olympic sport with bigger stars than basketball. 
  • Gymnastics: Gymnastics is one of the most-watched Olympic events as they are equally artistic, athletic and jaw-dropping. Simone Biles is the face of Olympic gymnastics, but there will be new stars made in Paris this summer.  
  • Swimming: You can’t think of Summer Olympics without swimming. Katie Ledecky returns for gold and her place among the all-time greats like Michael Phelps, but Caeleb Dressel, Kaylee McKeown and Leon Marchand will all shine in their respective swimming events. 
  • Cycling: Professional cycling is an insanely popular sport in Europe. In fact, many cyclists currently competing in the 2024 Tour de France will remain in Paris to compete for Olympic gold.
  • Track and Field (Athletics): Although the Paris Olympics don’t have a global star like Usain Bolt, track and field (athletics) will always remain at the forefront of the Summer Olympics as fans love to see supernatural speeds. 
  • Soccer: The world’s most popular sport is a thrilling spectacle during the Olympics as some of the highest-profile athletes compete for gold and glory. Although the 2024 Euros and Copa America are finishing up their exciting tournaments this summer, they pale in comparison to the magnitude of Olympic Soccer

What Are The Oldest Sports In The 2024 Summer Olympics?

The modern Olympic Games began in 1896, as it was reborn from long-lost ancient Greek traditions. So, it was fitting that Athens was the host of the first modern Olympics. Since then, the following sports are not only the oldest Olympic events, but they have been part of almost every Summer Olympic Games:

  • Athletics (since 1896)
  • Cycling (since 1896)
  • Fencing (since 1896) 
  • Gymnastics (since 1896)
  • Swimming (since 1896)
  • Tennis (1896-1924, since 1988)
  • Weightlifting (1896, 1904, since 1920)
  • Wrestling (1896, since 1904)

2024 Summer Olympic Games Locations

The 2024 Paris Olympics will be held in 35 different venues spanning across 17 French cities and Tahiti, which is a French Polynesian island. The Stade de France, the country’s largest stadium, will act as the main Olympic Stadium for the 2024 Summer Games. 

When Is The Next Olympics?

The next Olympic Games will be the 2026 Winter Olympics. Also referred to as the Milano Cortina 2026, the XXV Winter Olympic Games will be held in Milan and Cartina d’Ampezzo, Italy. 

When Is The Next Summer Olympics?

The next Summer Olympics will take place in 2028, and held in Los Angeles, California. Also called the LA28 or XXXIV Olympiad, the 2028 Summer Olympics will mark the third time that Los Angeles has been host to the Summer Games. Additionally, Los Angeles joins Paris and London as the only cities to host the Summer Games on three separate occasions. 

About the Author
Rick Rockwell
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With over 20 years of sports writing experience, Rick has covered every major organization or event from the NFL to the UFL, the Tour de France to the French Open, and SummerSlam to slamming down Hot Dogs on the 4th of July. The only thing that can match his passion for sports is his love for pizza.
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