2020 Olympic Men’s Track 200m Odds, Schedule and Preview
- The quest for gold in the Men’s Track 200m event begins on Monday, August 2nd with heats 1-7, followed by the semifinals on Tuesday
- The grand finale is scheduled for Wednesday morning at 8:55 am EST, with USA’s Noah Lyles and Canada’s Andre De Grasse the current favorites
- Get the full odds, schedule, preview, and best bets below
After a thrilling 100m final on Sunday which saw Marcell Jacobs take home the gold for Italy, we now look ahead to the Men’s 200m event, which begins on Monday, August 2nd with all seven heats followed by the three semifinals on Tuesday morning. The final runs on Wednesday, with American Noah Lyles a clear-cut favorite to capture the ultimate prize.
All races will be held at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo and can be seen on NBC, NBCSN, NBC Olympics, and Peacock.
Tokyo 2020 Men’s 200m Odds
| Runner | Odds |
|---|---|
| Noah Lyles (USA) | -200 |
| Andre De Grasse (CAN) | +450 |
| Kenneth Bednarek (USA) | +450 |
| Erriyon Knighton (USA) | +500* |
| Steven Gardiner (BAH) | +1400 |
| Joseph Fahnbulleh (LBR) | +1800 |
| Divine Odururu (NGR) | +2800 |
| Jereem Richards (TTO) | +4000 |
| Ramil Guliyev (TUR) | +6000 |
| Yohan Blake (JAM) | +6000 |
| Aaron Blake (CAN) | +6000 |
| Alex Quinonez (ECU) | +6000 |
| Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (JPN) | +6000 |
| Bernardo Baloyes (COL) | +7000 |
| Rasheed Dwyer (JAM) | +9000 |
| Clarence Munyai (RSA) | +9000 |
Odds as of August 1st at DraftKings/FanDuel*
Lyles is heavily favored to win gold at -200, but fellow American Kenneth Bednarek and Canadian Andre De Grasse definitely have a chance at glory as well, with both runners at +450 odds.
Here is the schedule for all of the festivities.
Olympic Men’s 200m Track Schedule
| Race | Date | Time (EST) |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s 200m Heats 1-7 | Monday, August 2nd | 10:05 PM EST- Approximately 10:55 PM EST |
| Men’s 200m Semifinal 1 | Tuesday, August 3rd | 7:50 AM EST |
| Men’s 200m Semifinal 2 | Tuesday, August 3rd | 7:58 AM EST |
| Men’s 200m Semifinal 3 | Tuesday, August 3rd | 8:06 AM EST |
| Men’s 200m Final | Wednesday, August 4th | 8:55 AM EST |
Will Noah Lyles Live up to The Hype?
While this is Lyles’ first Olympic Games, he’s fully proven leading up to the Summer Games just why he is expected to win the 200m event. The 24-year-old recorded a current world record of 19.74 in June, which makes him the fastest in the world in this regard.
Lyles has enjoyed his fair share of success when it comes to the 200m dash, winning gold at the World Championships in 2019. Although he hasn’t competed on this stage before, the American sprinter did place first in the Youth Olympic Games in 2014. With Usain Bolt long retired and Lyles barely in his mid 20’s, Tokyo is an opportunity for him to solidify himself as the future.
Can Experience Help Andre De Grasse to Gold?
De Grasse famously won silver in the 2016 games in Rio, finishing behind the legendary Bolt. He’s currently ranked number two in the world and is fresh off a bronze medal in the 100m event on Sunday.
The Canadian is expected to be the main figure that will contest for gold alongside Lyles, but his latest 200m race was an underwhelming performance. De Grasse ran a 19.89 in May after previously running a 19.80 in the 2016 Olympics. With a Summer Games already under his belt and numerous years of experience, however, the 26-year-old definitely has a legitimate shot of taking home gold on Wednesday, but he will need to be at his absolute best.
Bednarek in The Mix
Kenneth Bednarek will be contesting with fellow US teammate Lyles and Canadian De Grasse for the gold, entering Tokyo with the second-best time of all the runners in the 200m. He finished just 0.04 seconds behind Lyles in the USA trials this summer and is currently ranked fifth on the globe in this event.
Bednarek will also be making his first appearance in the Olympics and considering how well he’s run this year, he has a terrific chance of making the podium.
Knighton is a Dark Horse
17-year-old Erriyon Knighton is a name to watch in the 200m. While he is the youngest participant in the event, the American is extremely gifted. The Florida native just broke Bolt’s 20.13 American Track League meet record for a youth runner in June, posting a 20.11 time.
While Knighton just turned pro in January, his size and speed are definitely an advantage. He’s 6 foot 3 with enormous strides and also previously ran a 19.84 dash a couple of months ago, which is currently the fourth-quickest in the world. What’s even more amazing is that he’s the first US high-schooler to qualify for the Olympics since 1964. Gold is likely out of the question given his age and lack of experience, but Knighton definitely has the potential to medal on Wednesday.
Best Bet
All four of these aforementioned runners should have no problem getting to the 200m final, barring any injuries or disqualifications. Lyles is a heavy betting favorite, but I have to go with De Grasse here. I do believe his experience will play a huge part and knowing this is likely his last chance at a gold medal in the Olympics with all of these young guns on their way up, the Canadian will rise to the occasion.
Pick: Andre De Grasse to Win Gold (+450)
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Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
