LeBron James and the United States take on Nikola Jokic and Serbia for a preliminary round matchup in Paris for the 2024 Olympics. It’s time to continue our Olympics odds series with a Serbia-USA prediction and pick.
Serbia is a strong contender to win a medal at the 2024 Olympics. Led by the 3-time NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic has a solid core around him featuring three more NBA players. Nikola Jovic (Miami Heat), Vasilije Micic (Charlotte Hornets), and Bogdan Bogdanovic (Atlanta Hawks) round out the stars on the roster. Filip Petrusev is a former second-round draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers, who currently plays for Olympiacos Piraeus in Greece. According to the FIBA world rankings, Serbia is ranked 4th behind USA, Spain, and Germany.
The United States understands anything short of gold is a failure. Led by King James, the roster is stacked featuring the best players of our latest generation. Steph Curry is the greatest shooter on the planet and continues to shoot lights out every time he steps on the court. Kevin Durant remains unguardable and if healthy, could be the top scorer for the Americans. Those three are the leaders and are followed by a young core of superstars. We all know what Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis will do, but Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton, and Bam Adebayo are ready to shine in front of the world and they will be major contributors in Paris.
Here are the 2024 Olympics Men’s basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
2024 Olympics Odds: Serbia-USA Basketball Odds
Serbia: +12.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +610
USA: -12.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -950
Over: 181.5 (-110)
Under: 181.5 (-110)
How to Watch Serbia vs. USA in Paris
Time: 11:15 am ET/8:15 am PT
TV: NBC, Peacock
Stream: (Click Here for Free Trial)
Why Serbia Will Cover the Spread/Win
Jokic will need to command the Serbians just as he does with the Denver Nuggets. He will be the focal point for the USA defenders and rightfully so. He may have a tough time scoring right away but the more he opens up the floor by finding his teammates for good looks, then Serbia will stay in the game. During the showcase, USA struggled to pull away from opponents, however, they happened to handle Serbia rather easily. It took a game-winner from LeBron to beat South Sudan and the King also had to hit every shot late against Germany to go out on top. Jokic and the Serbians are aware of that and realize they have a chance to capitalize knowing the Americans may not be at their best at the moment.
Serbia is on a 2-game win streak currently where they played very good ball. That is crucial for right now. They also defeated France early in the month, followed by wins against Japan and Greece. When they faced the United States back on July 17, the Americans got the best of them by winning 105-79. Jokic struggled and as a result, they couldn’t get back into the game. Captain Bogdan Bogdanovic also didn’t play in that game as they were on the second night of a back-to-back in Abu Dhabi. Jokic finished with just two assists in that contest and knows he needs to get his teammates involved if he wants to cover this spread.
Aleksa Avramovic had 14 points in the loss but did hit two threes. Filip Petrusev had 11 on 5-6 shooting. Those two must be on their game alongside Bogdanovic to give Jokic and the Serbians the best possible chance of winning.
Serbia is 0-2 all-time against Team USA.
Related NewsArticle continues below
Why USA Will Cover the Spread/Win
In this year’s showcase to prep for Paris, the United States finished 5-0, scoring 96.4 points per game. Furthermore, they also had 8.2 steals per game and shot just under 50% at 49.7% and 36.1% from deep. They help opponents to 41.5% from the floor.
The Americans have a masterful 138-5 record, 16 gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal. Team USA has won four straight gold medals (2008, 2012, 2016, 2020).
The best news for the Americans is that the Slim Reaper, Kevin Durant is on pace to play tomorrow. His health is crucial for the Americans to win gold. He may not be needed for a game or two, but if they want to go on a run, he must be available.
Steve Kerr has a plan for Jokic. When Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis are on the court together, then Jokic has a tough time dealing with those two elite defenders. Jokic shot 32% in the game and Davis had six total blocks, with some coming against the 3-time NBA MVP. Expect those two to be on the floor together a ton tomorrow.
Final Serbia-USA Prediction & Pick
I like Team USA to cover this spread. Jokic and Serbia are more than capable of playing well and keeping it close, but I do expect USA to separate when needed to cover the 12.5-spread.
Click here for more betting news & predictions
Final Serbia-USA Prediction & Pick: USA -12.5 (-110)
The content of this article is for entertainment and educational purposes only, and ClutchPoints makes no warranty to the accuracy of the information given or outcome of any sporting event. Gambling is not offered on this website, and all betting content is intended for audiences ages 21+. All picks and predictions are based on each individual writer’s opinion, and don’t express that of ClutchPoints. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
