Team USA vs. France: The best player prop bets for the gold medal game

This incarnation of Team USA has been leveled with more criticism and doubt than any since 2004, and yet it stands at the precipice of capturing its fourth straight gold. But to do so, the U.S has one more dragon to slay. France, who held off a late charge by upstart Slovenia to secure its own place in the gold medal game. French victory was in doubt until the final seconds, as Nicolas Batum made a game-winning block to squeak out a one-point win to advance. Team USA  fell behind 15 points in its own semifinal, before eventually blowing the Boomers out of the water. 

France is 2-0 in the team's last two meetings and will come in brimming with confidence. Which of the American’s stars will step up now that the gold medal is on the line?

The gold medal game tips at 10:30 p.m. ET. We have odds and picks for our three favorite player prop bets below.

KEVIN DURANT: OVER/UNDER 23.5 POINTS

If there is anyone on Team USA who has shown zero rust or inconsistency, it’s been Kevin Durant. KD has posted 22.6 points per game on 52% from the field, and no amount of ball-pressure or physicality has slowed him down. And this isn’t against scrubs. Aussie guard Matisse Thybulle is better than anyone France can hope to put on Durant on Saturday, and KD basically acted like the Second Team-All Defender wasn’t even there. He personally accounted for 11 points of the 20-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters that completely turned the tide against Australia.

He’s also the engine of everything the Gregg Popovic-led Olympic team does, and he leads the team in minutes. If it’s a close run thing against France, one can expect that Durant will rarely sit. And he’s proven just as recently as the 2021 NBA Playoffs that he’s capable of going the distance if necessary. Nobody can really stop Durant with gold on the line, so expect him to hit the Over here.

PICK: OVER 23.5 POINTS (-134)

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JRUE HOLIDAY OVER/UNDER 4.5 REBOUNDS

Sometimes when a player wins an NBA championship, it has a lasting effect on his psyche. He gains confidence and plays with more freedom, and it can make him even more formidable than he was before. Fresh off his first championship, such a change may be happening to Jrue Holiday. While Holiday’s defense was invaluable to Milwaukee, his offense ranged too often between "acceptable" and "Bledsoe-like."

Not so during the Olympic games. After Durant, Holiday has been the most indispensable player on the American squad. He’s become the do-it-all two-way force he’s always been capable of, bullying opponents inside, comfortably taking jumpers off the dribble, and digging down and fighting for rebounds. His splits are impressive at 12.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists, and he’s coming off his best showing of the tournament against Australia, where he flirted with a triple-double.

The Americans have been shaky shooters, particularly in first halves, and unable to steady themselves inside with easier looks because of Gobert’s rim protection, there should be plentiful rebounds to be had. Long shots make for long rebounds, and Holiday has a natural knack for coming up with the ball.

PICK: OVER 4.5 REBOUNDS (-112)

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DAMIAN LILLARD: OVER/UNDER 12.5 POINTS

Lillard is  a top 10 NBA player, but he has not had a great Olympics. While he and Durant were the headliners for the Team USA roster, in truth Lillard has had only a marginal impact on the preceding games, averaging a meagre 5.0 points. Unquestionably he’s been less important than Jayson Tatum, Zach LaVine, Devin Booker, and Holiday - all of whom have provided value even when they weren’t dominating the ball. Lillard hasn't adjusted to FIBA refereeing, and his defense has been abysmal at times. 

While it may feel foolish to bet against "Dame Time" finally coming due, the French side have proven to be extremely tenacious defenders. As strange as it sounds, the Under is the play here.

PICK: UNDER 12.5 POINTS (-112)