Although it is still unclear whether they will go smoothly, let's lift the veil of mystery, look at the rapidly moving Olympic train, and try to predict the best bets! So, the 2021 Olympics.
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Bets on Tokyo Olympics 2021 – Basketball Tournament
Summer Olympics 2021 – Group Stage
We cannot deny that basketball is a second religion in Lithuania. No matter how we look at it, even without our national team, the Olympic basketball tournament generates the most interest and excitement. Will the USA continue their Olympic dominance? Or will elite European teams, a victory-hungry Australia, a sensational Nigeria, or an unpredictable Argentina dethrone the team that didn't perform well in the qualifiers? There are many questions we want answers to.
Group A – Intrigue Beneath the Surface
Group Teams: USA, France, Czech Republic, Iran
Predicted Standings:
- USA
- France
- Czech Republic
- Iran
Czech Republic:
First of all, in Group A, we need to highlight not the NBA stars earning tens of millions, but the Czech basketball players who created a kind of sensation. They impressed the basketball and sports world so much that the team captain – guard T.Satoransky – even had the honor of carrying his country's flag at the opening ceremony. However, despite the small miracle, it would be naive to expect that a team with players from 3-4 elite clubs could strongly compete against the USA or France. The best scenario for the team is to unexpectedly defeat France and take 2nd place in the group, which would allow them to advance directly to the quarterfinals. Otherwise, they can only hope that a big win against Iran would give them a ticket to the quarterfinals as one of the two best third places.
Recommended bets: fairly high Czech scoring, more than 12 points USA victory over France.
USA:
If in 1992 in Barcelona, M.Jordan, S.Pippen, M.Johnson, and other NBA stars simply crushed their opponents from Europe and the rest of the world, the further we go, the less threatening the opponents from across the Atlantic seem. Even the super talented USA team in 2008 and 2012 had to sweat to beat stronger teams. Still, in the basketball world, there are no players good enough to defend one-on-one against a hot K.Durant or D.Booker. Only through teamwork and very good shooting can one hope to beat the USA team, as Nigeria showed us in the qualifiers. However, looking objectively, it is naive to expect that anyone other than France will pose a serious challenge.
France:
Not so long ago, France, even with NBA players T.Parker and B.Diaw, was just a good, but certainly not elite European team. Now, in recent years, this team is one of the two strongest, constantly participating in finals or knocking on their door. However, the Tokyo Olympic qualifiers suggest that France's time may be coming to an end. The athletic team has a fairly experienced core, made up of well-known names in both Europe and the USA. Six players are from the NBA, but in friendly matches, France managed to win only once out of four attempts. It is likely that France will need time to get into the groove, so this team, if it starts playing better basketball, will do so only in the later stages of the tournament.
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Iran: is anyone handing out medals for honorable performance at the Olympics? Iran deserves them. In a truly competitive group, the team led by H.Haddadi would not be disappointed if they managed to compete against significantly superior (on paper) opponents or shake the hoops with a few powerful dunks. Iran, along with Japan, is considered one of the tournament's underdogs, but even against Japan, Iran lost 4 out of 5 friendly matches. The last victory for the Shiite state team was celebrated back in 1948, and it certainly seems that a new victory will have to wait at least another 4 years.
Group B – Where Nothing Seems Clear
Group Teams: Germany, Australia, Italy, Nigeria
Predicted Standings:
- Australia
- Nigeria
- Italy
- Germany
Germany:
Although Germany is predicted to finish 4th, we certainly cannot call them a weak basketball team. In the qualifying tournament, the Germans defeated the much more favorably viewed Brazilians and hosts Croatians, so this team certainly has the talent and potential to surprise us. The problem is that the team lacks true leaders. Although many can step up, once you stop 2-3 people, Germany will have nothing to offer in offense. It's hard to say whether the absence of D.Schroder, who had a lackluster NBA season but is considered the team's leader, is really painful. The team seemed to play well without him. Whatever results Germany shows, this team will do it in their own way and at least in the qualifiers played a sympathetic, eye-pleasing basketball. We wouldn't want them to become cannon fodder.
Australia:
If the favorite is not the USA, then the entire basketball world talks about Australia. This team consists of many NBA players and faces well known to basketball enthusiasts in Lithuania. Australia will be a tough nut to crack for the second Olympics in a row, but there is a problem – the team seems to be cursed with a medal drought. With the format change, the team has the best chances to go straight to the farthest stage and beat the strongest opponents. It would be hard to find a position where Australia lacks offensive talent. The only problem is the short guard lineup. Against teams where the ball is controlled by players like L.Dončić, K.Durant, or the faster R.Rubio, it will be very difficult to prevent easy points. However, there is enough talent to achieve great things.
Italy:
Italy can achieve a lot in the Olympic Games, even without being favorites… Lithuanian basketball fans remember this well from 2004. The current Italian team is quite similar – many good players who shoot well from long distances, and there is not much discipline in defense. The clear leader of the team is NBA veteran D.Gallinari, who wears the Atlanta Hawks jersey, but whether his playing style is suitable for leading the team against evenly matched and stronger teams, rather than just allowing three-pointers from semi-open situations one after another – a good question. Although Italy defeated the hosts Serbia in the qualifying tournament and caused a bit of a sensation, it doesn't seem that Italy will surpass the other teams they will compete against for medals.
Nigeria:
Many remember the Nigerian team because, in the 2012 Olympic basketball tournament, NBA star C. Anthony scored 37 points in 14 minutes against them. The team, which looked quite decent, did not show serious resistance. Now – everything is different. In almost their first friendly match, the team defeated the USA in a close fight. Of course, it wasn't just talent; the African team's players shot three-pointers very well. They also lost by almost 40 points to Australia in the qualifiers but defeated Argentina. The youngest team in the tournament will certainly not be the easiest to predict, but it seems that they have more than enough potential to beat some opponents from the group.
Group C – when the hosts struggle
Group teams: Japan, Slovenia, Spain, Argentina
Predicted ranking:
- Spain
- Slovenia
- Argentina
- Japan
Japan:
If you are a professional basketball player representing Japan, then you can rub your hands together that your country decided to host the Olympic Games. The host team always gets a direct ticket to the tournament. It is likely that Japan could only make it to this tournament in the case of a very big sensation. Although experts name this team as the second weakest in the tournament, Japan managed to surprise even in the qualifiers and defeated a struggling France. Will there be more surprises? If there were more vulnerable teams in the group than those we have now – maybe, but against Slovenia, Argentina, and Spain, the hosts have almost no chance.
Slovenia:
Those looking for a team to support in the tournament instead of Lithuania should definitely choose the Slovenian team led by L. Dončić. This is definitely the strongest team that made it to the Tokyo Olympics through the qualifying tournament. And although they broke our fans' hearts, Slovenia really plays attractive, free basketball and has, probably, one of the two or three best basketball players not only in the Olympics but in the whole world. Slovenia's strength is L. Dončić and the ability of the players around him to hit three-pointers. Slovenia's weakness is defense, but we can see that in modern basketball, good offense can bring down good defense… If the opponents are favorable, Slovenia can go all the way to the final…
Argentina:
Understanding this Argentine team would be very difficult. The style of play, the lineup, the defensive schemes, and every element associated with it are very unique. And although this did not bring good results in the qualifiers (the team lost all three friendly matches played, with an average margin of 18 points), the lineup looks really fierce, and we must believe that Argentina will be able to compete with all opponents. It can be said that a lot of the game's success will depend on the offense and how well the small guards F. Campazzo and N. Laprovittola feel the rhythm of the game and whether it will be easy to break the opponents' defenses. Although the team has potential, it is hard to see how they could beat Spain or Slovenia in a close fight…
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Spain:
If experience plays a serious role in the tournament, then Spain will definitely go, and probably all the way to the final. In friendly matches, we saw a good form of Spain – they won against France (twice), achieved two more victories, and lost only to a very angry USA team. The biggest concern for skeptics is that the core of the Spanish team is indeed older. P. Gasol, R. Fernandez, S. Rodriguez, M. Gasol, and S. Llull are all over 33 years old, and P. Gasol is already 41… If age does not become an obstacle, Spain can close this era of their basketball generation with a bang and pave the way for a new one. Otherwise, the generational change may be a more unpleasant formality.
Olympic Games – which basketball bets are not worth your attention?
We reviewed the teams and made predictions about how they will rank after the group stage. However, there is one very important detail… There are always surprises in tournaments, and they are impossible to predict. As it happens, it should also be mentioned that sometimes the opinion of most experts can be completely off the mark. The real world and the outcome of real matches are very different from what we see on the court. So, in this paragraph, we will provide four additional predictions on what not to bet on, at least until one or another match is played.
Italy will advance from their group:
Italy is not a team that demonstrates stable basketball. In an evenly matched group, they can take second place, but also fourth. Having played quite averagely all the time, in the qualifying tournament, Italy looked like a final four team with accurate three-pointers from the board and very good positional play. The team's lineup consists of very one-dimensional players. If they are hitting, then they can outplay anyone, but if the shooting is average or even worse, there will be a close fight even with a second-tier team… Italy's success is a risky bet.
USA will win the tournament:
In the 2019 FIBA World Basketball Championship and these Olympic Games, you can almost smell the sentiment in the air that the USA can indeed be beaten. You just need to handle their fast breaks and avoid mistakes, and then even a lower-caliber team can give a serious fight. Yes, Kevin Durant can score 30 points, yes, individually there are no players with greater skill, but when we talk about team basketball, the USA team gathered late (3 players arrived 1 day before the tournament), so it's hard to talk about organized and successful basketball. Although it wouldn't be surprising if they won, it also wouldn't be shocking if they were defeated by Spain, France, or even Slovenia in the semifinals.
Argentina is the weakest in the group (among the strong ones):
It would be very shortsighted to write off such an experienced team composed of players with high basketball IQ so early. It is likely that the veteran team is preparing their best form for the decisive battles, so it is unrealistic to think that the games lost by double digits in the qualifiers proportionally reflect the capabilities and ambitions of the 2019 FIBA World Championship finalists. The biggest dark horse of the tournament is definitely Argentina, and it would be a mistake to write them off.
Nigeria will advance from their group:
Like Italy, Nigeria is also a somewhat unpredictable team. It seems that one day they play like the world's elite, but another time, even against an opponent who is “on paper” weaker, the team shows low-quality basketball. Nigeria received a lot of media attention when they defeated the USA, but let's not forget that in 2004, Puerto Rico did the same thing in the Olympics, and they didn't show many more good results. Although we would like this team to succeed, it is very likely that the strongest African team will be a one-hit wonder.
Tokyo Games 2021 – Athletics
Olympics 2021 – Which Events Will Be the Most Popular?
The battles taking place in the athletics arena receive perhaps the most attention in all Olympic Games. This time is no exception. Although we won't have the stars many have grown accustomed to (e.g., U. Bolt), the intrigue does not diminish. Let's review what experts predict and which events will attract the most attention in the athletics arenas.
- 100m and 200m sprint
- 4x100m relay sprint
- 1500m run
- Discus throw
- High jump
- Pole vault
Looking at this list of events, we can highlight a few favorites. Among sprinters, U.S. representatives dominate, while among women, a slight advantage is predicted for Jamaicans. Naturally, everyone expects that in the team relay sprint, the U.S. and Jamaica will again compete for gold. In the prestigious 1500m run, triumph is predicted for Kenyan representatives in both men's and women's events.
The Most Attention-Grabbing Events and Betting Predictions
Let's take a closer look at each event and try to see who will be the main favorites in the Olympics. The review will cover predictions for only one gender's competition.
Tokyo Olympics 2021 – 100m Sprint (Men)
The 100m sprint, considered the most prestigious event in athletics, is a race lasting less than 10 seconds, where the winner is determined by hundredths, sometimes even thousandths of a second. Nowadays, you can't expect to run in the final if the sprinter completes the distance in more than 10 seconds, and U. Bolt raised the bar to new heights when he completed the distance in just 9.58 seconds. In the current list of sprinters, there is no athlete as fast, but the favorites are: Trayvon Bromell (USA), Andre De Grasse (Canada), and Ronnie Baker (USA) in that order.
Best Season Results:
- Trayvon Bromell (USA) – 9.77s
- Andre De Grasse (Canada) – 9.99s
- Ronnie Baker (USA) – 9.85s
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Tokyo Olympics 2021 – 200m Sprint (Men)
Alongside the 100m sprint, it is always very interesting to watch the 200m run, where usually the same names dominate, winning medals in the twice shorter distance. In previous times, we were always used to seeing the Jamaican U. Bolt, but this time it will be different. It is worth mentioning that, like in the 100m sprint, bookmakers and experts have a lot of confidence in the Canadian Andre De Grasse‘s chances, although he does not occupy the highest places in the best season results list. Predicted ranking (best season result)
- Noah Lyles, USA (19.74s)
- Andre De Grasse, Canada (19.89s)
- Kenneth Bednarek (19.78s)
4x100m Relay Sprint (Women)
This event cannot be excluded, as it features one of the biggest rivalries and battles in almost the entire sports world. For a long time, only two forces have dominated the Olympics – the USA and Jamaica. Constantly taking the champion title from each other, this time the favorites are the Jamaican sprinters.
Olympic Games – 1500m Run (Men)
The royal middle-distance event, the 1500m run tests runners' endurance and ability to sprint in the final seconds. For those who love real battles in the athletics arena, there is nothing more impressive than those last 200 meters, which athletes complete by giving their all and competing for every millimeter. The truth is that only four runners this year ran under the very impressive 150 seconds or 3:30 min mark. Here are the predicted medalists (best season result) in order from gold to bronze.
- Timothy Cheruiyot, Kenya (3:28.28)
- Jakob Ingebrigsten, Norway (3:29.25)
- Olli Hoare, Australia (3:33.19)
Tokyo Olympics 2021 – Discus Throw (Men)
With nostalgia, we can remember the time when it was almost guaranteed that our Olympic star, V. Alekna, would bring home a medal from the Olympics. The Olympic champion is one of the best discus throwers of all time. In the current Olympics, we have our own Andrius Gudžius (best season result – 68.62m), who, according to experts, will compete for 4th-7th places or might even win bronze, but that would be a kind of surprise. Two medals are predicted for the Swedes, and one for the Slovenian. Here is the predicted ranking (best season result).
- Daniel Stahl, Sweden (71.4m)
- Kristijan Čeh, Slovenia (70.35m)
- Simon Petterson, Sweden (69.48m)
High Jump (Women)
Another sport where we have an athlete who can compete for a medal. Although this year Airinė Palšytė recorded only the 25th best season result, her personal record would place her very close to the medalists, so if it's a good day, the Lithuanian can certainly surprise many. However, everyone senses that the real battle will be between the Russian (competing under the Olympic flag) M. Lastiskene and the Ukrainian Y. Mahuchikh. Both have the same personal records, but this year, the Ukrainian born in 2001 jumped 3cm higher. The bronze medal is predicted for the American V. Cunningham.
Tokyo Olympics 2021 – Pole Vault
Do you remember how U. Bolt dominated in sprinting? Older people might also remember the Ukrainian Sergey Bubka, who was the first to jump over 6m and broke his own records 35 times. His jump to 6.14m was the world record for 25 years until it was broken by the current pole vault wunderkind – the Swede A. Duplantis. He is the undisputed leader in this sport, and this year his best result is 18cm better than any other athlete. The gold is in the Swede's hands, and the others will have to settle for what's left…
