Luka Doncic leads Slovenia in the bronze medal game against Patty Mills and Australia on Saturday morning. The teams battle at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, with the winner joining the United States and France on the medal stand. Slovenia fell to France in a narrow contest in the semifinals. Australia fell short against the heavily-favored American side.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Slovenia as the 2.5-point favorite in the latest Slovenia vs. Australia odds, while the over-under for total points expected is 181.5. Before finalizing any Australia vs. Slovenia picks or bronze medal basketball predictions, you need to see what SportsLine's Olympics expert, 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.
And for 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).
Now, with the Tokyo Summer Olympics nearing a conclusion, Tierney has analyzed every angle of Saturday's Slovenia vs. Australia bronze medal matchup and revealed his top Olympic basketball picks and predictions. He's only sharing those picks at SportsLine. Now, here are the Olympics 2020 basketball odds and betting trends for Australia vs. Slovenia:
- Slovenia vs. Australia spread: Slovenia -2.5
- Slovenia vs. Australia over-under: 181.5 points
- Slovenia vs. Australia money line: Slovenia -140, Australia +120
- SLO: Seeking first Olympic medal in men's basketball
- AUS: Defeated USA in exhibition play before suffering semifinal loss to Americans
Why you should back Slovenia
Slovenia has been an offensive juggernaut throughout the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, and that is its calling card. Doncic is an elite initiator, averaging 24.2 points, 10.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists per game, and the team leads the tournament in averaging 102.4 points per game. Slovenia is a tremendously efficient shooting team, making 49 percent of its shots overall, and it has the best 2-point shooting mark (61 percent) in the field.
Slovenia's overall shot profile is analytically sound, with a tournament-leading 21.8 free-throw attempts per game and more 3-point attempts than any other squad. Finally, Slovenia's offense is well-rounded. Slovenia is grabbing 14.0 offensive rebounds per game, leading the Olympics, and is committing only 11.4 turnovers per contest. Australia is fully capable of scoring in bunches, but Slovenia's offensive track record is highly impressive and Doncic projects as the best player on the floor in the bronze medal matchup.
Why you should back Australia
Australia is a beautifully effective offensive team. The Australians are averaging more than 86 points per game in Tokyo, and a lot of that can be attributed to ball movement and perimeter shooting. Australia is No. 2 in the tournament in 3-point accuracy at more than 40 percent, and the Australians attempt more than 30 shots per game from long distance. Australia is also No. 2 in assists (24.8 per game), and it is generating nearly two assists for every turnover committed during the Olympics.
Mills is the centerpiece of Australia's offensive approach, and the veteran guard is producing 19.6 points and 5.8 assists per game while connecting on 44 percent of his 3-point attempts. Joe Ingles, a standout of the Utah Jazz, adds supporting talent, and the Australians also boast other NBA talents in Matisse Thybulle, Dante Exum, Matthew Dellavedova and recently signed big man Jock Landale. Thybulle is a force defensively, averaging 3.0 steals per game in Tokyo, and Australia can create havoc for the high-powered Slovenia offense.
How to make 2020 Tokyo Olympics picks
Tierney has taken a close look at the Slovenia vs. Australia Olympic basketball matchup from all angles and is leaning under on the point total. He's also found a critical x-factor that has him jumping on one side of the Slovenia vs. Australia spread. He's only sharing his top picks and Olympics 2020 basketball picks and predictions at SportsLine.
So which side of the Slovenia vs. Australia spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to get Mike Tierney's predictions for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, all from the renowned sportswriter who's covered nine Olympics in person and cashed big in both 2016 and '18, and find out.
