The picks — SGP: France +26.5, LeBron James 5+ assists, Evan Fournier OVER 1.5 threes made (+130, BetMGM)
- BetMGM offer: $1500 in Bonus Bets paid back
For those watching the United States nearly crap the bed against Serbia on Thursday, the classic line mouthed by Linnie McCallister in “Home Alone” was completely warranted.
Well … almost.
The Americans — outside of Steph Curry who smoked the scoreboard from tip to finish — sloughed defensively throughout the first half and third quarter. A steady barrage of three-pointers from Ognjen Dobric, Bodan Bogdanovic, Aleksa Avaramovic and others only plunged the dagger, and the deficit, deeper. Down 76-63 with one quarter to go, the growing sense of incompetence was becoming increasingly real. The U.S.’s bid for a fifth-straight Olympic gold medal was very much in jeopardy.
Then the final frame commenced.
Thanks to the energy sparked by Joel Embiid on both ends, the heavy favorites woke up, thawed out and emitted the heat of 100 suns. Curry buried threes, Kevin Durant converted contested jumpers and LeBron James, who finished the game with a triple-double, staved off “LeBronze” monikers.
In a gutsy final 10 minutes, Team USA outscored Nikola Jokic and his countrymen 32-15 to dramatically prevail 95-91. The Americans survived and advanced, and they now have one last game for the gold.
Going toe-to-toe with the host nation for the whole shebang inside what will surely be a vociferous Bercy Arena, here’s a breakdown of SGP legs in France-USA on Saturday.
France +26.5 alt line. Featuring a roster loaded with terrific NBA talent — Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert the biggest standouts, quite literally — and an exuberant home crowd in full-throat, the atmosphere inside Bercy is sure to boom from tip to final buzzer. In the tournament, the French have averaged a somewhat pedestrian 79.6 points per game to not exactly earn their vin and fromage, but with a pair of supreme rim protectors and a solid group of three-point marksmen on roster, they won’t be forced to the guillotine. France’s lone defeat came against Germany by 14 during group play. Les Bleus won't be embarrassed.
LeBron James 5+ assists. The old man doesn’t require bifocals. LeCaptain America still possesses the eagle-eye vision and passing skills of a springy twentysomething. In his five Paris Olympics games, he’s averaged 8.2 assists, dishing out at least five dimes in each. France has only allowed a modest 44.6% shooting from the floor, but the Stars and Stripes have nothing but bucket getters, averaging a tournament-best 106.8 points per game. In another legacy-cementing performance, James accumulates a minimum of five assists.
Evan Fournier 2+ three-pointers. The French arc assassin hasn’t shot the rock with the greatest accuracy in the Olympics. Through five games, he’s a combined 9-for-26 from distance (34.6%). Still, he’s swished two or more triples in three contests. Most attractively, Steve Kerr’s club has displayed glaring inconsistencies on ball rotations, leaving shooters wide open along the perimeter. On likely five-plus outside jacks, Fournier connects on at least two.
Olympic basketball record: 1-5, -3.70 units