Two underdog countries will square off in the group stage as South Sudan battles Puerto Rico on Saturday. Ball out with us as we share our Olympics odds series and make a South Sudan-Puerto Rico prediction and pick for the group-stage matchup.
Many people will be paying attention to other countries like France, Australia, and Canada. But it would also be best to look at these countries, as one of them almost shocked the Americans. Amazingly, South Sudan nearly stunned the Americans and lost by one point in their recent exhibition. A game like that may give them the confidence to move forward in the Olympic Games.
Puerto Rico and South Sudan have played one time in their history, with the last match happening on August 26, 2023, with Puerto Rico winning an overtime thriller 101-96.
Here are the 2024 Olympic Men’s basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
2024 Olympics Odds: South Sudan-Puerto Rico Basketball Odds
South Sudan: -1 (-110)
Moneyline: -118
Puerto Rico: +1 (-110)
Moneyline: -104
Over: 168.5 (-110)
Under: -168.5 (-110)
How to Watch South Sudan vs. Puerto Rico in Paris
Time: 5 am ET/2 am PT
TV: CNBC
Stream: (Click Here for Free Trial)
Why South Sudan Will Win
Khaman Maluach helped the South Sudanese to a near-upset. He scored seven points in 12 minutes, which was good enough to earn him a spot on the squad. Now, the 17-year-old will be one of the major players to watch as South Sudan attempts to navigate the rough waters of the Olympic Games.
South Sudan hopes it can replicate what it did against Puerto Rico, but with a little more to get the victory. Ultimately, they converted 50 percent of their chances from the field, including 38 percent from beyond the arc. The South Sudanese also hit 75 percent of its free-throw attempts. However, they lost the board battle 50-38. They also turned the ball over 22 times. It also did not help that they had a 47 percent possession rate.
Other players to keep on include JT Thor and Marial Shayok. Thor is the only NBA player on this squad but averaged just 3.2 points per game while shooting 43.7 percent from the floor, including 34.6 percent for the Charlotte Hornets. Meanwhile, Shayok shined in the battle with Team USA, scoring 24 points while shooting 9 for 16, including 6 for 12 from beyond the arc.
Carlik Jones also added 14 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 7 for 21. Likewise, Wenyen Gabriel had 11 points and six rebounds while shooting 4 for 6, including all three of his three-point shots. Nuni Omot tacked on nine points and six rebounds while shooting 4 for 8, including 1 for 3 from beyond the arc.
South Sudan shot 47.5 percent, including 42.42 percent from the triples, against the Americans. Additionally, they had 45 rebounds but turned the ball over 15 times. If they can replicate those numbers against Puerto Rico, they may have a chance to take the first game of the group stage.
South Sudan will win this match if it can set up space and make its shots. Then, it needs to avoid turning the ball over and play tight defense to prevent Puerto Rico from squaring up and getting shooting chances.
Why Puerto Rico Will Win
The New Orleans Pelicans will have several players in the Olympics, including Jose Alvarado, who hopes to make an impact for Puerto Rico. Alvarado averaged 7.1 points per game for the Pelicans this past season. However, he will take a larger role as he represents Puerto Rico.
But Puerto Rico struggled against South Sudan in its last battle, winning the match despite numerous struggles. First, they shot 42 percent from the field, including only 35 percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 67 percent from the free-throw line. However, they won the board battle 50-38, which helped them get the points needed to win. Puerto Rico also forced 22 turnovers.
But Puerto Rico will need Alvarado to play better to win this game. Ultimately, he could not score a single point against Australia in the exhibition the countries played earlier this month. Tremont Waters will also need to do more. The former NBA player will need to contribute to the effort to give the Puerto Ricans a chance.
Puerto Rico will win this matchup and cover the spread if they can shoot better and win the board battle. Then, they need to defend better and avoid collapsing down the stretch.
Final South Sudan-Puerto Rico Prediction & Pick
Before the near-upset against the Americans, this matchup might have been more difficult to predict. But the close loss to Team USA might have opened the floodgates and opened the potential for something else. South Sudan will look to prove that its close loss to the Americans was no fluke and that it is ready to show up to the Paris Olympics and make a stand. We expect this game to go down to the wire, with South Sudan edging out Puerto Rico.
Click here for more betting news & predictions
Final South Sudan-Puerto Rico Prediction & Pick: South Sudan: -1 (-110)
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