The 12th of August was a big day in Group B of the Women’s Olympic basketball tournament in Rio, and we now know three of the four qualifiers for the knockout round. Well, we are also pretty certain who the last team will be as well but it isn’t 100% mathematically certain yet, so we are probably best holding off on that until Sunday!
This means that the focus reverts back to Group A for Saturday 13th of August. Yes, we know the four teams who are progressing to the knockout round but we don’t know the order of the group yet. The Australians are untouchable at the top of the group but the order of the other three teams is still fluid at the moment, and this means that there will be a lot to play for on the final day of group action in Group A at the Rio Games.
It will also be a sad day for the hosts as their basketball team bows out of the competition but they’ll be desperate to grab a win and end the tournament on a high.
Group A
Australia v Belarus
This game tips off at 1615 BST.
First plays fifth in this game and as no team can move up or down in this game, you could argue that there isn’t going to be a lot riding on this match. Then again, there is a chance for Australia to grab 5 wins out of 5 in the group stage and there may be a chance for the squad players to make their mark on the team, perhaps forcing their way into contention for the knockout round. Belarus will be determined to leave the Rio party on a high and you could see both teams in a more relaxed mood, which is often the catalyst for plenty of points and exciting action.
Australia come into this game with a 6 point win over Japan and yet again Liz Cambage was at the heart of everything good achieved by the Australians. She managed to bag herself 37 points in the win and she is in the running to be point scorer in this tournament. Whether she gets a full run out in this game or is spared for later games remains to be seen but if Cambage plays, Australia have a chance of grabbing plenty of points.
Belarus come into their final game of the 2016 Olympic Women’s Basketball tournament on the back of a narrow defeat to Turkey. Lindsey Harding was able to provide 17 points in the defeat but it wasn’t enough and the team stumbled out of the running for a knockout round spot.
It can be difficult to predict how these games will go when there isn’t a lot riding on them but taking Australia at -14, which is on offer at odds of 1.90, should be an interesting bet. If you are looking for the Over/Under market, you should be looking to go UNDER 155.0 which you can find available at odds of 1.90. Bet Now!
Turkey v Brazil
This game tips off at 1930 BST.
Turkey will be looking to grab the win that consigns the hosts to five defeats in five games and then they can sit back and relax when the last game pans out. If Turkey win, they cannot be overtaken by Japan, leaving them assured of third place. Due to the head to head with France, Turkey cannot overtake the French even if Turkey win and France lose. Therefore, the only outcome that would see Turkey finishing somewhere other than third is a loss while Japan win, which would see Turkey drop to fourth in the group.
There could be an interesting outcome in group A if the group finishes with a Turkey and Japan win. This would leave France, Turkey and Japan all on 8 points. When it comes to the head to head:
- France defeated Turkey
- Turkey defeated Japan
- (And for this scenario to pan out) Japan would have defeated France
This would create a scenario where points difference would be the factor in splitting the teams, which could see the affected teams going for points in their games today. This will be good for betting punters and basketball fans!
As Brazil lost their match against Belarus, they are destined to be bottom regardless of the results in the final match ups.
In their most recent outing, Turkey grabbed a crucial win over Belarus with Nevriye Yılmaz offering up 26 points in the victory. As for Brazil, they fell against the French although Damiris Dantas managed to provide 21 points in the loss.
The neutrals would be happy to see the hosts win the game but with Turkey knowing a defeat would put them in big danger, they’ll be looking to dismiss the hosts like every other team has. With this in mind, back Turkey at -5.5, at odds of 1.90. if you are looking for the Over/Under market, look to go OVER 131.5 which can be found at odds of 1.90. Bet Now!
Japan v France
This game tips off at 2145 BST.
This is a game that could cause chaos in the final standings of Group A but only if Japan grab the victory. While both Japan and France know they are though, a Japanese win will see them move on to 8 points, the same tally the French would have at the end of the game, and the Japanese win would give them the head to head advantage. You can see that both teams need the win to make things easier for themselves.
Japan were edged out by Australia in their most recent game but Ramu Tokashiki managed to serve up 23 points in the defeat. France played the hosts in their most recent game and won by 10 points. Gaëlle Skrela provided 18 points for the French in that match.
France should have enough about them to stay ahead of Japan and make things simple at the end of the group stage. With this in mind, look to take France at -6, which you can find at odds of 1.90. Anyone looking towards the Over/Under market will find that going OVER 145.5 which you can find on offer at odds of 1.90 is likely to be the sensible bet. Bet Now!
Group B
After four games each, the teams in Group B pretty much know how their group is going to pan out. The action on Friday didn’t bring any real surprises but there was plenty to enjoy in Rio as the basketball action heats up.
Ana Dabović was a key player for Serbia in their win over China as she grabbed 23 points in the win which all but secures their place in the knockout round of the tournament. China rallied with Sun Mengran providing 16 points in the loss but it brought no greater reward.
The Canada and United States game may not have provided as many points as people predicted but the Americans still won by 30 points. Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi both grabbed 21 points in the victory which continues the Americans winning run at the 2016 Olympic Games. Miranda Ayim was the top point scorer for Canada with 8 points.
Spain were in complete control against Senegal, winning by over 50 points. Alba Torrens provided 14 points in the win while Mame-Marie Sy offered up 16 points in the loss.
The most interesting match on Sunday, in the final round of Group B games, will be the clash between Spain and Canada, where both teams will battle it out for third place.
The score-lines from 12th August in Group of Women’s Olympic Basketball were as follows:
- Serbia 80 v China 72
- Canada 51 v United States 81
- Spain 97 v Senegal 43
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