The United States has dominated track and field at the Paris Olympics, winning six gold medals and 19 total. Canada is the only other country with multiple golds with two. In terms of total track and field medals, the next closest country is Australia with six.
The USA stands to widen the gap today, Thursday, Aug. 9, as it's favored in three of five medal events.
At top sportsbook sites, Noah Lyles sits atop the odds board for the 200m sprint (2:30 p.m. ET), Grant Holloway favored in the men's 110m hurdles (3:45 p.m. ET), and Sydney McLaughlin owns the shortest price in the women's 400m hurdles (3:25 p.m. ET).
2024 Olympic men's 200m odds: Noah Lyles a huge favorite
In the 100m race last week, bettors were able to find good value on Lyles after he failed to post the top time in the heats or semifinals. Such value is not to be had in the 200m, even though Lyles didn't win his semifinal; instead, he coasted to an easy finish, knowing he would qualify and was still within .14 seconds of the top time.
While Lyles is -500 at DraftKings, bettors are offered -450 at Bet365.
Bet365 odds to win men's 200m gold at Paris Games
Here are Bet365's for the men's 200m today at the Paris Games.
- Noah Lyles (USA) -450
- Letsile Tebogo (BOT) +450
- Kenneth Bednarek (USA) +750
- Erriyon Knighton (USA) +3300
- Alexander Ogando (DOM) +10000
- Joseph Fahnbulleh (LBR)+10000
- Tapiwanashe Makarawu (ZIM) +15000
- Makanakaishe Charamba (ZIM) +25000
Bet365 offers several other markets on this event, such as matchups, the 200m without Lyles and yes/no on a podium finish.
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Odds to medal at 200m at Paris Games + Bet365 bet boost on Kenneth Bednarek
The United States and Jamaica dominated the 200m at four straight Olympics until the 2020 Tokyo Games (held in 2021), when Andre De Grasse of Canada won gold. In 2024, though, De Grasse ran a 20.41 in the semifinals and failed to qualify for the final, guaranteeing a new gold medalist in this event.
In Tokyo, American Kenneth Bednarek won silver, and Lyles won bronze. Both are in today's final. While the price for Lyles to win is prohibitively short, odds on the other two Americans to medal -- Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton could present value. At Bet365, Kenneth Bednarek is -300 to medal, and Erriyon Knighton is +162 to medal.
Coming into the Olympics, Lyles owned the year's fastest 200m in the world, posting a 19.53 at the US Olympic team trials. Bednarek ran the second-fastest with a 19.59 at the same event. Knighton's 19.77 is the sixth fastest. Of the athletes to make the finals, those times are three of the top four, with Letsile Tebogo owning the third-fastest with a 19.71 back in April.
With Lyles, Bednarek and Knighton, the United States could realistically sweep the 200m.
Odds boost at Bet365: Bednarek to win gold +850
Men's 200m sprint prediction: Knighton strong value for podium finish
While we predict that Lyles will win gold and Bednarek should medal as well, neither holds strong enough value to make a bet on it. There is solid value, though, for Erriyon Knighton to medal with +162 odds at Bet365.
Knighton won his 200m heat with a 19.99 and won his semifinal with a 20.09. He was not pushed in either and coasted to the finish each time. Expect him to step up to the challenge in the final, finding his way onto the podium.
Men's 110m hurdles odds and prediction: Holloway to win gold, Roberts to medal
Grant Holloway is almost assured of winning the 110m hurdles if he has a clean race, but betting on him is not worth the value with odds of -1400 at DraftKings.
You can bet on Daniel Roberts to earn a podium finish at Bet365 with odds at -118. Roberts has the third-fastest time in the world this year with a 12.96 and the third-fastest time in the semifinals with a 13.10. USA's Freddie Crittenden is +190 for a podium finish at +190, but has been dealing with a minor injury, which is why we like Roberts a little more.
Women's 400m hurdles odds prediction: McLaughlin to win gold, Cockrell to medal
Similar to the men's 110m hurdles, Sydney McLaughlin is too heavy of a favorite to have good betting value with -400 odds at Bet365. American Anna Cockrell, with +250 odds at DraftKings to win a medal, is better value. She came in third in the semifinals with a 52.90 and has the fourth-fastest time in the world this year with a 52.64 at the US Olympic team trials.
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