In 18 Summer Olympics games since basketball became an Olympic sport in 1936, the United States has won the gold medal 14 times, including five times in the last six Olympics. The U.S. is a heavy favorite to continue that dominance in Rio this year in the 2016 Olympics, sitting as big -1600 chalk to claim the gold medal this month.
Team USA basketball odds, 2016 Olympics: Americans heavy favorites on Rio betting lines
The United States men’s national basketball team will be going off as a heavy favorite to win Olympic gold at the sportsbooks.
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Concerns over the Zika virus and injuries have kept some of America's best athletes from participating in this summer's games including LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook. But with an absolutely loaded 12-man roster led by four of the NBA's top scorers last season in Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins, DeMar DeRozan and Paul George, there is absolutely no shortage of talent on this year's squad.
In 135 Olympic basketball games all-time, the United States is a staggering 130-5, which includes five 8-0 runs over the last six years. The one glaring exception to the United States' basketball dominance came in 2004 in Greece, when that group went an embarrassing 5-3 in eight games and settled for a bronze metal.
Bettors looking to avoid the hefty price of betting on the clear tournament favorites could potentially find value in France or Spain, with Spain at +1000 and France at +1400 to win the tournament on the Olympics odds at the sportsbooks.
France's national team in 2016 will feature five NBA players, led by veteran guard Tony Parker, Utah Jazz teammates Boris Diaw and Rudy Gobert, and Charlotte's Nicolas Batum. Batum enjoyed career highs in points per game (14.9) and assists per game (5.8) in his first year with the Hornets last season.
Pau Gasol had initially planned to sit the 2016 Olympics out, but fortunately for Spain the veteran center changed his mind and has opted to play. Gasol is one of four NBA players on Spain's national team, which also features five players from Europe's top basketball team, Real Madrid.
Other potential contenders to upset the United States at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com include Serbia (+2200 to win gold), Brazil (+2800), Argentina (+2800) and Lithuania (+2800). Rounding out the field are the long shots of Croatia (+5000), Australia (+15000), China (+50000), Venezuela (+50000) and Nigeria (+50000).
