Olympic basketball betting: Tournament MVP, scoring leader

Olympic basketball tips off Saturday, filling our summer hoops craving. Many of the NBA's best players are in France representing different countries in hopes of winning gold. Unsurprisingly, the U.S. is a huge favorite to win its fifth consecutive gold medal.

But there's more to bet than just the gold-medal winner. Let's dive into some individual awards odds to see who's projected to show out in Paris.

Tournament MVP odds

The tournament MVP comes from the winning team. The U.S. has an 80% chance of winning gold based on implied probability, so it has the top seven favorites to win the award.

Before Team USA's exhibition season began, it was fair to assume some aging stars like LeBron James and Steph Curry would pass the baton to Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, and the rest of the younger generation.

The scrimmages told a different story. James has been USA Basketball's most reliable option, especially in the fourth quarter. He carried the Americans to wins over South Sudan and Germany with late-game heroics. James led the group in scoring and assists.

Nobody would consider James one of the best players on Team USA at this point in his career, but the hierarchy is clear; this is James' team until further notice, making him the clear betting favorite.

Curry averaged the third-most points during the exhibitions. The Americans' offensive style with little player movement doesn't cater to his strengths, but he's still an unstoppable shooter and will be hungry for his first Olympic gold.

Edwards claimed he was the go-to option on a team full of studs before training camp and showed he wasn't joking during the scrimmages, trailing only James in scoring. After exploding onto the NBA scene, Edwards will continue his ascension in Paris. He's my pick to win MVP.

Joel Embiid hasn't dominated like many expected him to. He took strides over the final two exhibitions, but he's struggled to fit in with limited touches while adjusting to international basketball. Meanwhile, Tatum only averaged 6.4 points per game with restricted scoring opportunities and wasn't in the starting group or closing lineup.

Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the obvious non-USA choices. Serbia is a challenger after finishing as the runner-up at the 2023 FIBA World Cup without Jokic. Canada has a stacked roster of NBA talent and the second-best odds to win gold. It's almost certain that Jokic or Gilgeous-Alexander would earn MVP if either of their countries wins.

France is also formidable, so Victor Wembanyama or Evan Fournier could be worth a flier. Another long shot to target is Dennis Schroder, who transforms into an All-NBA level talent in international competition. Germany has the fifth-best odds; it'd be a major upset if it won gold. However, Schroder won MVP at the 2023 FIBA World Cup after carrying the Germans to a gold medal.

Scoring leader odds

The top scorer doesn't need to play for the winning team but must advance far to score enough points.

The U.S. has a balanced attack with five elite scoring threats consistently on the floor. While that usually leads to a gold medal, individual stats suffer. Team USA has only had one player lead the tournament in scoring in the last six Olympics: Kevin Durant in 2012. Durant also came one point away from earning the honor in 2016.

Thus, it's smart to target a different country's star. Gilgeous-Alexander has the shortest odds because Canada's one of the best teams and will rely heavily on the NBA MVP runner-up to carry the scoring load.

Giannis Antetokounmpo will put up some ungodly stat lines as the only NBA player representing Greece. The Greek Freak must take on more responsibility than any other star, but it's unlikely Greece advances far enough for Antetokounmpo to play the necessary minutes.

Jokic doesn't typically have enormous scoring outings in the NBA despite being considered the league's best player; he carves up defenses with his elite playmaking. For Serbia, though, Jokic must be a consistent scoring threat. The Serbs should compete for a medal, putting Jokic in the mix for top scorer.

U.S. and Canada assist leader odds

James led the U.S. in assists through the exhibitions, averaging 3.6, but he shouldn't be the overwhelming favorite to rack up the most assists for the Americans.

Curry assumes many point guard responsibilities for Team USA, but his role as a distributor is diminished because he plays off the ball frequently. He only averaged 1.6 assists in five scrimmages.

Tyrese Haliburton has no business being on the oddsboard. Don't be fooled by his innate passing ability. He earned the second-fewest minutes in the pre-Olympic showcases and completely fell out of the rotation in the final exhibition. The All-Star won't play enough to come close to leading the squad in assists.

Jrue Holiday is the bet to target. He plays fewer minutes than James but was still integral to the U.S.' rotation. Holiday is a true pass-first point guard and a defensive stalwart. He averaged 3.2 assists in the exhibitions.

Gilgeous-Alexander will have the highest usage and be involved in almost every offensive possession for Canada. By default, he may lead the team in assists as Jamal Murray's relegated to shooting guard.

Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.