A spot in the gold-medal game is on the line when France takes on Japan in women's basketball on Friday in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Both teams are trying to unseat the heavily favored United States squad, but they must first defeat the other. France defeated Spain in the quarterfinals. Japan knocked off Belgium to advance to this point.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists France as a three-point favorite in the Japan vs. France odds. The over-under, or total number of points expected, is 149. Before finalizing any France vs. Japan basketball picks or predictions, you need to see what SportsLine's Olympics expert, Mike Tierney, has to say.
A national sportswriter whose work appears in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Tierney has covered nine Olympic Games in person. At Rio in 2016, Tierney profited big-time. He told readers to bet over on Team USA's gold medal count (41.5) and over on Team USA's overall medal count (102.5). The result? 46 golds, 121 medals and two easy cashes.
And for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Tierney hit two of his three predictions: Germany (+200) to win the most gold medals and the United States winning under 10.5 gold medals (+110).
Now, with the Tokyo Summer Olympics rolling on, Tierney has analyzed every angle of Friday's France vs. Japan matchup and revealed his top Olympic basketball picks and predictions. He's only sharing those picks at SportsLine. Now, here are the Olympics 2020 odds and betting trends for Japan vs. France:
- Japan vs. France spread: France -3
- Japan vs. France over-under: 149 points
- Japan vs. France money line: France -150, Japan +130
- Japan: Only loss in tournament came to Team USA
- France: Top five team in FIBA rankings
Why you should back Japan
Japan's only loss in the tournament came against the United States and the Japanese are playing with confidence. They knocked off Belgium by a one-point margin and, in the process, reached the Olympic semifinals for the first time. Moreover, Japan isn't shy about its ambition.
"Four and a half years ago, I said my goal, my dream, is to beat America in the Tokyo Olympics in the championship game," Japan head coach Thomas Wayne Hovasse told the media after the quarterfinal win. "Everybody laughed at me. I don't know, there might be some people starting to believe now."
Why you should back France
France has been up-and-down at times during the Olympics, but managed to escape with a narrow defeat over Spain in the quarterfinals. The French played very well down the stretch and, overall, France has played with improved tempo in Tokyo when compared to previous tournaments. Defensively, France is generating havoc on a consistent basis, and that is manifested with 8.8 steals per game, a top-three mark in the tournament. On the offensive end, France is balanced in nature, with four players averaging in double figures.
Sandrine Gruda leads the way to this point, averaging 12.5 points per game and shooting 60 percent from the floor. Gruda is also an excellent rebounder, picking up 7.0 caroms per game. Elsewhere, Gabby Williams has been excellent, putting up 10.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and a whopping 3.3 steals per game.
How to make 2020 Tokyo Olympics picks
Tierney has taken a close look at the Japan vs. France Olympic basketball matchup from all angles and is leaning over on the point total. He's also found a critical x-factor that has him jumping on one side of the spread. He's only sharing his top picks and Olympics 2020 basketball predictions at SportsLine.
So who wins Japan vs. France? And which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to get Mike Tierney's predictions for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, all from the renowned sportswriter who's covered nine Olympics in person and cashed big in both 2016 and '18, and find out.
