After a nail-biter in an exhibition prior to the Olympics which saw Team USA edge South Sudan 101-100, the Americans are back for a bit of revenge on Wednesday as they aim to move to a perfect 2-0 to begin their run at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Jayson Tatum is expected to see some run in this one after riding the bench in an opening win over Serbia as Team USA looks for a way to top Marial Shayok on the wing, but if the line here is any indication oddsmakers aren't entirely sure matchups will play a huge role in deciding the outcome of this one.

Are the South Sudanese a real threat to the Americans, or was last week's scare merely a result of a relaxed attitude from the favorites?

Let's get right into the best way to bet on USA vs. South Sudan in the Men's Basketball competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday, July 31.

FanDuel

4.5/5

Use FanDuel Promo for the USA vs South Sudan Men's Olympic Basketball Game: Bet $5, get $200 in Bonus Bets

• User-friendly mobile app & website
• Low cost spreads
• Highly competitive odds

–

–

Looking to bet on FanDuel? Click here to read about the sportsbook and app.

USA VS SOUTH SUDAN FANDUEL ODDS FOR JULY 31

SPREAD

• UNITED STATES: -28.5 (-110)
• SOUTH SUDAN: +28.5 (-110)

OVER/UNDER (TOTAL)

• OVER: 191.5 (-110)
• UNDER: 191.5 (-110)

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATS: USA VS SOUTH SUDAN

Olympic Matchups:

• First Meeting

Other Matchups:

• 7/20/2024: USA 101, South Sudan 100 (Exhibition)

2024 OLYMPIC BASKETBALL ODDS: USA VS SOUTH SUDAN BEST BET

It's not necessarily a marvel that South Sudan was able to play a competitive exhibition game against the United States a week and a half ago.

1. The South Sudanese were the fifth-best offense at last year's FIBA World Cup, pouring in 91.2 points per game on 47.7% shooting from the field and a stunning 40.7% from outside which put them third in the competition.
2. They went toe-to-toe with a talented Puerto Rican offense in their first game of the Olympics and managed to overcome a first-half deficit to soar ahead in the second half of the game, finishing with a 90-79 win.

The scary part of that one is that South Sudan managed to shoot just 34.5% from 3-point range and did most of its work inside, commanding 55 rebounds to Puerto Rico's 37.

That should have the attention of Team USA here, considering Puerto Rico was a considerably better rebounding side than South Sudan at the FIBA World Cup and the Americans managed to win the battle on the glass in their previous meeting by a margin of two.

The Americans did put forth a good showing on the glass against Serbia and limited them to just 24.3% shooting from outside, but while they did do well on defense they still allowed Nikola Jokic to have whatever he wanted inside and all Serbia's starters had great nights from the field while the bench -- and an insane shooting night from the Americans -- gave them the win.

I think the numbers here should come back down to Earth from 3 against a South Sudan team which has shown it can lock up the perimeter, holding Team USA to just 25% shooting from downtown in their exhibition.

With even some slight regression from the Serbia game and some solid work for the South Sudanese down low this one should be much closer than anticipated.

Best Bet: South Sudan +29.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

LEBRON JAMES BETTING ODDS AND PREDICTIONS FOR USA VS SOUTH SUDAN

Team USA is going to need LeBron James in a big way here. He logged a team-high 27 minutes against Serbia and matched the team with 23 minutes in that previous meeting against South Sudan, and with a threat on the wing like Shayok it makes sense for Steve Kerr to continue leaning on one of the greatest basketball players of all time to lift the stars and stripes to victory.

1. James scored 21 points and more importantly took a team-high 13 shots against Serbia, and once again he led the charge in that exhibition against South Sudan with a team-high 14 attempts and 25 points.
2. He's now eclipsed 15 points in five of his last six Olympic contests and has now done so in three straight games for Team USA when you count the last two tune-up games this team played.

I expect a ton of usage for James again, and with South Sudan most vulnerable to the interior jumpshot and an occasional drive to the rim there's no better man to back to score the ball on Wednesday.

Best Bet:?LeBron James Over 15.5 Points (-128 at FanDuel)