Jul 31, 2024; Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France; United States guard Kevin Durant (7) dribbles against South Sudan shooting guard Peter Jok (14) in the fourth quarter during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

• Team USA takes on Brazil in the quarterfinals of the Olympic men’s basketball tournament on Tuesday night in Paris.
• The US men earned the top overall seed, but Brazil is a scrappy team that hits a lot of 3-pointers.
• Check out the section below for our top picks from Tuesday’s game.

The knockout round of the men’s basketball tournament begins on Tuesday in Paris at the 2024 Olympics. All four games will be contested on Tuesday, starting with Germany and Greece. Then Serbia and Australia. Canada and France are next, with USA and Brazil wrapping things up at 3:30 p.m. ET. Tune in to Peacock or NBC to watch LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Team USA take on Brazil.

Brazil vs USA Picks

• Brazil +26.5 (-105)
• Brazil +7.5 first quarter (-110)

There are multiple reasons I like Brazil to keep this game closer than many think. First, Team USA has gotten off to some slow starts this tournament. Heck, in their last game against Puerto Rico, the US trailed 29-25 at the end of the first quarter before coming back to win 104-83. That 21-point win was not big enough to cover the spread, which was in the 30s before tipoff.

This is a US side that consistently lets its opponents hang around. With a team that can get hot from beyond the 3-point arc like Brazil, I expect a few runs to keep the score close. Of course, I still expect Team USA to win and advance to the semifinals against either Serbia or Australia, but I think Brazil will lose by 26 or fewer points.

Along those same lines, I’ll take the Brazilians to cover the 7.5-point first-quarter spread. The only game where the US led by 8+ points at the end of the first quarter in group play was against South Sudan. The South Sudanese squad was talented and proved it can play with the US, but Brazil has more overall talent.

Over at bet365, you can get -105 odds for Brazil to cover the spread and -110 odds for Brazil to keep the game within 7 points at the end of the first quarter.

Brazil vs USA Odds

Odds via bet365 as of Monday, August 5. Use bet365 promo code SBDXLM when you sign up for a new account today and you will be able to claim a choice between two great welcome bonuses — a first-bet safety net of up to $1,000 or $150 in bonus bets when you place your first $5+ wager.

As you can see above, there’s no moneyline available for this game, as the US are likely favored by too much. I explained in the previous section that I like Brazil to cover the 26.5-point spread for the game, but if you want to back Team USA, you can get them at -115 odds. The point total is set at 185.5, with equal -110 odds on the over and the under. Team USA’s 3 group stage games all went went over 186 points, for what it’s worth.

Brazil vs USA Results

Team USA cruised through group play to the knockout round. Yes, they had some sluggish starts and didn’t cover many spreads, as I mentioned earlier, but every win was pretty comfortable.

Here’s a look at Team USA’s results thus far in France, including the team’s leading scorer each game:

• USA 110, Serbia 84 (Kevin Durant — 23 points)
• USA 103, South Sudan 86 (Bam Adebayo — 18 points)
• USA 104, Puerto Rico 83 (Anthony Edwards — 26 points)

Brazil, on the other hand, had to struggle mightily to reach this round. But this team is now battle-tested and is feeling very confident from 3-point range. Here’s a look at Brazil’s results:

• France 78, Brazil 66 (Leonardo Miendl and Felício — 14 points)
• Germany 86, Brazil 73 (Yago Dos Santos — 18 points)
• Brazil 102, Japan 84 (Bruno Caboclo — 33 points)

Who will win and advance to the semifinals on Tuesday afternoon in France? Tune in to Peacock or NBC at 3:30 p.m. ET to find out!

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