We're inching closer and closer to the final round as the semifinals of the women's basketball tournament of the 2024 Paris Olympics is upon us. With two matchups to prepare for, Team USA will take the honor of being up first on Friday to meet Australia at 11:30 a.m. ET with eyes focused on A'ja Wilson guiding the team to the gold medal game.
Following Team USA vs. Australia, the opponent will be decided between France and Belgium aiming for the same goal at 3 p.m. ET.
With a couple of player props and a spread pick on tap, our experts provide their Women's Olympics basketball picks and best bets for Friday, August 9 below!
Women's Olympics Basketball Picks, Best Bets | Friday, August 9
| Time (ET) | Women's Basketball Semifinal Best Bets |
|---|---|
| 11:30 a.m. | |
| 11:30 a.m. | |
| 3 p.m. |
Bryan Fonseca's United States vs. Australia Pick: Australia +17.5
We have one cover in four games for Team USA.
We have a team that's shooting 30 percent from deep while taking less than 20 attempts per game.
We have a team in Australia who just played their best two games of the Olympics, beating France in France while potentially facing elimination and beating up Serbia in the biggest blowout win of the quarterfinals.
Australia also just stepped up to shoot 25 threes last game, of which they hit nine (36 percent).
Australia has made the most threes and has the highest percentage made from downtown in the tournament (36.9 percent) and this is a game where they should be looking to take a lot against a less than stellar USA perimeter defense. I think this is a closer game than 17.5 points, given what we've seen from USA to this point.
Pick: Australia +17.5 (Bet365)
Joe Dellera's United States vs. Australia Women's Olympics Basketball Pick: A'ja Wilson Over 10.5 Rebounds
By Joe Dellera
A’ja Wilson has dominated on the glass and should continue to do so against Team Australia.
A’ja has exceeded 10.5 rebounds in three of four games during the Olympics and gets an Australian team that plays at a relatively fast Pace so there should be extra opportunities on the glass.
Additionally, I expect the Aussies to take a few more 3s this game in an effort to increase the variance against the Americans. This can also lead to more rebounding opportunities for A’ja.
I’ll back her to exceed 10.5 rebounds.
Pick: A’ja Wilson Over 10.5 Rebounds (Bet365)
Bryan Fonseca's France vs. Belgium Pick: Julie Vanloo Over 2.5 Threes
This is plus money everywhere right now.
Vanloo is just 9 for 33 from three in this tournament, but that's not customary. She's at 27 percent in the Olympics after being 43.6 percent in EuroBasket last year, making 24 threes in six games, and attempting 9.2 per contest.
If this truth is somewhere in the middle, we can live with that.
Vanloo has cleared this prop twice, still, despite the poor shooting. She's gone 4-for-8, 1-for-11, 1-for-9 and 3-for-5. She made five against France in the EuroBasket semis last year, and similarly, I think the volume is going to be there enough to take a shot at plus money here. Books can't put her at 1.5 without it being heavily juiced, and they can't hang 3.5 because she's been off recently.
This is just a good value volume bet that I can live with.
Pick: Julie Vanloo Over 2.5 Threes (Bet365)
