We now know the two teams who are going to compete in the Gold Medal game at the 2016 Rio Olympics Women’s Basketball tournament. There has probably been no surprise at the teams who will contest the final, but this doesn’t mean that the semi-finals were anything less than enthralling.
Spain raced into this game at great speed, taking an 11 point lead by the end of the opening quarter. France rallied in the second quarter but at the break, the Spanish side were in the lead by 5 points. A 20-10 score in the third quarter ensured the Spanish were 15 points ahead going into the final quarter. This provided them with the leeway to be comfortable, even though Serbia took the final quarter by a point. This means Spain are in the final and Serbia have to bounce back in order to take a medal home from Brazil.
Astou Ndour and Alba Torrens were both in fine form, delivering 14 points each for the winning semi-finalists. For Serbia, Saša Čađo and Sonja Petrović both grabbed 12 points for the team that lost out.
USA strolled their semi-final
The Americans only really ran away with the game in one quarter but they always managed to stay out in front. The opening quarter saw USA edge ahead by 4 points and then there was stalemate in the second quarter, leaving the gap at 4 at the break. In the third quarter though, the Americans stepped it up a gear, taking this period by a score of 8-25. This gave them a 21 point lead going into the final quarter, enough to give them leeway not to be too concerned about the 23-21 score line in France’s favour at the end of the game.
Isabelle Yacoubou excelled for France, providing 14 points while Diana Taurasi was once again the key player for the US side, picking up 18 points.
The scores from Thursday 18th of August were:
- Spain 68 v Serbia 54
- France 67 v USA 86
Anyone who backed Spain or USA to take a medal home from Rio can rest easy knowing that their bet has come up. The destination of the remaining set of medals and which team gets what medal will be decided on Saturday.
Saturday action in the Women’s tournament in Rio
The games on Saturday 20th of August are:
- Bronze Medal match: Serbia v France
- Gold Medal match: Spain v USA
Bronze Medal Game – Serbia v France Tips
The bookmakers believe France have the edge over Serbia in the Bronze Medal match. This is a match that can be difficult to predict because not every team is able to motivate themselves for this match. A bronze medal at the Olympics is a tremendous feat but having come so close to the Gold or Silver, to only be playing for the Bronze can make this a difficult game to play through.
Take France at -5, which you can find at odds of 1.90. For those of you who enjoy the Over/Under market, look to go OVER 139.5 which is available to you at odds of 1.90. Bet Now!
In the Race to 20 Points bet, France can be backed at odds of 1.55. The Serbia half-time, France full-time bet is provided at odds of 6.00 and this could be a quirky bet that interests some punters.
Gold Medal Game – Spain v USA Tips
It would be a massive upset if Spain win the tournament, or more accurately, if the Americans fail to win it but we will hopefully see an exciting game of basketball.
Taking Spain at +23.5, which is on offer at odds of 1.90, is likely to be a smart bet that will help most people enjoy the final. Anyone keen to enjoy the Over/Under market should look to take the OVER 154.5 option, which is provided at odds of 1.90. Bet Now!
Even though it is a final, the dominance of the US team means that the Prop bet market is limited. If you fancy USA to lead at half-time and win at full-time, you can place the bet at odds of 1.083. If you think Spain will push hard, lead at half-time but then be blown away by the end of the game, you should look at Spain half-time, USA full-time, which is on offer at odds of 8.50.
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