Medals are on the line Friday as both the women's and men's soccer tournaments near their end. For the ladies, Spain squares off against Germany in a bronze-medal match to get the day started. The action continues as France takes on Spain in the men's gold medal match. Below I'll break down each contest from a betting angle and let you know where I'm laying my money on the pitch.
Friday’s Best 2024 Paris Olympics Soccer Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Women’s Soccer: Spain (-105) vs. Germany (+275), DRAW (+265) | O/U 2.5 (-140/+110)
Spain has the chance to add a couple more medals on Friday morning. Their women's national team dropped a 4-2 barnburner to Brazil in the semi-final round, which pits them against Germany in this bronze-medal match. Germany is here due to losing 1-0 in extra time against the USA, who has now beaten them twice in the tournament. This third-place match is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. ET from Groupama Stadium in Lyon, France.
I'm going to ride with Spain on the Moneyline Friday morning. They're the top-ranked team in the FIFA rankings and they're coming off of a World Cup victory in August of last year. This is a team that's familiar with playing in high-stakes matches. I think they'll have an edge in that capacity.
La Roja's defense has been flawed in the knockout stage matches, where they've conceded six combined goals against Columbia (W: 2-2, 4-2 PEN) and Brazil (L: 4-2). However, Germany has struggled to score against top-tier competition in this tournament. The DFB Women have been shut out in their last two matches against Canada (W: 0-0, 4-2 PEN) and the United States (L: 1-0, A.E.T.). That's 210 minutes without a goal. I think Spain has a sizable edge offensively, which should be the difference-maker in this bronze-medal match.
Bet: Spain Moneyline (-105)
Men’s Soccer France (+150) vs. Spain (+210), DRAW (+205) | O/U 2.5 (+135/-170)
Olympic gold is up for grabs on Friday as host France takes on Spain. Les Bleus advanced to the final by edging out Egypt in a 3-1 extra-time match. Spain beat Morocco 2-1 to give itself a chance at gold. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET from Parc des Princes in Paris, France.
Defenses always tighten up when the stakes are the highest, which is why I'm taking the alternate under 2.0 goals on Friday. For France, they've seen both of their knockout games feature two or fewer goals through the first 90 minutes. As for Spain, they've found much more offensive success, beating Japan 3-0 and Morocco 2-1. However, against an elite France defense, it only makes sense for their offense to take a slight step back.
Speaking of the French defense, they've conceded just one goal this entire tournament. They have an entire nation backing them in Paris on Friday. I think they'll look crisp defensively. I can see this match ending 0-0 or 1-0 through the first 90 minutes. Give me the under 2.0 goals (+105).
Bet: Under 2.0 Goals (+105)
