Victor Wembanyama’s 2024 Olympic debut will be the highlight of Saturday morning, as the French National Team takes on Brazil in a Group B matchup.
France is heavily favored – and rightfully so given the NBA talent it has on the roster – but Brazil comes into the Olympics playing with house money, and several veterans with international experience.
Former NBA prospect Bruno Caboclo is one of the leaders for this Brazilian team, and guards like Raul Neto and Marcelinho Huertas could make Brazil friskier than the odds suggest in Group B.
Here’s a look at the odds for Saturday’s contest, as well as a roster breakdown and my prediction for this opening matchup.
Brazil vs. France Odds, Spread and Total
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Spread
- Brazil +13 (-110)
- France -13 (-110)
Moneyline
- Brazil: +600
- France: -900
Total
- 161.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Brazil vs. France How to Watch
- Date: Saturday, July 27
- Time: 11:15 a.m. EST
- How to Watch (TV): CNBC, FuboTV, Peacock
- Brazil record: 0-0
- France record: 0-0
Brazil vs. France Odds to Win Gold Medal
- Brazil: +10000
- France: +1200
Brazil vs. France Rosters and Key Players to Watch
Brazil
- Marcelinho Huertas
- Yago Santos
- Raul Neto
- Alexey Borges
- Elinho Corazza
- Georginho de Paula
- Vitor Benite
- Léo Meindl
- Gui Santos
- Didi Louzada
- Bruno Caboclo
- Joao Cardoso
- Lucas Dias
- Cristiano Felício
There are some really interesting pieces on this Brazil team, including former first-round pick Bruno Caboclo and NBA veteran Raul Neto. Brazil kept Latvia at bay to qualify for the Olympics, and now it’s hoping that it can shock the French in the opener on Saturday.
France
- Andrew Albicy
- Nicolas Batum
- Isaia Cordinier
- Bilal Coulibaly
- Nando De Colo
- Evan Fournier
- Rudy Gobert
- Mathias Lessort
- Frank Ntilikina
- Matthew Strazel
- Victor Wembanyama
- Guerschon Yabusele
The French team has a bunch of NBA talent on it, but Victor Wembanyama – the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year – is the brightest spot.
Wemby commence son show ✨#TeamFranceBasket | #PassionnémentBleu | #FRASRB pic.twitter.com/qZfFkibSs0
— Équipes de France de Basket (@FRABasketball) July 12, 2024
Wemby’s offensive game continues to expand, and with FIBA rules, he and Rudy Gobert should provide elite rim protection for France all summer. If the French can get good enough guard play – they are lacking in that department – they could be in the mix for gold in 2024.
Brazil vs. France Prediction and Pick
France has dropped four straight games heading into the Olympics, including a one-point loss to Australia earlier this week, so I’m not exactly sold on laying 13 points in this one.
Guard play is key in any form of basketball, and France doesn’t have much, putting a bigger burden on its shooting and interior players like Rudy Gobert and Wembanyama to produce on both ends.
The France offense will be interesting to watch, but defensively, I think this team will dominate at times – especially against inferior opponents.
Brazil should fall into that category, and I think the size of France will make it tough on the Brazilians to score consistently at the rim on Saturday. For that reason, I’m willing to take the UNDER given France’s inability to win in tune up games heading into the Olympics.
We could be looking at a potential rock fight in one of the first games of Group Play.
Pick: UNDER 161.5 (-110)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Brazil vs. France Olympic Basketball Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Group B.
