The United States women's basketball team begins its 2024 Olympic quest for gold as a massive favorite over Japan. Check out odds from DraftKings Sportsbook:
| DraftKings odds | Spread | Total | Moneyline |
| Japan | +21.5 | OVER 142.5 | +1400 |
| USA | -21.5 | UNDER 142.5 | -3200 |
The United States defeated Japan in the gold medal match at the 2020 Tokyo Games, but the two teams have traveled very different paths back to the Paris Games.
The US won the 2022 FIBA World Cup and is the top-ranked team in the world. Japan, ranked ninth by FIBA, failed to advance out of group play at the World Cup.
Let's check out USA vs. Japan odds & prop bets for today's opening game. USA Network has live coverage starting at 3 p.m. ET. Here are the best sportsbooks for betting on the Paris Games.
USA betting news & analysis: Americans look to extend Olympic dominance with eighth consecutive gold medal
The US is going for its eighth consecutive gold medal in Paris. Team USA coach Cheryl Reeve's squad is the -1400 favorite to win gold again.
Numbers tell the tale of American dominance in Olympic competition. The women's basketball team has a 55-game winning streak that dates back to 1992. The overall record? 72-3.
At 42, Diana Taurasi becomes the oldest US player to compete in the Olympics. She's won five gold medals in five previous Olympics. Forwards A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart, both of whom have won the WNBA MVP on two occasions, will be key to American success in Paris.
At 6-foot-9, center Brittney Griner is also a force down low for Team USA. She scored 30 points in the gold medal game against Japan in Tokyo. Wilson and Stewart chipped in with 19 and 14 points, respectively.
Team USA split a pair of exhibition games heading into the Paris Games, first losing to Team WNBA in the WNBA All-Star Game by a score of 117-109. The Americans bounced back with an 84-57 thrashing of Germany.
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Japan betting news and analysis: Lack of size could hurt team's chances vs. USA
Guard Mai Yamamoto made her presence felt in the Olympic qualifying tournament. She had a team-high 21 points in a win over Canada and led all players with 17 ppg across all tournament games. Yamamoto was named tournament MVP for her efforts.
Japan was exposed a bit in a 75-65 loss to Belgium its last time out. Saki Hayashi and Evelyn Mawuli paced the Japanese attack with 18 points apiece, but Japan could not stop Belgium down low.
Belgium scored 44 points in the paint, compared to just 14 for Japan. This poses a big problem against Team USA's trio of Griner, Wilson and Stewart.
Maki Takada is the only center on Japan's team. She scored 17 points in the gold medal game in Tokyo, and will need to be productive for Japan to hang around in this game.
USA vs. Japan prop bets
Check out a sampling of USA vs. Japan prop bets from Bet365.
- USA team total: Over 91.5 -120, Under 91.5 -120
- Japan team total: Over 69.5 -125 Under 69.5 -115
- A'ja Wilson points: Over 20.5 -115, Under 20.5 -115
- Breanna Stewart points: Over 15.5 -115, Under 15.5 -115
- Diana Taurasi points: Over 8.5 +130, Under 8.5 -160
- Saki Hayashi points: Over 12.5 -105, Under 12.5 -125
USA vs. Japan prediction
With all due respect to Japan, this game will likely be over by halftime. The Americans have too much height and offensive firepower. We're backing Team USA in the first half here.
Pick: USA -11.5 first half (Bet365)
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