The final women's basketball contest at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo arrives late on Saturday evening. The United States faces Japan in the gold medal game in a rematch from group play. Team USA triumphed by a margin of 86-69 in the first matchup. Japan has not lost another game in the tournament and is playing at a high level as the challenger.
Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Team USA women's basketball as the 18-point favorite in the latest USA vs. Japan odds. The over-under for total points expected is listed at 161. Before finalizing any Japan vs. USA gold medal women's 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 nearing a conclusion, Tierney has analyzed Saturday's USA vs. Japan gold medal matchup and revealed his top Olympic basketball picks and predictions. He's only sharing those picks at SportsLine. Now, here are the Olympics 2020 basketball odds and betting trends for Japan vs. USA:
- USA vs. Japan spread: USA -18
- USA vs. Japan over-under: 161 points
- USA vs. Japan money line: USA -2400, Japan +1100
- USA: Seeking 55th straight win in Olympic play
- JAP: Only Olympic loss came to Team USA
Why you should back the USA
USA is the most talented team in the field and it shows in the results. After a nine-point win in the opener, the Americans have won every game by double figures, including back-to-back wins by at least 20 points during the knockout stage. Team USA has size, athleticism and physicality that no opponent can match, and the Americans proved earlier in the tournament that they can handle Japan's playing style on the way to a 17-point win.
Team USA has won an amazing 54 straight games in Olympic play, and is aiming for its seventh straight gold medal. On top of that, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi are looking to become the first basketball players to win five gold medals, and the United States hasn't lost a game at the Olympics since 1992 in Barcelona. Japan is dangerous due to its shooting and passing prowess, but the Americans are heavy favorites for a reason.
Why you should back Japan
Japan is a strong offensive team that is dangerous against any opponent. It is tied for the tournament scoring lead at 83.6 points per game, and Japan is leading the entire field in 3-pointers (13.0 per game), 3-point attempts (31.8 per game) and 3-point percentage (40.9 percent). Some of that effectiveness stems from raw shooting talent, but Japan is also an elite passing team. The Japanese average 23.6 assists per game as a team, taking advantage of fantastic ball movement and player movement, and Japan also has the fewest turnovers (10.6 per game) in the field.
Rui Machida is the embodiment of Japan's offensive attack, and she is lapping the entire field in averaging 13.8 assists per game during the Olympics. Machida generates 5.3 assists for every turnover she commits and, when compared to the United States, Japan's ball security could be huge. Team USA is averaging the second-most turnovers (17.8 per game) in the entire field, and that could swing things in Japan's direction.
How to make 2020 Tokyo Olympics picks
Tierney is leaning under on the point total. He's also found a critical x-factor that has him jumping on one side of the Team USA vs. Japan spread. He's only sharing his top picks and Olympics 2020 basketball predictions at SportsLine.
So who wins the USA vs. Japan in the gold medal game for women's basketball? And which side of the Japan vs. USA 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.
