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Team USA Basketball, led by a host of NBA stars, aims to win the gold medal on Friday evening. The United States faces France in the men's championship contest at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, with sky-high anticipation. Team USA is the significant favorite as the Americans aim for a fourth-straight gold medal. France is the challenger, though it is led by several talented NBA players, headlined by Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier. 

Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Team USA Basketball as a 12.5-point favorite in the latest USA vs. France odds. The over-under for total points is set at 175.5. Before finalizing any France vs. USA picks or gold medal basketball 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 winding down, Tierney has analyzed every angle of Friday's Team USA vs. France gold medal matchup and revealed his top Olympic basketball picks and predictions. He's only sharing those picks at SportsLine. Now, here are the 2020 Olympic basketball odds and betting trends for France vs. USA:

  • USA vs. France spread: USA -13 
  • USA vs. France over-under: 175.5 points  
  • USA vs. France money line: USA -900, France +600 
  • USA: Seeking fourth consecutive gold medal in men's basketball 
  • FRA: Still unbeaten at the Olympics in Tokyo

Why you should back the USA

In expected fashion, the United States team has been virtually unguardable throughout the tournament. Team USA is averaging 101.4 points per game while leading the entire field in assists (25.6 per game), assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5), field-goal percentage (50.7 percent) and 3-point percentage (41.0 percent). The Americans are also shooting a blistering 59 percent on 2-point attempts, and they have tough shotmakers all over the roster when the opposing defense responds. 

Team USA is also facing a French team that has committed the most fouls in the tournament, and the United States is shooting 81 percent at the charity stripe in Tokyo. Individually, Kevin Durant leads the way with 19.0 points per game on elite-level shooting efficiency, and Jayson Tatum adds 14.4 points per game on 42 percent shooting from 3-point range. Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo and Draymond Green anchor an elite defense when engaged, and the Americans flashed their incredible upside in turning a deficit into a comfortable lead against Australia.

Why you should back France

While it cannot match the United States player-for-player, France is a talented and cohesive team. The French have been highly efficient from a shooting standpoint in Tokyo, making 48 percent from the floor, 39 percent from 3-point range and 79 percent from the free-throw line. 

France is also an excellent rebounding team, including 11.4 offensive rebounds per contest during its Olympic run, and the team is anchored by Gobert. The Utah Jazz center is arguably the best defensive player in the basketball world, and he is also putting up 11.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game during the tournament. 

Offensively, France also has intriguing talent, with Evan Fournier averaging 19.2 points per game on efficient shooting and former NBA guard Nando De Colo putting up 13.8 points and 6.0 assists per contest. Finally, do-it-all forward Nic Batum brings versatility and experience to the table, and he'll likely be tasked with defensive assignments against the top American perimeter players.

How to make 2020 Tokyo Olympics picks

Tierney has taken a close look at the USA vs. France gold medal matchup from all angles and 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. France spread. He's only sharing his Team USA vs. France picks and Olympics 2020 basketball predictions at SportsLine. 

So who wins the USA vs. France game? And which side of the France 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.