Team USA is going to be favored over every other team in this Olympic basketball tournament, and that continues Tuesday when they face Brazil as 26.5-point favorites.
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USA is -50000 on the moneyline, giving them a 99.8 percent chance to advance to the semi-finals.
So, at the risk of stating the obvious in this prediction piece, Team USA will win Tuesday and have a date with the Serbia-Australia winner in the semifinals.
USA is a powerhouse in basketball, but they are still undoubtedly lucky that they are on opposite side of the bracket that features Canada, France and Germany.
Germany and Canada are ranked No. 2 and 3, respectively, by the FIBA rankings and many expected France to give Team USA problems as they have Victor Wembayama and Rudy Gober.
Thanks to some favorable scheduling breaks, the USA certainly looks to have a clear path and the easiest possible path to the gold medal game.
Anthony Edwards looked dominant against Puerto Rico. AFP via Getty Images
USA vs. Brazil prediction
Brazil has been a pesky group in the Olympics thus far, with ex-NBA player Bruno Caboclo leading the way.
They defeated Japan last time out but were previously defeated by a strong German squad when they struggled to stop Dennis Schroder.
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Brazil has allowed teams to torch them from beyond the arch, and that’s something they will struggle to defend against Team USA.
Devin Booker, Stephen Curry, and Anthony Edwards are just a few that could crush a poor Brazilian backcourt from defending 3-point range.
LeBron James and Stephen Curry have loved being teammates. AFP via Getty Images
Curry has only made 2 of his last 12 3-point shots in the Olympics, but Brazil allowed Germany to shoot 50 percent from 3-point range, so there could be some value backing the best shooter in NBA history.
However, you could be better off backing the team’s best passer, LeBron James, to go over his 6.5 assist total (+100).
The USA wins this one, going away in a single-elimination quarterfinal matchup.
PICK: Team USA -26.5 (-110) | LeBron James over 6.5 assists (+100)
