Futures Betting: Predicting Medal Counts for the 2024 Olympics
France will take center stage in the sports world starting this Friday, as the 2024 Summer Olympics kick off with the Opening Ceremony in Paris. This will be the third time, and the first in a century, that the French capital hosts the Summer Games. Overall, France has hosted the Olympics six times, including three Winter Games, with the most recent being in Albertville in 1992.
During the 2024 Paris Games, approximately 1,000 medals will be awarded. Around 10,500 athletes from 206 countries, plus a team of refugees, will compete in 329 events across 32 sports. Historically, the United States has excelled at the Summer Olympics, leading with a total of 2,629 medals and 1,061 golds over 28 editions. The former Soviet Union ranks second in both categories, with 1,010 medals and 395 golds.
According to the latest odds, the U.S. is the -2000 favorite (risk $2,000 to win $100) to win the most medals and -550 to secure the most golds. China stands at +1300 for the most medals and +350 for the most golds, while Great Britain and Japan are tied at +6000 for total medals and +4200 for golds. The first medal will be awarded on Saturday.
Before finalizing your bets or predictions for the 2024 Summer Olympics, you’ll want to hear from SportsLine Olympic insider Dan O’Brien.
O’Brien, a highly decorated decathlete who won gold in the decathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, has provided his expert analysis. O’Brien was the first American to win gold in the decathlon since Bruce Jenner in 1976 and held both the decathlon world record (1992-99) and the heptathlon world record (1993-2010). He is a member of the USATF, USOC, and IAAF Halls of Fame.
O’Brien has thoroughly analyzed the 2024 Paris Olympics and has made his medal predictions and best bets. He forecasts that Team USA will lead in total medals for the eighth consecutive Games and the 19th time overall. “They always win the most medals, plain and simple,” O’Brien told SportsLine. “I expect the Americans to win the medals they’re supposed to win and possibly some that are unexpected.”
Additionally, O’Brien has pinpointed which countries to support and avoid on the medal table, including a longshot with the potential to make a surprise impact. Make sure to check out his 2024 Summer Games medal futures picks before placing your own bets.
