2024 Paris Olympics Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (8/7)
The Olympic action from Paris is starting to wind down, as we’re into the final days of competition. But the past week has been exciting, with plenty of world records, including Armand Duplantis in the pole vault, the Australia cycling track team on the velodrome, etc. The United States has ascended to the top of the medal table, not only in terms of total medals but in number of golds, too. Team USA sits just ahead of China.
Heading into Wednesday’s action, we have plenty of medals that will be distributed in the coming days, including plenty of team sport medals.
Anyway, it’s Wednesday. Let’s continue to build that bankroll through the closing ceremonies next weekend.
Here are the three best bets for Wednesday, Aug. 7 at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Wednesday’s Best Olympic Bets
(All bets are one unit unless otherwise specified)
Men’s 400m – To Win a Medal: Kirani James – Grenada (+105)
The Men’s 400m takes place on Wednesday at 3:20 p.m. ET at Stade de France. Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith (-180) is considered the gold medal favorite, while USA’s Quincy Hall has the second-shortest odds for gold. Right behind them is Kirani James of Grenada, a nation that already secured bronze in the men’s decathlon thanks to Lindon Victor.
James posted a time of 44.780 seconds in Round 1 – Heat 5, edging out Canada’s Christopher Morales-Williams and Sri Lanka’s Aruna Dharshana Singhapurage.
The 31-year-old from Grenada was the 400m champion in the 2012 Olympics in London and managed silver in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. In the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, he slipped to bronze status, but he remains a threat to get on the podium, even in his fourth Olympics on the downside of 30.
Men’s Boxing – 2-leg Parlay – Spain’s Ayoub Ghadfa & France’s Sofiane Oumiha to Win (+147)
We have four boxing matches scheduled for Wednesday. France’s Sofiane Oumiha, 3-0 as a pro so far, has had a storied amateur career. It all comes to an end one way or the other on Wednesday against Cuba’s Erislandy Alvarez Borges. Oumiha, ranked No. 4, topped Canada’s Wyatt Sanford 4-1 in the semi-finals on Sunday. Sanford ended up securing a bronze medal.
Alvarez had a similar route, polishing off Georgia’s Lasha Guruli on Sunday, winning 5-0, and the Georgian fighter ended up with a bronze. The Cuban hasn’t allowed a point in four matches to date, but facing France’s Oumiha, who is 3-0 as a professional, while also boxing in his home nation, will be too much to overcome.
As far as Spain’s Ghadfa is concerned, he is taking on Djamili-Dini Aboudou Moindze in the 92kg semifinal for a shot at Olympic gold. He won 5-0 against Davit Chaloyan of Armenia in the quarter-finals, while his most difficult bout might have been against Kazakhstan’s Kamshybek Kunkabayev in a narrow 3-2 win on points in the preliminary round.
Women’s Field Hockey – 2-leg Parlay: Netherlands ML (-320) vs. Argentina & Belgium ML (-250) vs. China (-120)
It’s a little too pricey to bet Netherlands (-320), the gold medal favorite, on the Moneyline against Argentina. That will cost you more than three times your potential return, and that’s too much risk for not enough reward. While Belgium (-250) isn’t favored as heavily, it’s still setting back bettors 2.5 times your potential return.
Instead, combine both of the European neighbors, as the rivals try to win and battle for Olympic gold.
Netherlands took care of Great Britain 3-1 in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, while Argentina rallied from a one-goal deficit to force a shootout against Germany. For Belgium, it found its offense late against Spain, winning 2-0. Delphine-Daphne Marien was the hero, while Charlotte Englebert managed a second goal for insurance.
Daniel E. Dobish is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Daniel, check out his archive and follow him @danieledobish