The 2024 Summer Olympics will officially get underway in Paris on July 26, 2024. Bettors will be treated to a 16-day sporting extravaganza that will feature over 10,000 Olympic athletes from more than 200 nations competing in 32 different sports — most of which will be available to wager on.
With the global increase in recreational betting, the Summer Olympics are the perfect wagering landscape despite the time difference overseas. Grab a croissant and dig in!
Time and Place
- When: July 26 to Aug 11, 2024
- Where: Paris, France
Olympics betting
Betting on the Olympics is rather new to most bettors, but there really isn’t much difference between the markets available for Olympic betting and any other type of betting. Some of the earliest betting markets available are nations’ gold and total medal counts set to an Over/Under. We can also wager on which country will take home the most hardware.
Other Paris Summer Olympics odds markets are sport-specific, with bettors choosing the winner of a race, game, or the entire event. Additionally, some markets are athlete-specific, with books posting medal totals on individual athletes such as American gymnast Simone Biles, superstar swimmer Katie Ledecky and more.
Medals
One of the most common markets for Olympic betting is Olympic medal odds. Bettors can choose which country they think will capture the most gold medals. The United States is a heavy -2,500 to capture the most and -750 to capture the most medals. There are also Over/Under markets for golds and total medals per country, which are great future markets to get on early before the Olympics kick off on July 26.
Basketball
Both men and women will have a 12-team tournament on the hardcourt. The Olympic basketball tournament will consist of a three-division round robin with the top two teams (and the two-best No. 3 seeds) advancing to the single-elimination quarterfinals after reseeding. Both tournaments will be littered with professional players from the NBA and WNBA. 3-on-3 basketball will also be returning after making its debut in Tokyo.
The United States are heavy favorites to win gold for obvious reasons that begin with LeBron James, Steph Curry and Jayson Tatum, but a piece of those -500 odds are that the U.S. may be in the least competitive group. Both Canada (+1,100) and France (+1,200) should win their respective groups, but there is a genuine chance one or neither does. That would then complicate their paths through the single-elimination tournament following group play.
Most likely, the U.S. will be on the opposite side of the bracket of one of those two. Given Canada’s Group A is a bit tougher than France’s Group B, logic may expect France and its pair of big men — Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama — to have the preferable path to meeting the Americans in the gold medal game.
Soccer
Soccer will be well represented in Paris this summer, with both men’s (16 teams) and women’s (12 teams) competitions. Olympic soccer will be played in a four-team group stage, with the top two teams advancing to the knockout stage.
The men’s teams are restricted to players under the age of 23 except for three older players, while there are no age restrictions on the women’s side.
Two European countries have viable chances at winning both the men’s and women’s soccer golds: Spain and France. Only the U.S. women have a better chance at gold (+175) than Spain (+200) and France (+500) do. The Americans will be chasing their fifth gold medal while neither the Spanish or the French have enjoyed one.
The United States (+2,400) will be a bit of an afterthought in the men’s competition, its roster headlined by forward Djordje Mihailovic. France (+210) and Spain (+280) have plenty of bigger names rostered, including Sergio Gomez and Fermin Lopez leading La Roja, but Argentina (+240) may warrant the most deference, given four Copa America winners are on the Olympic roster.
Golf
After more than a 100-year break, Olympic golf returned in 2016. Both men’s and women’s tournaments are back again in 2024. Each side, men and women, will have 60 competitors who will compete in a 72-hole stroke-play tournament at Le Golf National in Guyancourt. There are some big names in the men’s tournament.
There is no LIV vs. PGA tour debate when it comes to the Olympics, but only one notable LIV name will take the tees, anyway. Spain’s Jon Rahm should always be acknowledged as a title possibility, but his +1,500 odds rank sixth among contenders.
Of course, two U.S. names headline the field: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (+310) and last week’s British Open winner Xander Schauffele (+600). Winning a gold medal may not right Rory McIlroy’s tumultuous season, but his +700 odds make it clear he could do it, anyway.
Tennis
Men’s and women’s singles (draw size of 64), men’s and women’s doubles (draw size of 32), and mixed doubles (draw size of 16) will all be a part of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Olympic tennis format resembles March Madness, with each player/team needing to win to advance. If you lose, you're out.
For all its unique nature, the tennis tournaments in the Olympics are effectively similar to the weekly tournaments that make up the professional tennis season. It should be no surprise to see Carlos Alcaraz (+185) and Novak Djokovic (+250) likely to rekindle their Wimbledon title match from earlier this month. In that respect, this may be the most competitive moment of any in these Olympics, the two undisputed best in their sport meeting for what could be considered this year’s fifth Grand Slam.
If considering it a fifth Grand Slam, it is worth noting Iga Swiatek (-250) has already won one this year, in Paris’s French Open in June, while Jasmine Paolini (+2,400) finished the runner-up in each of the last two Grand Slams. Coco Gauff (+650) has the only odds within shouting distance of Swiatek.
100-meter dash
America’s Noah Lyles is the betting favorite for the men’s 100 meters. Both the men’s and women’s 100-meter dash finals will take place on back-to-back days on August 3 and 4. The world record is 9.58 seconds, set by Usain Bolt in 2009.
How to bet on the Olympics
With so many events to choose from, the Paris Olympics are sure to bring in many new bettors looking to wager on their favorite event. Let us guide you through how to bet on the Olympics with some basics on reading odds and tips for making smarter Olympic bets.
Where to bet on the Olympics
Olympic betting is still quite new, but the once-every-four-years event will surely attract many bettors. Where you bet on the Olympics is just as important as what you bet, and we review the best Olympic betting sites available to you.
Olympic betting FAQs
Yes! Betting on the Olympics has never been more popular as bettors can find lines and totals on most reputable books — both online and brick and mortar. The rise of recreational betting has helped create plenty of avenues for legal Olympic betting.
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France will begin on July 26, 2024 and run until August 11.
