Men’s Olympic Soccer Winning Predictions

Men’s Olympic Soccer Winning Predictions

Written by on August 2, 2016

The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil will commence with the opening ceremonies on Friday, Aug 5th, but there will actually be some action taking place before that colorful spectacle kicks things off. The Olympic soccer tournament actually gets stated a couple of days earlier, with the women set to get the ball rolling on Wednesday. We will take a closer look at their competition in another post, but for now, let’s start with the men, who will have their first set of games get underway on Thursday, August 4th. The betting odds for the men’s tournament are now live, and there are a few teams who might be able to get the gold this time around. Let’s take a look at some of the favorites, as well as their current sportsbook odds.

Men’s Olympic Soccer Winning Predictions

 
 

Brazil (-140)

The overwhelming favorite to win gold, and for very good reason. Forget that they are playing in front of their home fans for a second, and instead just look at the talent pool that they have to choose from. Brazil served notice that they were all in on the Olympics when they held Neymar out of the Copa America squad that played in the US. With Neymar and Gabriel Jesus leading the attack for Brazil, they are likely going to light things up on the score board. Very much the team to beat in this competition.

Argentina (+500)

Argentina will come into this tournament with a huge following since they are playing so close to home. The man to watch on this team is striker Angel Correa of Atletico Madrid. He is quick and deadly in front of goal. It’s the U-23 squads that play in this tournament, but there are a few over age players allowed. Argentina have chosen to add those players to the defense in hopes of cementing things at the back.

Germany (+500)

This will be the first appearance for Germany in the Olympic soccer tournament since 1988. They finished with a bronze at that event, and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see them be among the medals again here. The Germans have a knack for churning out great young talent, and this group is no exception. Keep an eye out for Max Meyer, an attacking midfielder in the mold of Lionel Messi.

Portugal (+800)

Can the Portugal U-23 players emulate the big boys by winning a major soccer championship in the summer? While this is certainly a talented squad, you have to feel that they might be a little overmatched if they have to face any of the aforementioned teams in the latter stages of the tournament. A possible medal candidate, though, but just not gold.

Nigeria (+1800)

If you are looking for a dark horse to put your money on, Nigeria might well be the way to go. They made it to the Olympics by winning the U-23 African Championship, and if Olympic soccer history has shown us anything, it’s that an African team generally always makes it to the late stages of the tournament. A distinct possibility of seeing this team in the semi-finals.