The U.S. team already has a chance to win a medal, facing Serbia in the Olympic semifinals on Thursday.
Nikola Jokic leads a strong Serbia team that will give Team USA a hard time every time he steps on the court.
Serbia lost 110-84 to the United States in the group stage of the Olympics, but this team is completely transformed when Jokic steps on the court.
Jokic’s plus-minus during the historic comeback against Australia was +17 and -12 in the seven minutes he didn’t play.
The U.S. is a 16-point favorite going into the match and is at -1800 on the money line going into the gold medal game.
Last time, I predicted Team USA would be favored by 26.5 points and LeBron James would have at least 6.5 assists (+100). This time, I’m looking at a different bet.
USA vs Serbia predictions
Serbia were just 12-point underdogs going into their first group game but are 16-point underdogs going into Thursday’s match.
Serbia’s biggest concern will be surviving without Jokic, as their team without him is far from being one of the best in the world.
2024 Paris Olympics
The Nuggets probably don’t want that to happen, but Jokic may have to play nearly the entire game.
Kevin Durant and LeBron James led the U.S. team, but the same could happen on Thursday, given that Serbia lacks players who can match up to those two.
But even with the best athletes on the field, medal matches always bring extra pressure.
Betting on Serbia as 16-point underdogs in this match for a place in the final.
Given the U.S.’s dominance in basketball in the preceding games, a reasonable number would be closer to the 12 in the group stage.
Prediction: Serbia +16 (-110)
