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2024 Summer Olympics: Best country gold medal Over/Under picks and predictions
By Kevin Erickson,
5 hours ago
The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, run from July 26 through Aug. 11 in Paris, France. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines for the best gold medal Over/Unders, and make our expert Summer Olympic picks and predictions.
The COVID-19 global pandemic ruined the 2020 Summer Olympics, as the games were postponed until July 23 to Aug. 8, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
The Tokyo games were pretty exciting, with 93 different nations taking home at least 1 medal — a new record — and 65 different nations earned at least 1 gold medal. Bermuda, Philippines and Qatar secured their 1st-ever gold medals. Burkina Faso, San Marino and Turkmenistan earned their 1st-ever medals of any kind, too. Meanwhile, Australian swimmer Emma McKeon brought home 7 medals.
Team USA won the most medals with 113, while taking home 39 gold medals. The gold total edged out China, which had 38 gold among its 89 total medals. Host nation Japan set a nation record with 27 golds, while ending up with 58 total medals. Great Britain (22) and the Russian Federation (20) ended up rounding out the top 5 countries in golds.
Australia was 6th with 17 golds, while France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands each won 10 golds.
Some of the more surprising gold totals include Hungary (6), Norway (4), Uzbekistan (3), Bahamas (2), Georgia (2), Israel (2), Kosovo (2), Qatar (2), Uganda (2), Bermuda (1), Hong Kong (1) and Puerto Rico (1).
Republic of Ireland: 2.5 (Over: -102 | Under: -130)
2024 Summer Olympics gold medals Over/Under best bets
BET TEAM USA OVER 40.5 (-114)
Team USA is, literally, the gold standard when it comes to the Summer Olympics. Always go high on medal total, particularly for gymnastics, swimming and track and field. Those events account for a good chunk of the hardware.
In 2020, as mentioned, the U.S. won 39 gold medals, which was a bit disappointing, but it was also a strange Olympics which were delayed by a year.
In 2016, Team USA brought home 46 gold medals from Rio de Janeiro, and in 2012, Team USA dominated the London games with 104 total medals, including 48 golds. In the past 3 Olympiads, Team USA averaged 44.3 gold medals. The last time Team USA didn’t top the charts in gold was the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when host China outpaced the Americans 48-36. Don’t expect host nation France to threaten Team USA in that respect.
BET FRANCE UNDER 24.5 (-140)
Going low on France is a strong play, even though the host nation generally sees a bump in gold medal wins.
Japan posted 27 golds as the host nation in the most recent Olympics, while Brazil managed 7 golds in 2016. In 2012, Great Britain managed 29 golds, while China secured 48 golds as the host nation in 2008.
Greece won 6 golds in 2004 as the host, while Australia claimed 16 golds in 2000.
France managed just 10 golds in the last Olympics, while it captured 10 in 2016, too. In 2012, France secured 11 golds, and in 2008, it won 7. In 2004, France was good for 11 golds, and in 2000, it won 13. France had a record 15 golds in the Atlanta Olympics back in 1996.
We should see France get into the high teens, perhaps even setting a record. However, going for 25 or more golds just isn’t going to happen, even with that host nation bump.
The Brits were good for 22 golds, 20 silvers and 22 bronzes in the Tokyo games, landing them in an impressive 4th on the total medals table, while also ranking 4th in golds.
In 2016, Great Britain was good for 27 golds, while securing 29 golds in the 2012 games in London as the host. In 2008, Great Britan saw 19 golds, and in 2004, they had a disappointing 9 golds. Back in 1996, the Brits were good for just a single gold in Atlanta.
The past decade has been the halcyon days of British sport, at least in terms of the Olympics. The Brits had 14 golds in the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, and they didn’t see double-digits again until 11 in 2000.
If you’re looking for a record-setting Olympics for Great Britain, think again. It brought home 56 golds in the 1908 games as the host nation. However, Great Britain is a good bet to get to at least 17 golds this time around, a mark it has reached in each of the past 3 Olympiads.
BET DENMARK UNDER 3.5 (+112)
When thinking about the Summer Olympics, Copenhagen doesn’t exactly come up. The Danes secured 3 golds in men’s singles badminton in 2020, thanks to Viktor Axelsen, as well as in women’s laser radial sailing and men’s cycling.
In 2016, it was women’s 50m freestyle swimming and men’s handball which landed the nation 2 golds. In 2012, it was rowing and, again, cycling, in the men’s omnium.
Denmark brought home 4 gold medals from the Atlanta games in 1996. It also had 5 golds in the 1948 games in London. It would take a near-record performance to get to 4 golds or more. Go low, and enjoy the plus-money total. Just watch the sailing and handball events close, and cheer against the Danes there with all you’ve got.
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