2024 Paris Olympics odds, predictions for Thursday, August 8: Expert picks for basketball, volleyball, track

Men’s basketball, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s track and field highlight Thursday’s action at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Of particular interest is the men’s basketball semifinal game between the United States and Serbia. If anyone can give the powerful American squad fits it could be Serbia, led by Nikola Jokic. At +16.5, Serbia has the talent to cover the spread, but only if Jokic remains on the floor. If he tires or gets into foul trouble, the United States will likely roll. In the other men’s basketball semifinal, Germany battles France (+5.5).

All eyes will also be on the men’s 200m at 2:30 p.m. ET as American Noah Lyles (-400) will try to double up after winning the 100m earlier this week. Letsile Tebogo (+425) of Botswana and Americans Kenneth Bednarek (+550) and Erriyon Knighton (+2800) are also expected to contend. Before locking in any 2024 Summer Olympics picks on those events or others, you need to see what SportsLine Olympic insider Mike Tierney has to say.

A national sportswriter whose work appears in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Tierney has covered nine Olympic Games in person. At Rio in 2016, Tierney profited big-time. He told readers to bet over on Team USA’s gold medal count (41.5) and over on Team USA’s overall medal count (102.5). The result? 46 golds, 121 medals and two easy cashes. Then, at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Tierney hit two of his three predictions: Germany (+200) to win the most gold medals and the United States winning under 10.5 gold medals (+110). Anybody following has seen some big returns. 

Now, Tierney has broken down the 2024 Olympics from every possible angle and revealed his best bets for Thursday, Aug. 8. You can visit SportsLine now to see his 2024 Summer Olympics picks. 

Top 2024 Paris Olympics picks for Aug. 8

Tierney sees it coming down to American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol of the Netherlands for gold in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. Tierney, however, is backing Bol, the +270 underdog, despite the 25-year-old from the United States registering a world record in 50.65 seconds to win the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., earlier this year. It was the third time of setting the mark, with the first time coming in the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. Bol, meanwhile, won the European Championships in the 400 hurdles in 52.49 seconds, but helped deliver the gold for the Dutch in the mixed relay thanks to her tremendous finishing kick.

“As brilliant as the American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has been in her signature event, an enduring memory of these Games is Bol closing from fourth place to first down the stretch to deliver the Dutch a gold medal in the mixed relay,” Tierney told SportsLine. “This is a two-person race, with all other entrants playing extras in this drama, so Bol can focus on one competitor. It’s a tall task, but the temptation to grab a world-class runner at +270 is too tempting to pass up.” See the rest of Tierney’s picks here.

How to make 2024 Olympics picks

Tierney has locked in four other Olympic best bets for Thursday, including a huge upset in the men’s 200m. He’s only sharing his picks and analysis here.

What are Tierney’s best bets for the 2024 Olympic Games on Thursday, and which underdog should you be all over? Visit SportsLine now to see Mike Tierney 2024 Summer Olympics best bets and analysis, and find out.