The United States women’s basketball team needs to get two wins for a gold medal. And it’s going to be a huge upset if they don’t.
The U.S. is now -2000 at BetMGM to win the gold ahead of its semifinal game against Serbia on Friday in Tokyo (12:40 a.m. ET). The United States is favored by 17.5 points (-115) and is -2500 on the money line to win the game straight up.
If (or when) the U.S. wins, it will face the winner of Japan vs. France in the gold medal game. France is favored by 3.5 points over Japan and is a -160 favorite on the money line to win the game.
Wins by both favorites would set up the same matchup in each basketball gold medal game. The men’s final will feature France vs. the U.S. after a win over Slovenia thanks to a late block by Nic Batum put the French team in the final.
Ninety-one percent of the handle is on the U.S. to cover the spread while 87% of tickets are on the U.S. women. Just 61% of the money line cash is on the women, likely because of the low return on the win.
How U.S. women’s hoops got here
The U.S. went 3-0 in group play and won each of its three games by nine points or more. The women’s biggest win of the tournament came in the quarterfinals against Australia in a 79-55 win. That game wasn’t close after the first quarter. The U.S. outscored Australia 26-12 in the first period and extended the lead to 21 at halftime.
The U.S. opened at -750 to win the tournament and its low odds haven’t stopped bettors from placing cash on them. The United States is BetMGM’s biggest liability — over 55% of tickets are on the U.S. to win the gold while nearly 85% of the total money wagered on women’s basketball is on the United States.
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