Betting on Basketball at the Olympics

If you enjoy betting on the NBA, the chances are that you will also enjoy betting on basketball at the Olympics. Of course, there are plenty of similarities between the two, but there are also some notable differences to be aware of.

Summer Olympics Betting Sites

In this guide to betting on basketball at the Olympics, we look at the format of the tournament, discuss all the popular betting markets and highlight the most successful Olympic basketball teams of all time.

Olympic Basketball Format Explained

Men’s basketball has featured at the Summer Olympic Games since 1936, while women’s basketball has been a mainstay on the schedule since 1976. The format has changed over the years, but the current is as follows.

Both the men’s and women’s tournaments comprise 12 teams. The nations are separated into three groups of four, with each team playing three group games.

Once every team has played three games, the top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals, along with the two highest-ranked third-placed teams.

The quarterfinals and semifinals are straight knockout games, meaning the winner of each game progresses to the next round. The final two nations compete for the gold medal, while the losing semifinalists contest the bronze medal game.

NBA Odds

Popular Olympic Basketball Betting Markets

Now that you’re up to speed on the Olympic basketball format, let’s go over the most popular betting markets on offer. From spreads and totals to props and future, there is no shortage of options to take advantage of.

Moneyline

This is undoubtedly the most straightforward option when it comes to betting on basketball at the Olympics. In fact, all you need to do is choose a game and back one of the teams to win.

Point Spread

A point spread enables you to bet on the margin of victory in a game. The bookies’ favorite will have a deficit, while the underdog will have a head start. You need to do decide whether your chosen team will cover the spread.

Game Total

This Olympic basketball betting market allows you to predict the total number of points scored in a game. A sportsbook will typically offer a certain number of points, enabling you to select “over” or “under”.

Props

Will Player A score over 30.5 points in a game? Will Team B score over 80.5 points in a game? Will Player C record over 50.5 rebounds during the tournament? These are a few examples of props that you might come across.

Futures

Futures give you the chance to predict the overall winner of the tournament or the recipient of an award. For example, you could back the United States to win the gold medal, or you might back Kevin Durant to win the MVP award.

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Top Teams in the History of Basketball at the Olympics

The United States has dominated basketball at the Olympics over the years. In fact, the US has won 25 of the 32 gold medals on offer across the men’s and women’s tournaments.

It is worth noting that the Soviet Union (4), Yugoslavia (1), Argentina (1) and Unified Team (1) are the only other teams to have claimed basketball gold.

The United States has won 16 of the 20 men’s tournaments and nine of the 12 women’s tournaments. France and Spain have both won three men’s silvers, while Australia’s women have won three silvers and two bronze medals.

Read our beach volleyball betting guide next, which is another popular event at the Summer Olympics.