The Olympic action heats up today, so it's ime to see where we'd be best served to place our sports picks. Here's what you need to be watching today, and here is where we believe that the best sports betting opportunities lie.
We're not going to waste too much time. Though swimming is
coming to an end, track and field has just started up again, to the delight of
Olympic fans.
Basketball
Earlier in the day, France had survived a late rally from
Tunisia to win 73-69, while Russia toppled Spain 77-74 in what was one of the
best games of the Olympics so far.
The USA team will battle it out with Lithuania and that
should be one of the toughest tests of the competition for them so far.
Elsewhere in group play today, Brazil takes on China as a
17-point favorite and Australia and Argentina are favored in their matchups
with Great Britain and Nigeria respectively.
Soccer
The quarter-finals take place for the men today, with Japan
already moving on in a relatively simple 3- victory over Egypt.
Mexico will play Senegal, while Brazil/Honduras and Great Britain/South
Korea are the other last eight encounters on the schedule today.
The Brazilians are humungous soccer betting favorites to advance, priced at
-576 to win. The Brits, led by Craig Bellamy, are at +116 in the odds, with
South Korea listed at +293.
Tennis
Can anyone stop Serena Williams? Doubtful.
Williams is storming through whoever she plays, her latest
victim Victoria Azarenka in the semi-finals. She'll play Maria Sharapova in the
final and is listed at a staggering -430 to get the gold over the Russian.
In the bronze medal match, Azarenka was able to topple Maria
Kirilenko 6-3, 6-4.
The doubles finals are today as well, with the Bryan
brothers set to face the French pair of Michael Llodra and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
in the gold medal match. The Americans are -260 to win.
After likely winning the women's final, Serena Williams will
pair with sister Venus to try and win the gold. No chance the Williams sisters
lose this, as evident by their -690 pricetag.
Track & Field
We've got the discus throw, 400 meter semis and heptathlon
for the women and the long jump and 10,000 meter final for the men. Don't
forget about the most awesome event of the all either: the 20-kilometer walk!
The women's 100 meter final is on tap as well, with
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce the favorite and Carmelita Jeter right there too.
Swimming
The women have the 50 meter free and 4x100 meter relay,
while the men deal with the 1,500 meter freestyle and 4x100 medley relay.
One would have to think the Americans should stroll to the
gold in the women's relay, with Missy Franklin and Dana Vollmer among others
set to swim.
Michael Phelps will be part of the men's relay team, which
is priced at -600 to get the gold. Only Australia is even close to them in the
swimming betting odds.
Beach Volleyball
It's fun to watch Misty May-Treanor and Kerry Walsh beat up
on the competition and they should do so again against Netherlands today.
Sportsbooks have them at -700 to win.
The men also get a taste of
the action as they'll battle it out with a Russian team as -900 favorites.