2024 Paris Olympics Men’s Beach Volleyball Odds and Predictions

David Ahman/Jonatan Hellvig (Sweden) +100

You won’t often see a team or an individual listed with odds as favorable as those for the Ahman/Hellvig Swedish duo set to hit the “beach” in Paris. As mentioned in the open, this is the top-ranked team in the world, and they’re listed as even-money favorites to take home the gold medal.

This tandem won gold at the Tepic Elite16 event last year, dethroning the Norwegian duo of Anders Mol and Christian Sorum in the process. The Mol/Sorum team has been the world’s most electrifying beach volleyball duo over the past decade, and many view the Swedish victory as an unofficial passing of the torch.

Sweden has gone on to nab another eight gold medals since last year’s triumph. They’re unbeaten in their last 16 matches overall, and the field is going to have a very difficult time toppling this team of 22-year-old superstars.

It sounds insane, but you can argue the +100 odds may be underselling the Swedes’ chances of winning Olympic gold.

Anders Mol/Christian Sorum (Norway) +400

Let’s use an American football analogy to describe the situation set to unfold in men’s beach volleyball this summer. If Åhman and Hellvig are the Kansas City Chiefs of the beach volleyball circuit, we can describe Mol and Sorum as the New England Patriots. We’re past Norway’s golden era, while Sweden is right in the thick of one of their own.

Anders Mol and Christian Sorum took home the gold in this very event at Tokyo 2020, defeating the Russian duo of Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Oleg Stoyanovskiy in the final. It sounds absurd to suggest Mol and Sorum are past their prime, though, considering they’re only 27 and 28, respectively.

The Norwegian team has also won everything under the sun over the past decade or so, so they need not be taken lightly when it comes to their chances of upsetting their Scandinavian neighbors in France. They’ve shown a consistent ability to adapt to their opponents’ style of play, so they’re likely ticketed for another trip to the medal stand this summer.

George Wanderley/Andre Stein (Brazil) +1000

In terms of recent form, you can put the Brazilian tandem of George Wanderley and Andre Stein right there with the decorated Swedish team. Brazil has won five medals already this season. The Swedish team is also the only one in the world with more points than Brazil’s group. Of course, it’s worth noting that the Swedes are more than 2,000 points ahead.

George does most of the defending for Brazil, while Andre is one of the world’s best attacking players. They’ve been playing together for several years, and that cohesion could suit them well on the Olympic stage. They were drawn into a tricky Pool D that also features teams from the United States, Cuba, and Morocco.

Ondrej Perusic/David Schweiner (Czechia) +1200

Ondrej Perusiv and David Schweiner both have strengths that complement each other well. Perusic is one of the world’s most skilled defenders, and he’s terrific at covering all areas of the course. Schweiner, meanwhile, is a menacing presence in front of the net and a very powerful attacking player.

They’ve come a long way in recent years, as well. Perusic and Schweiner teamed up together to represent the Czech Republic at Tokyo 2020, but they were one of the weaker teams in the competition. The Czechs finished just 1-2 and with 4 points to finish at the bottom of Pool B. Each of the other 3 teams in the group – Russia, Latvia, and Mexico – wound up advancing to the round of 16.

There aren’t many teams in this year’s field who also appeared at Tokyo 2020, so perhaps that experience will suit the Czech duo well this summer. These two teamed up to win the 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Mexico last summer to become the first Czech team to ever win the competition.

Let’s not overlook who they beat to win that tournament, either. The Czechs toppled Åhman and Hellvig in a 3-set thriller in the final.

Stefan Boermans/Yorick de Groot (Netherlands) +1400

Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot were ranked as the world’s top men’s beach volleyball team as recently as May of 2022. This Dutch duo won gold at the World Beach Pro Tour Doha Elite16 earlier this year, so they’ll enter the Olympics in impressive form.

That victory pushed them up from No. 14 in the world to No. 7, which was enough to propel them into the field for these Summer Games. Each country can only send a maximum of 2 teams to the Olympics in this competition. Steven van de Velde and Matthew Immers also qualified, which forced Robert Meeuwsen and Alexander Brouwer out of the field. Meeuwsen and Brouwer advanced out of pool play before elimination in the round of 16 at the hands of Mol and Serum in Tokyo 3 summers ago.

Olympics Men’s Beach Volleyball Predictions: Who Wins Gold?

It’s hard to overlook the value in the Mol/Sorum group to win another gold considering they accomplished the feat at the most recent Summer Games. The +400 odds offer real upside, but the Swedish team may just have their number.

That Perusic and Schweiner defeated the Swedes in a high-level competition last year gives me some faith that they can make a run at the gold this time around, too. That head-to-head success should give the Czechs plenty of confidence should the teams meet again in Paris this year. If you want a long-shot, look no further than Perusic/Schweiner at +1400.

However, as lame as it is, I think the favorites are favorites for a reason. Even-money odds won’t offer a ton of profit potential, but this is the best team in the world for a reason. Doubling your money is never a bad investment to begin with.

Bet: Ahman/Hellvig (Sweden) +100