Although the United States men’s basketball team failed to cover the spread against South Sudan, it cruised, trailing for all of 71 first-quarter seconds and taking a lead it would never relinquish just over six minutes in. Following a 103-86 blowout of a team it beat by just a single point in the exhibition showcase run leading up to the 2024 Olympics, Team USA sits as the only unbeaten team in Group C. Up next is last-place Puerto Rico, which has dropped its first two contests by 52 combined points.

The USA plays the penultimate match in the Olympic men’s basketball preliminary round on Saturday (11:15 AM ET, USA), before vanquished foes Serbia and South Sudan play for second place in Group C to decide which teams advance from Lile’s Pierre Mauroy Stadium to Paris’ Accor Arena for the knockout stages.

Puerto Rico needs to pull off a monumental upset in order to advance, since it not only needs to win, but do so convincingly to overcome its lopsided point differential and advance as one of the two top third-place teams. Realistically, the Boricuas are playing for pride while the U.S. seeks to finish as the top seed entering the quarterfinals.

USA vs. Puerto Rico odds: Spread, moneyline, total for Group C men’s basketball at Paris Olympics

Here are 2024 Olympic betting odds for the USA vs. Puerto Rico Group C finale, according to consensus prices at top-rated US sportsbooks as of Friday. 

Team USA opened as a 34-point favorite. The total was set at 189. 

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USA betting news and analysis

Neither Jayson Tatum nor Tyrese Haliburton played in the opening win against Serbia, but both participated in the victory over South Sudan, with the Celtics star starting ahead of Jrue Holiday. Head coach Steve Kerr also started Anthony Davis ahead of Joel Embiid at center, as the 76ers star sat out the contest due to a coach’s decision. 

Kerr’s strategy appears to be surrounding LeBron James and Stephen Curry with the three most cohesive pieces, depending on the matchup, but everyone should play in this finale.

Reserve Bam Adebayo led the Americans with 18 points and tied James and Davis with a team-high seven rebounds, while Kevin Durant continued his blistering start by knocking down both of his 3-point attempts. He finished with 14 points in solidifying his role as the team’s sixth man.

Team USA is averaging 106.5 points in its two wins in Lille while surrendering 85. The squad averaged 96.4 through its five exhibitions, allowing 86.2. Durant is leading the team in scoring at 18.5 points per game, while James has averaged 16.5.

Puerto Rico betting news and analysis

Puerto Rico led South Sudan at halftime of its Olympics opener and was looking strong in the second quarter before point guard Jose Alvarado sprained his ankle and limped to the locker room. Although the Puerto Rican side’s only NBA player was able to return in the second half, South Sudan wrestled away control and ultimately surged to a 90-79 victory, despite Alvarado’s 26 points.

The Boricuas never led in a 107-66 Wednesday loss to Serbia that has been the most lopsided result in this tournament to date. Puerto Rico shot 32.9 percent from the field and was outrebounded, 54-24. Nikola Jokic finished one assist shy of a triple-double, and Alvarado was held to just two points in 17 minutes of action, missing all four of his 3-point attempts. 

Veteran forward Chris Ortiz, a native of the Bronx who played at Kent State, led Puerto Rico with 19 points and six rebounds off the bench. Most of the Puerto Rican squad played at American colleges, with Alvarado and Davon Reed boasting the most NBA experience.

USA vs. Puerto Rico props at DraftKings: Plenty of Olympic basketball betting markets to choose from

Here is a sampling of USA vs. Puerto Rico prop bets from DraftKings.

• USA team total: Over 111.5 -115, Under 111.5 -115
• Serbia team total: Over 77.5 -115 Under 77.5 -115
• LeBron James points + rebounds + assists: Over 25.5 -120, Under 24.5 -110
• Stephen Curry points + rebounds + assists: Over 18.5 -110, Under 18.5 -120
• Jose Alvarado points + rebounds + assists: Over 23.5 -115, Under 23.5 -115
• Anthony Davis points + rebounds + assists: Over 17.5 -120, Under 17.5 -110

USA vs. Puerto Rico predictions and picks: Evenly dispersed minutes to produce a perfect finish

Look for the Team USA reserves to get plenty of run in this contest, as Kerr seeks to make sure everyone is in rhythm entering the quarterfinals. It’s recommended that you bet the UNDER on props for James and Curry, who will likely be utilized less than they’ve been. Curry is coming off a 1-for-9 shooting game in which he missed all six of his 3-pointers, but Kerr isn’t worried about his slump becoming prolonged.