2024 Paris Olympics Women’s Handball Odds and Predictions 

By:

Kody Miller

in

Last Updated on

It’s possible France will conduct a clean sweep of the 2024 Summer Olympics. The men’s Olympic handball team are favored to take home gold this year, and the women are right there with them. 

Of course, the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s handball odds suggest the French women are a safer bet to win it all. You can probably bet on both with confidence, but when it comes to betting on the Olympics, anything can happen. 

Should you act now on France’s appealing -135 odds to win gold in women’s handball, or is there another bet that stands out? I’ll take a close look at the latest pricing, inspect how likely it is that the French will win, and work my way to a prediction for what will happen in Paris. 

Odds to Win Women’s Handball Gold in Paris 

France enters the 2024 Summer Games as the clear favorite, but they’re not completely alone up top. Norway also has appealing +160 odds and should be seen as a legit threat. 

Here’s a quick look at how all 12 countries are priced for the women’s handball competition this year. 

Odds to Win Gold in Women’s Handball in 2024 
France -135 Norway +160 
Denmark +600 Sweden +1200 
Netherlands +1400 Germany +2500 
Spain +8000 Hungary +8000 
Brazil +10000 Slovenia +15000 
South Korea +25000 Angola +25000 

After France and Norway we have Denmark, who quickly feel like a longshot bet when you look at the two betting favorites for this market. 

That said, Denmark is still in play, and they’re the only other team with odds south of +1200. Sweden and the Netherlands stand in as the best values with the most realistic shot at stealing the women’s handball gold medal this year, but it might be worth digging deeper for even more upside. 

If you want to stop now and get the gold medal winner for women’s handball at the 2024 Paris Games, I’d roll with either France or Norway. Allow me to break both down a bit further, however, and also point you to a couple extra bets that might be worth your time. 

Why Is France the Women’s Handball Betting Favorite? 

France isn’t a surprising favorite going into the 2024 Paris Games, but they’re not necessarily a home run bet.  

They have nice -135 odds, though, and they’re fresh off of winning gold in Tokyo four years ago. 

They got it done against the Russian Olympic Committee, earning their first gold medal in women’s handball in the process.  

The French women have not been as prolific as the men’s side, who I picked to once again win when I broke down the 2024 Paris Olympics men’s handball odds. It’s not so cut and dry for the women, who have won silver and gold in the last two Olympics, but don’t have a strong history in this category beyond that. 

Still, that’s two elite placings in the competition, and you’re looking at the defending champs. The French women also won the 2023 World Championships and are backed by elite scorers in Grace Zaadi (341 goals) and Estelle Nze Minko (397 goals), so they are about as tough of an out as it gets. 

The thing bettors need to ask themselves is if France is developing into a women’s handball dynasty, or if previously dominant countries such as Norway and Denmark can knock them off their pedestal. 

Top 2024 Paris Olympics Women’s Handball Contenders 

France is a deserving favorite after winning medals in consecutive Olympics, but there are viable contenders. 

If you’re thinking about fading France when betting on who will win gold in women’s handball, start with these two squads. 

Norway +160 

The Norway women have the second best women’s handball odds at the 2024 Paris Games. That makes sense, seeing as they’ve been a mainstay on the podium for over two decades now. 

Norway hasn’t claimed gold in a bit, but they did so back-to-back in 2008 and 2012. They’ve kept themselves in the conversation, too, having won bronze or better in four straight Olympics runs. 

So, are they worth your time in Paris? I’d say so, as they got off to a hot start in Tokyo (5-0 in Group A with an Olympics-leading 170 goals), and even exhibited the best defense that year. 

Unfortunately, Norway got tripped up in the Semi-finals, where they lost by one (27-26) in a tense clash with Russia.  

They went on to wipe the floor with Sweden (36-19) to win bronze. That was a classic example of “too little, too late”, but also served as a reminder of just how dominant Norway can be. 

Their offense basically disappeared once the Knockout games began, but we know how good this team can be at scoring, while their defense remained top shelf. If they can avoid a second round defeat, they remain a very good bet to get to the gold medal game. 

At their +160 odds, I think they’re plenty live to return to the top of the podium and upset France. 

Denmark +600 

The other viable women’s handball contender for Paris has to be Denmark. They’re priced as such, even though they didn’t even make the cut four years ago. 

Traditionally, however, this is a country to fear. The men’s side has been a constant thorn in the side of the French, and I think the women have a good shot at being pesky again in 2024. 

Denmark’s odds don’t necessarily give way to a likely gold medal run, but they’re still in play even though they haven’t gone the distance since the 2004 Athens Games. 

They were a legit dynasty back then, though, having reeled off three consecutive gold medal games. Those days seem to be long gone, but the Denmark women could be turning a corner after finishing third at the World Championship in 2021 and 2023. They also finished second at the European Championship in 2022. 

Anne Mette Hansen leads the charge for a rising Denmark roster, but I’ll admit most of my interest stems from their price and past dominance. There might not be enough tangible evidence to support backing them in 2024. 

Best 2024 Women’s Handball Value Bet for Paris 

It’s easy to quickly sour on the likes of Denmark, as the Olympics are often a “what have you done for me lately” kind of competition. 

That doesn’t mean Denmark’s recent positive form can’t show out and get them back to a medal, but if I’m not backing France or Norway, I’ll probably aim a bit higher. 

You can talk yourself into any of the other nine countries due to pricing alone, but the best women’s handball sleeper has to be Sweden. I also don’t hate the Netherlands at +1400, but Sweden isn’t far off at +1200 and feel like the more complete squad. 

I mentioned already how the Swedes got smoked in the bronze medal game in Tokyo, but it’s worth noting that they at least got there. And as I suggested, losing to Norway in any fashion isn’t exactly embarrassing. 

Sweden, however, was a serious problem four years ago. They went 3-1-1 in group play and scored 152 goals, which was tops in Group B. Their elite offensive potential was on full display immediately in the Quarter-finals, when they dropped 39 goals in a win over South Korea. 

In the Semi-finals, a 29-7-loss to the eventual champion France isn’t anything to hang your head about, either. 

Sweden has kept things competitive since then, finishing 5th and 4th at the World Championship in 2021 and 2023, while also landing in 5th at the 2022 European Championship. 

I don’t think any of this guarantees that Sweden runs the table, but Jamina Roberts and her 600 goals should keep this team in play from an offensive perspective. Here’s to hoping the offense doesn’t die down again when it matters most. 

2024 Paris Olympics Women’s Handball Prediction 

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with backing favorites when betting on the Olympics. I like the French to win on the men’s side, and I’d have zero issue with going with the women in handball, either. 

For this betting market, though, I’m not going with the same country twice. If you like France, there’s not a ton that’s negative to say about them, and -135 for a solid favorite is really not bad at all. 

That said, Norway has major pedigree in this sport, and I think they have some unfinished business to tend to. It’s been four years, but there’s zero chance they’ve forgotten the sting of that close second round defeat. 

Norway is equipped with everything they need to win gold, too. They proved in Tokyo they have the offense to go toe-to-toe with anyone, and they simply need to perform a bit better in the clutch. 

Given their attractive +160 women’s handball betting odds, I don’t mind rolling the dice with them and accessing a little extra value. 

Bet: Norway +160