Australia vs Greece Olympic Men’s Basketball Prediction & Picks: Will Giannis Go Home Without a Win?

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece entered the Olympic men’s basketball tournament expected to contend for a medal. But after losing their first two games, they are staring at an early exit ahead of today’s Group A finale against Australia (7:30 am ET, USA Network).

In their opener against Canada, Greece pulled within two in the final minute but couldn’t get a key stop in an 86-79 loss.

In Tuesday’s matchup with Spain, Greece tied things up inside the final five minutes, but Spain scored the next eight points to reestablish control on the way to an 84-77 win.

Fortunately, even though they are bringing up the rear in Group A after losing twice, their quarterfinal hopes are still very much alive.

In fact, they could finish second in the group if they best the Boomers by double digits and Canada wraps up a perfect run through Group A play with a win over Spain.

Additionally, they will lock up third in the group if both they and Spain win by any margin, or if they beat Australia by three to nine points and Canada takes out Spain by any margin.

Finishing third should be enough to land a place in the quarterfinals, as the best two of the three third-place teams will move on, and they should edge out either today’s Japan-Brazil winner or likely South Sudan for one of those two spots.

Australia, meanwhile, has one and a half feet in the quarters, even after following a 92-80 win over Spain with a 93-83 loss to Canada on Tuesday. A win will lock up second for the Boomers, and they are favored by a healthy margin to achieve that result.

Australia vs Greece Odds

Spread

• Australia -6.5 (-115)
• Greece +6.5 (-105)

Over/Under

• Over 168.5 (-110)
• Under 168.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Australia -265
• Greece +225

See more Australia vs Greece odds at BetOnline. Check out our BetOnline sportsbook review, then bag a bonus to bet on this blockbuster Olympic women’s basketball tournament matchup.

Australia vs Greece Betting Analysis

Having one of the very best basketball players in the world on your team is nice and all, but it only counts for so much if the rest of the squad does not pull its weight.

Giannis led the way against Canada with 34 points, then put up 27 points and 11 rebounds against Spain.

But Greece is 0-2 and staring at elimination heading into today’s showdown with Australia because adequate support just has not been there.

In the loss to Canada, Kostas Papanikolaou (5 of 8 FG, 3 of 6 3PT, 4 of 5 FT, 17 points) was Greece’s only other double-figure scorer. In the loss to Spain, Vassilis Toliopoulos (5 of 8 FG, 4 of 6 3PT, 14 points) was their only other double-figure scorer, while Papanikolaou was 3 of 5 from three but attempted only six total shots from the field.

Against Canada, everyone besides Giannis and Papanikolaou was 7 of 34 from the field, including 6 of 25 from three. And in the loss to Spain, everyone besides Giannis, Tolipoulos, and Papanikolaou was 11 of 39 from the field, including 5 of 23 from three.

Also, after making 24 of 32 free throws against Canada, Greece had all of five attempts from the stripe against Spain—all by Giannis.

Even if Giannis outdoes his 34-point effort against Canada, he will need some decent help for Greece to upset the odds against Australia, who will be looking to bounce back after letting an opportunity slip against Canada.

The Boomers couldn’t have been much better in the first three quarters, shooting 60.9% from the field. But they ran out of steam in the final ten minutes, shooting 4 of 21 from the field and managing only 13 points as Canada pulled away.

Australia vs Greece Prediction & Picks

This is the kind of situation where Giannis is often at his best, and hitting his props hard is a wise move here.

But will his best be enough to keep Greece from elimination?

Greece struggled with getting key defensive stops against both Canada and Spain, and they may run into the same issue against Australia, a well-rounded team with numerous threats.

The number in the turnover column (34) is a bit of an eyesore for the Boomers, but Greece had an edge in turnover margin against both Canada and Spain, which proved to be meaningless.

It’s difficult to have a lot of faith in Greece to get the job done in this spot, especially against a better team (with extra emphasis on the word team).

But Giannis is Giannis, and while the victory he and Greece need to remain the tournament may well elude them, I think they will at least keep it close enough to cover.

Australia vs Greece Prediction: Australia to win

Australia vs Greece Picks: 1) Greece +6.5, 2-7) Giannis’s props (all at Bovada) – over 28.5 points (-135), over 40.5 points + rebounds + assists (-125), to record 30+ points (+120), to record 35+ points (+310), to record 10+ rebounds (+115), to record a double-double (+100)

Other Olympic Men’s Basketball Betting Information

Where to Bet on Australia vs Greece & the Olympic Men’s Basketball Tournament

With NBA stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama taking part, the Olympic men’s basketball tournament is garnering a lot of betting interest from far and wide. Therefore, bettors have no shortage of options for where to bet on Olympic men’s basketball tournament odds.

The odds in this piece come from BetOnline, which has a wealth of betting markets for this event and other Paris 2024 events.

Including BetOnline, below are some of the sites that we recommend for betting on the Olympics.

Best Betting Sites for the Olympics

• BetOnline (review)
• BetUS (review)
• Betwhale (review)
• Bovada (review)
• MyBookie (review)

Are you unfamiliar with any of the sites listed? Check out our reviews for each site to learn more about them. Our sportsbook reviews cover available betting options, deposit and payout options, mobile betting, and bonuses and loyalty/VIP programs.

Other Olympics Content by Betting News

The 2024 Summer Olympics are ongoing in Paris, and we are covering a number of key events, like the Olympic men’s basketball tournament. Did you enjoy this Australia vs Greece basketball betting breakdown? Here’s some of our other Olympic content to check out:

• Olympic Men’s Basketball Tournament Odds & Favorites
• Betting Guide for the 2024 Summer Olympics
• Three Best Gold Medal Bets for Paris 2024
• Five Storylines & Facts for Paris 2024

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