USA vs. Venezuela – Rio 2016 Olympics Men’s Basketball – Group A Predictions and Betting Preview – August 8, 2016

USA vs. Venezuela Betting Preview

Where: Carioca Arena 1 — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

When: Monday, August 8, 2016, 6:00 PM EST

Line: USA (-50) vs. Venezuela (+50); total: 166.5 – view all men’s Olympic basketball lines

TV Broadcast: NBCSN / NBCOlympics.com

Writer’s Pick: USA (-50)

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Offensive Edge – USA (-50)

If their 57-point victory over the Chinese was any indication, the United States are bound to light up the scoreboard once again versus a much-weaker Venezuelan squad that’s looking to move on from its lopsided 86-62 loss to Serbia.

Kevin Durant quickly asserted his presence against China, leading the way for the Star-Spangled Banner with 25 points, four rebounds and six dimes. He was also very efficient with his shot selections, knocking down 10 of his 14 attempts overall. And needless to say, another huge game from the former Oklahoma City Thunder superstar should be in store for us this Monday night.

While Durant’s performance arguably took most of the attention, his other teammates in Paul George, DeMarcus Cousins and Kyrie Irving did their best to keep up with their captain. Those three also scored in double-figures, combining for 44 points in total. You can expect them to stay in attack mode and be even more aggressive in driving down the shaded lane against Venezuela’s undersized big men.

Defensive Edge – USA (-50)

The U.S. defense also made its contributions in the opener, containing the Chinese to shoot below 40 percent—35.7 to be exact—from the field and forcing them to commit 24 turnovers, which obviously resulted to more points and possessions for the Americans.

However, it’s worth noting that the defending world champions had a bit of trouble in disposing Venezuela during their exhibition tour prior to Rio 2016. The United States did pull out a resounding 80-45 win, but that was by far its lowest scoring output and ugliest shooting display (42.4 FG%) of the entire tour.

The Venezuelans, without a doubt, are aware of their extremely slim chance of winning this particular game, but even so, you can expect this very resilient group to play aggressively and without fear. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them put up a better, or a more entertaining fight than China.

Writer’s Prediction: USA wins and covers the -50 spread again.

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