Australia vs. Canada Prediction, Odds, Picks: Women's Olympic Basketball, Aug. 1
Australia and Canada entered the Olympic women's basketball tournament with high hopes before double-digit losses to open group play.
They'll face off Thursday at 7:30 a.m. ET, with Australia favored by 8.5 points over Canada across our best sports betting sites.
Our Australia vs. Canada preview expects a stronger showing for Thursday's underdogs, now among the biggest long shots by the women's Olympic basketball odds. We should see a tightly contested contest between two teams with legitimate WNBA talent at their disposal.
Australia vs. Canada predictions for Thursday
Australia vs. Canada odds via our best sports betting apps; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.
- Canada +8.5 (-112) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Under 142.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Stephanie Talbot Over 5.5 assists (+106) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Prediction: Canada +8.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was high on Canada coming into this tournament, and I still think we haven't seen the best from this squad after a 21-point loss to France to open group play.
While that wasn't a great start, the French are among the favorites to win the tournament. I'd be more concerned by Australia's 13-point loss to Nigeria - which has the fourth-longest odds to win it all - and I certainly don't see the justification to price either of these teams as a massive favorite.
Odds: -112 | Implied probability: 52.83%
Prediction: Under 142.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The issue for these teams on Monday was mostly on the offensive end: they combined to score 116 points in their openers, and both teams shot worse than 40% from the floor.
These two programs have plenty of capable scorers, but defense is still the clear calling card for each while they develop a better chemistry offensively. Until that happens, I'll gladly fade this total in what should be another low-scoring affair.
Odds: -110 | Implied probability: 52.38%
Prediction: Stephanie Talbot Over 5.5 assists ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I like Canada's chances of keeping this one close or even winning outright, but it's impossible to ignore what Talbot did in Australia's opener - which is exactly what our best sportsbooks are doing with this low total.
The 30-year-old forward led the Opals in assists (10), rebounds (12), and minutes played (34) in Monday's loss to Nigeria, even as she struggled mightily with her own shot (1-for-10).
That's nothing new for Talbot, who ranks in the top 20 in the WNBA in assist rate (22.4%) among those with 20 games played.
These +106 odds would return a $10.60 profit on a $10 wager if she finishes with six assists, even as some books deal Over 5.5 as short as -145. That seems like a screaming value to me.
Odds: +106 | Implied probability: 48.54%
Australia vs. Canada odds & game info
| Australia | Canada | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | -375 | +295 |
| Spread | -8.5 (-108) | +8.5 (-112) |
| Over/Under | Over 142.5 (-110) | Under 142.5 (-110) |
- When: Thursday, Aug. 1
- Tip-off: 7:30 a.m. ET
- Where: Stade Pierre-Mauroy (Lille, France)
- How to watch: Peacock (streaming)
- Favorite: Australia -8.5 (-108)
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