USA vs Czech Republic Odds and Picks – Olympic Men’s Basketball July 31st
- The USA and Czech Republic meet in the final group stage game for both teams at the Tokyo Olympics
- The Americans destroyed Iran by 54 points in their last game, while the Czechs lost to France
- Get the odds, preview, and prediction below
The star-studded USA faces the Czech Republic in their final group stage contest on Saturday, July 31st. The top-two teams in each pod will advance to the knockout rounds and with a victory, the Americans can solidify their spot.
Kevin Durant and Co. bounced back from a shocking loss to France in their opener with a massive victory over Iran. The Czechs meanwhile also lost to the French but did manage to beat the Iranians in their first game of the Tokyo Olympics.
USA vs Czech Republic Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total Points at FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | -24 (-110) | -5000 | Ov 183.5 (-114) |
| Czech Republic | +24 (-110) | +1400 | Un 183.5 (-106) |
Odds as of July 30th
US Back on Track
France was always seen as a legitimate threat to Gregg Popovich’s squad and they ultimately pulled off the upset, beating the US 83-76. However, they did it to themselves by missing their final nine shots, with several of them being open looks.
Nevertheless, the Americans roared back with a vengeance on Wednesday with a blowout win over Iran. Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard led the way with a game-high 21 points while draining six 3-pointers in the first half alone. In fact, the USA shot 49% from beyond the arc in the game.
The entire rotation was thriving as well, with the likes of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Jayson Tatum all collecting double-digits in points. While the opponent wasn’t the toughest, this is the US team we’re used to seeing. They were fundamentally sound on both ends and showed a lot more chemistry compared to their tournament opener.
USA Basketball hit 19 threes in a win against Iran, 120-66.
◽️ Damian Lillard: 21 PTS (seven threes)
◽️ Devin Booker: 16 PTS
◽️ Jayson Tatum: 14 PTS
◽️ Zach LaVine: 13 PTS pic.twitter.com/7cMgZDzBuc— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 28, 2021
The States were also much more solid defensively, forcing the Iranians to turn the ball over a total of 23 times. Their best player, Behnam Yakhchalidehkordi, was limited to just six points after dropping 23 against the Czechs. The Americans will need to continue to shoot the ball well and facilitate at a high level in this final group stage contest. The US also shouldn’t take the Czech Republic lightly because they will be a tougher opponent than Iran.
Huge Task for Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is in very unfamiliar territory, appearing in their first Olympic Games ever. They’ve also made just one FIBA World Cup and frankly have limited experience on the international stage.
France proved to be far too powerful for the Czechs, downing them 97-77 on Wednesday. However, the Olympics debutants actually started off the game well, taking a 28-22 lead into the second quarter after draining six 3-pointers in the opening period. But, Les Bleus quickly turned that around, outscoring the Czech Republic 29-12 heading into the half.
Jan Vesely dropped 19 points in the loss, while Ondrej Balvin had 18. Chicago Bulls standout Tomas Satoransky, who is the team’s most experienced player, collected 14 points and nine assists. He will be a key figure in this US matchup because of his familiarity with a lot of the players on the American squad.
Although the Czechs do head into Saturday’s contest as a massive underdog, their recent success is definitely a step in the right direction. Ronen Ginzburg’s team surprisingly beat Greece and Canada in the Olympic Qualifiers to book their ticket to Tokyo and then beat Iran in the opening contest of the tournament.
Tomas @satoransky makes history as the first #basketball player to serve as flag bearer for the Czech Republic during the #OpeningCeremony at the Olympics 🇨🇿
More 👉 https://t.co/VK2x5nV7Qb pic.twitter.com/bsTSEupZHu
— FIBA #Tokyo2020 (@FIBA) July 23, 2021
The chances of them beating the Americans are very, very slim, but they do have a lot more experience than the Iranians with Satoransky and Vesely, who was the sixth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
USA vs Czech Republic Prediction
Needless to say, there is absolutely no value in betting on the moneyline here. The Americans will almost certainly win this game and continue their quest for gold, but the Czechs do have the potential to make this a lot closer than Iran did.
They have more size than the US, which lacks bigs on their extremely skilled roster. The veteran presence should help the Czech Republic as well. With that being said, I’m taking a huge shot here with the Czechs against the spread to finish their Tokyo Olympics run with a respectable result against a superior opponent.
- Pick: Czech Republic ATS +24 (-110)
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.
