The whole world will be tuning in to the 2024 Summer Olympics, which start on Friday, July 26 in Paris, France. Top athletes representing Team USA will be Simone Biles in Gymnastics, Katie Ledecky in Swimming, and Sha'Carri Richardson in Track.
We're only a few hours away from the Opening Ceremony, and the excitement is nearing a fever pitch. To make the action even more interesting, consider these best bets at Bet365 Sportsbook!
21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-877-770-7867(CO), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA), Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), 1-888-532-3500 (VA).
Bets Must be in by Friday, July 26 at 1:00 AM
I'm not usually big on laying this much chalk, but the United States should once again dominate the Summer Olympics. While it's true that China has closed the gap tremendously, Team USA is still the team to beat in most sports.
America should get a massive amount of gold medals in swimming, track & field, and gymnastics. Some folks may be nervous about this wager because Team USA "only" won 39 gold medals in Tokyo back in 2020.
However, we have to remember that that was a dreadful time due to the coronavirus. Team USA underperformed in those Olympic Games, but I don't see that happening this year. Look for America to bring home around 45 gold medals in 2024. We'll risk 1.63 units to win back a full unit on the Stars and Stripes!
Women's Swimming: Saturday, July 27 5:00 AM
I get that Ledecky is a long shot in this event, but this is still worth a few peanuts in my humble opinion. Sure, Ledecky's bread and butter events are the 800m and 1500m freestyles (she's a huge favorite to take home gold in both of those in Paris).
Even though the 400m isn't Ledecky's forte, it's hard to resist one of the top swimmers in the world at over 4 to 1 odds. Ledecky will have to knock off Summer McIntosh of Canada and Ariarne Titmus of Australia to bag the top prize in this loaded event.
We know that Ledecky is highly capable of doing so. She held the world record in the 400 free for six years before Titmus broke it back in 2022. Ledecky has also defeated McIntosh in three of their last five 400m freestyle events. Let's play Ledecky for 0.25 units.
Women's Track & Field: Friday, August 2nd 5:50 AM
If you're looking to bet on a feel-good story, this is one to consider! Richardson is an absolute beast in the 100 meters and many believe she's the best in the world. The 24-year-old was expected to catapult to superstardom in the 2020 Summer Olympics, but she was unable to compete after testing positive for marijuana.
Since that unexpected fall from grace, Richardson has been on a mission for redemption. That mission has been a smashing success so far, as the Dallas native won the US national title in July 2023 by running the 100m in 10.82 seconds. She successfully defended that title last month with a time of 10.71 seconds.
Richardson ran even better than that (10.65 seconds) on her way to a gold win at the 2023 World Championships. She wasn't able to qualify for the 200m event, so her sole focus will be on the 100m. You can see why we think there's value in this bet, even at the juicy price. Let's risk 1.67 to win back a full unit on Richardson.