Olympics Betting Tips
Making bets on the Olympics is going to get increasingly difficult as the games get underway. Injuries, upsets, and dark horses are present at every Olympic Games, so we expect 2024 to be no different. That is why we have created a dedicated page for Olympic betting tips. Below are some tips and tricks to help you avoid dud bets.
- Start Small: In the first few days of the Olympic games, most events are part of a larger series. Events like soccer, volleyball, and basketball include a group stage before the important games take place. Winning teams often start slowly, so ensure you are not on the wrong side of an upset on day one.
- Time the Accumulators: As the Olympics takes place over 16 days, do not include fixtures over a week apart in your accumulators. A lot can change in a short period at the Olympics. Making sure your accumulators pay sooner rather than later is often a safe way to go.
- Pace Yourself: While there is a temptation to secure good odds now and lock in your bets, it can often be costly. Instead, we like biding our time and watching events before putting money on the line. Some big names often fall victim to the first hurdle. Use this to your advantage by holding off on some wagers.
- Check and Double Check: Check the roster before placing a bet for team events like football and basketball. While we can make an educated guess, crazy things happen in the Olympic Village. Whether a player gets caught partying or sent home early, ensure you are on the right side of the breaking Olympic news.
- Live Betting is an Option: For most events, placing a live bet is easier said than done. In athletics, there is often not enough time to place a live bet. But in team events, you can wait until the match starts before placing a wager. Waiting until the event starts often gives you better insight into winning wagers.
- Shop Around: As the Summer Olympics only takes place every four years, it pays to shop around for unique wagers. Each event in Paris will be drastically different from the last, opening up opportunities for bespoke bets. Our online sportsbook is full of exciting bets for each event.
- Watch as Much as Possible: When betting on the Olympics, the most important part is to watch the events. Sizing up the competition is one of the best ways to avoid favourites who underperform. Seeing how an athlete approaches an event makes it a lot easier to put money on the line.
Olympics Predictions Today
Predicting the Olympics won’t be easy, as you never know who will take home the gold. The United States of America looks the most likely to win again, having sat on the top spot in the last three Olympic Games. Interestingly, there are fewer disciplines and events this year compared to Tokyo, could this affect the outcome?
Athletics Predictions
If you want to bet on the Olympic Games winner, the Americans are the favourites to win it all. Priced at -667, given the poor returns, it’s not worth a punt. A $50 bet will only return $57.50 if the USA comes out on top. China is the next most likely to win, but they haven’t won the Olympic Games since they hosted in 2008.
Looking at the 100m, Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson is the favourite at our online sportsbook. Thompson has odds worth +115, which is superb for a clear favourite. However, American superstar Noah Lyles is not one to ignore. The 27-year-old is the next most likely to win at +205. Lyles is the favourite to win the 200m and could surprise the Jamaican over a shorter distance. Could Lyles take a page out of the Usain Bolt book and dominate both disciplines?
For betting on the athletics, specifically the 100m Women’s, Sha’Carri Richardson is the most likely winner. At -175, Richardson seems like a sure thing, but Shericka Jackson is a dangerous second. At 30, her fastest days could be behind her. However, having been there and done it all before, she could snatch a surprise win. Jackson is also the second favourite to win the 200m at +190, not far off the favourite Gabrielle Thomas at +130.
Our Olympic prediction for the sprints is for America to pip Jamaica to gold in both the Men’s and Women’s 100m. At 200m, we predict Shericka Jackson will take home the gold for her country, but there is no chance we would bet against Noah Lyles for the 200m gold.
Football Predictions
Making Olympic football predictions is never straightforward, given the strict rules about participating nations and players. To avoid a conflict between FIFA and the Olympic committee, the men’s squad must be under 23 years of age, with three exceptions.
That means young squads like Spain have a distinct advantage over teams like Argentina and France. However, given Spain and Argentina’s recent success at the Copa America and Euro 2024, will the superstars make the journey to Paris?
France, as the host nation, has the best odds at +225. Betting on France to win the Football at the 2024 Olympics would turn $20 into $65. Spain is the next most likely side at +250, closely followed by Argentina at +300. With the odds this tight, it’s a three-horse race for anyone betting on Olympic Football. As Brazil is not participating this year, we are guaranteed to have a new winner, the first since 2012.
Our prediction is for France to win Olympic gold as the host nation. Looking at the squads, the French have taken their roster seriously. Manager Thiery Henry called up two veteran marksmen, Alexandre Lacazette and Jean-Philippe Mateta. Former Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise also makes up the squad, which could result in some fantastic attacking football.
Spain is short of tried and tested talent following their win at Euro 2024 and Argentina is without all but two superstars. Nicolas Otamendi and Julian Alvarez are the two most dangerous players in the squad, but do they have what it takes to make it to another final?
Basketball Predictions
If you want to know more about Team Canada’s Olympic Basketball roster, then ensure you click the link. However, the USA is the clear favourite for taking home the gold. With the incredible talent at their disposal, there seems little chance for any other nation to get a look in. Betting on the Olympic Basketball winner, America is worth -833. A $10 bet on the USA will only return $1.20 in profit.
The second most likely country to win gold is the host nation, France. However, according to the odds in our sportsbook, the French have little chance. With odds worth +1100, you stand to win $120 from a ten-dollar stake. Canada has a fantastic opportunity to take home the bronze. Our prediction is for Canada to finish no worse than third at the Olympics, hopefully even beating France to the silver medal.
Last 10 Winners of the Olympics
While it seems like a formality at the Olympics as to which nation will win, it never hurts to look at the recent winners and host nations of the Summer Games. Below are the ten most recent Olympic Games winners and the host cities.
- 1984 Los Angeles, USA: United States of America
- 1988 Seoul, South Korea: Soviet Union
- 1992 Barcelona, Spain: Unified Team (Former Soviet Union)
- 1996 Atlanta, USA: United States of America
- 2000 Sydney, Australia: United States of America
- 2004 Athens, Greece: United States of America
- 2008 Beijing, China: China
- 2012 London, England: United States of America
- 2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: United States of America
- 2020 Tokyo, Japan: United States of America
Olympics News
Novibet is a reliable source of Paris 2024 news. Our writing team has been watching the Olympics intently over the past 20 years. Our expertise and inside information could help you make more successful bets. Check back here throughout the summer games for the latest Olympic news stories and developments.
If this is your first time betting on the Olympics, check out our predictions and betting tips throughout the tournament. Remember, you don’t have to bet on every event or every stage of the qualifiers. The most exciting wagers always happen when there is a medal on the line.
