2024 Paris Olympics Men’s Rugby Odds and Predictions

Rugby sevens has endured a long journey to get accepted into the Olympics. The Paris Games mark just the third year of its existence, where the home team comes in as the favorite.

The French look good with their +300 odds, but they share that price with Argentina. That alone demands a breakdown of the Paris Olympics men’s rugby odds, and I’ll gladly try to point you in the right direction.

You can also check out odds for the women’s Olympic rugby competition, but for now, join me as I inspect the odds and offer picks for the men’s side.

2024 Paris Olympics Men’s Rugby Odds

You may already have a good idea as to how to bet on the men’s rugby competition at the Paris Games, but it still pays to shop for good odds.

BetOnline has some of the better prices online, but do yourself a favor and check the top Olympics betting sites to see if you can find better odds.

Either way, the men’s Olympic rugby odds seen here at least serve as a baseline as I break down the top contenders for this tournament.

It’s worth noting that New Zealand joins the co-favorites (France and Argentina) up top, and that trio represent the only teams priced at +350 or better.

The men’s rugby odds for the 2024 Paris Olympics see a considerable spike after those three teams, with Australia and Ireland both offering +1000 prices at online betting sites.

Should we be taking the price gap as a sign that it’s likely just three teams against the world? Probably, but this year’s favorite isn’t exactly an overwhelming favorite, and with a sport like rugby, anything can happen.

There is also insane betting value all across this Olympics betting market, so I’d definitely turn over every stone before finalizing my wagers. Of course, that’s a lot of stones to tend to, with a whopping 24 teams vying for gold.

Team USA has to be seen as a threat despite a +2800 price, especially since the United States is pegged to win the most medals in Paris. Are they actually worth betting on here? Find out as I dive into the top men’s rugby contenders en route to my final prediction.

Why Are France and Argentina the 2024 Men’s Rugby Co-Favorites?

Anytime you have two teams sharing the same odds as co-favorites, you know it’s a tough betting market to peg. 

It may mean you should focus most of your energy on the teams with the most favorite Olympics betting odds, but it doesn’t make picking the correct team any easier.

So, why are France and Argentina seen as the two teams to beat in men’s rugby? Well, for starters, Argentina won the bronze medal four years ago in Tokyo.

They took down Great Britain (17-12) and were solid before the knockout stage, going 2-0-1 with 99 points (tied for most) in group play. They made some progress since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games (5th place), so it’s fair to project them getting even better.

Argentina has been busy since Tokyo, as they finished 5th in the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens, while they’ve racked up seven tourney wins in all since placing third in 2020.

France obviously is appealing for a couple of reasons, not the least of which being the fact that they get to wage war in front of their home crowd.

The French are more than a homer pick, of course, as they have been heating up with a 2024 USA Sevens title, a thirds place finish at the 2024 Canada Sevens, and another title in the 2024 Spain Sevens tourney.

France has nothing to write home about in terms of proven Olympics experience or history. They only made the Olympics in 2016 and managed just a 7th place finish. They didn’t qualify for Tokyo, but they’re back as the host team.

Of the two men’s rugby betting favorites, it’s easy to see why Argentina is a more appealing bet. Personally, I’d be looking for a little more value, and I do think there are enough interesting squads in this competition that can get you back a bit more cash.

Top 2024 Men’s Rugby Gold Medal Contenders

France and Argentina are a fine start, but they’re not the only teams with solid men’s rugby Olympic odds – nor the only teams with talent or proven experience.

There are three other teams that really stand out as viable threats to win the gold medal in men’s rugby in Paris this year.

New Zealand +350

If you’re looking for viable men’s rugby sevens contenders, I’d start with New Zealand. They were the team that claimed silver last time out, with a 27-12 loss to Fiji in the gold medal game.

New Zealand also happens to have the third best men’s rugby Olympics odds, and technically the second best following the co-favorites.

It’s a bit odd that they’re third in line, especially since their form hasn’t really declined. They finished 1st and 3rd at their last two stops at the World Sevens Series, and they also finished second at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens.

New Zealand also won bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and last year claimed gold in the 2023 Oceania Sevens tourney. From top to bottom, they remain a legit Olympics contender.

Fiji +400

What’s crazier than New Zealand not having better odds? How about the back-to-back champions not being favored? 

Fiji is the only men’s rugby team to win gold at the Olympics, and yet here they are, sitting with the fourth best price at online sportsbooks.

That feels off, seeing as they won both gold medals fairly convincingly. They whooped Great Britain back in 2016 (43-7!) and won again fairly easily in Tokyo (27-12).

Fiji really won on the heels of their defense. They scored plenty (85 points in group play), but they allowed just 40 points during a 3-0 run. In their Quarter-final game, they blanked Australia (19-0) in embarrassing fashion, and allowed just 26 total points the rest of the way.

What have they been up to since claiming consecutive gold medals at the Summer Olympics? 

How about winning the 2022 Rugby Sevens World Cup? That granted their re-entry into the Summer Games, and now they get to defend their crown again.

A lack of high-level wins over the past four years do make Fiji a tough sell in general, but they have absolutely dominated in the Summer Games. At +400, it’ll be hard not clicking their name at online sportsbooks.

United States +2800

There are other men’s Olympic rugby sevens contenders with better odds, but why go against the US now? They offer nice value at +2800, and as a country they seem to be a legit threat in a litany of events.

Team USA has made mild strides in two Olympics appearances, finishing 9th in 2016 and working their way up to 6th in Tokyo in 2020. Could that be a sign of more progress to come in Paris? I certainly wouldn’t rule it out.

Madison Hughes (1,588 points) continues to lead the US, who had respectable balance four years ago, but mostly stayed in games due to their defense. They started out fine enough with a 2-0-1 record in group play, and moved on to knock off Canada before getting destroyed by South Africa.

Team USA has enough talent and experience to take a leap. They’re far from a lock, but their +2800 odds and natural progression make them an interesting squad to back in Paris.

Best 2024 Paris Olympics Men’s Rugby Value Bet

While there are several viable contenders to win gold in men’s rugby in Paris, the value is really where you can lose yourself.

Team USA offers plenty of value alone, but as you keep going, the prices are rather wild. If you want to get really crazy, you can look at teams like Spains (+25000) or go for the ultimate home run with China or Hong Kong (+100000).

Personally, I’ll play it more down the middle, as there is an insane value in front of us with Great Britain coming in with a remarkable +10000 price tag.

Those are staggering men’s rugby sevens odds, especially considering Great Britain was competing for a gold medal just eight years ago. Heck, even in Tokyo, they had a chance to place once again in the bronze medal game.

Great Britain didn’t put up a fight against Fiji in Rio de Janeiro, but they did win the silver medal. Four years later, they really gave it a go against Argentina before falling 17-12 in a tight match.

They also come into the Olympics in solid form, having claimed silver at the 2023 European Games. I don’t know if they’ll actually win, but they’ve come awfully close twice now and their +10000 men’s rugby Olympic odds are to die for.

2024 Men’s Olympic Rugby Prediction

I will hear any argument for the co-favorites. I also think this is a fantastic Olympics betting market for just taking a stab at some insane value.

If there’s one value bet that really stands out, it has to be Great Britain. They still have a solid team, and their +10000 price is obnoxious when you look at how they’ve done in the Summer Games.

However, for me, all roads lead back to Fiji.

There have only been two runs of Olympics rugby sevens, and so far they’ve dominated both times. Fiji is still the only country to win gold in this event for the men’s side, and neither of the finals were very close.

Fiji has a capable offense, but they’ve been able to grind teams down with a suffocating defense. If that shows up again at the 2024 Paris Games, I think a three-peat is absolutely in play.

Bet: Fiji +400