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The 2024 Games have begun with the world’s greatest athletes descending upon Paris. With the globe’s attention now on the Games, many will be wondering how to bet on the Olympics.
More than 10,000 athletes will be in France to compete in over 300 events across 32 sports, and it’s possible to find Olympics odds for all those contests.
Our experts are here to tell you how to bet on the Olympics. We’ll preview the most popular events, and highlight which nations and individuals are Olympics favorites. We’ll also give you some tips on strategies that can help you wager smartly on Olympics betting odds.
How to Bet on the Olympics
Here, we'll take you through how to bet on the Olympics at BetOnline.
Create an Account
Navigate to the BetOnline homepage and click ‘Join’. Fill in your personal details such as name, address, email, and password to get started.Deposit Funds
Go to the cashier section and choose ‘Deposit’. Follow the prompts to add funds to your account.Select 'Olympics'
From the left-hand menu, scroll down and click on ‘Olympics’. You’ll find all events listed alphabetically.Choose Your Event
Use the dropdown menus to find and select your preferred event. For example, for the 100m sprint, choose ‘Athletics – 100m’=’ to see both Men’s and Women’s Olympic odds.Place Your Bets
Click on the odds you wish to bet on to add them to your bet slip. Enter your stake and confirm your bet.
Most Popular Olympic Events
With 32 different sports taking place over the two weeks of the summer Olympics in Paris, every sports fan should find some action to enjoy.
However, there is no escaping the fact that some sports command more attention than others. As a result, more people will bet on the summer Olympics in the more popular sports, including the following:
Athletics: Men’s and Women’s 100m
This is the athletics Blue Riband of the Games. To be crowned Olympic sprint champion is to join the immortals and this year it looks like it will be female sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson’s turn.
The Olympics 100m odds suggest it will be a major surprise if the 2024 victors in both male and female races victor are not an American a Jamaican, or even a St Lucian in the Women’s.
Athletics: Men’s and Women’s 4x100m Relay
The United States, with its depth and power in the sprinting division, historically dominated the sprint relay. The Olympics betting odds this time show the Americans as strong favorites at odds around -280 and -275 for the Women’s relay.
However, it is worth bearing in mind that the USA has not won the Men’s event since 2000. The Gold medal has since been claimed by Great Britain, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica (twice), and Italy.
The Jamaicans, who feature 100m favorite Kishane Thompson, will fancy their chances of upsetting the Olympics odds in what should be one of the most thrilling races on the program.
The USA should win the Women’s 400m Relay with ease if everything goes to plan. But with the relay, all it takes is one dodgy baton handover and that’s you out of the medals.
Swimming: Men’s 100m Freestyle
Swimmers representing the United States have a long and illustrious history in this flagship event, and have taken Gold in two of the last three Games.
However, the shortest-priced American man in the Olympics odds is currently Jack Alexy at about +550. The Olympics favorites to prevail in the pool are Zhanle Pan of China, at about +100, and Romania’s David Popovici, at about +175.
Pan is the current world champion and world record holder, which suggests both Popovici and Alexy will need to produce something extra special to deny him Gold here.
Men’s and Women’s Soccer
Host nation France and neighbors Spain are the shortest in the Olympics betting odds for the Men’s soccer tournament. The stipulation that all but three of your squad must be aged under 23 restricts the number of stars on view.
However, there a many superstar stars still at the Games. Check out our guide to the biggest soccer stars at the Olympics to see who might be in action here.
In the Women’s, World Cup winners Spain, led by Aitana Bonmati are amongst the frontrunners, with the USA and hosts France.
Men’s and Women’s Tennis
It’s possible that more people will bet on the Olympics tennis than any other sport, thanks to the presence in the lineup of some of the biggest stars in the world.
Spanish prodigy Carlos Alcaraz, still only 21 but fresh from winning his fourth major title at Wimbledon, is the heavy favorite at about -150. His closest rival in the Olympics odds is Novak Djokovic, seeking the final medal for his glittering collection, at about +400.
Five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek is priced at about -185 to take Gold for Poland in the women’s singles, with Coco Gauff of the USA her closest rival at about +650.
Many tennis fans will be eager to watch the men’s doubles where Alcaraz will play alongside his legendary compatriot Rafael Nadal, the winner of the singles back in 2008.
Medal Tally
It’s always interesting to see which nation wins the most Golds and the most medals overall, but this is not a tempting market if you want to bet on the Olympics.
The United States is priced at about -600 to take the most Golds, and about -2500 to win the most medals. Only China, at +350 in the Golds market and +1100 in the overall listing, is anywhere close to the USA. That strongly suggests this is a set of Olympics odds best left alone.
Olympics Betting Strategy
Want to know how to bet on the Olympics? The shrewdest move is to come up with a winning betting strategy that will help you enjoy your wagering and boost your chances of a decent return. Here are some ideas from our expert team on how to bet on the Olympics.
Do Your Research
When it comes to placing a bet on the Olympics, there really is no substitute for spending time researching your wager.
If you have enough time, it can be rewarding to delve deep into some of the less popular sports. Become an expert, check out the latest news, and scour social media for statistics and insights.
With so many events to price up, it is possible that the odds makers at sportsbooks may not be able to research in the same detail – and that throws up the chance that you may find some value in the Olympics betting odds on the less mainstream action.
Bet Parlays
When you consult the list of Olympics betting odds, you may find many markets where the favorite is clearly ahead of their field – with a price to match.
While it may not be much fun backing Olympics favorites in singles, there might be value in combining several in parlays.
If you can find a sportsbook that boosts your potential payout based on the number of selections in your parlay, so much the better.
Bet What You Know
If you do not have time to become an expert in more obscure sports, you should bet on the Olympics only on events with which you are familiar.
If you wager regularly on soccer or tennis, for instance, it may be best to focus on the Olympics odds on those sports.
Compare Odds
When you are planning to bet on the Olympics, this might be a good time to have accounts with several sportsbooks.
As well as taking advantage of welcome bonuses – some of which may be related to the Games – you will have the opportunity to compare the prices on your selections with various operators, so that you can get the best odds available.
How to Bet on the Olympics Verdict
With more than 300 events across 32 sports, there is no way anybody can watch every second of all the great sporting action that makes up the Olympic Games.
Similarly, you don’t have to bet on all the events you watch during this fabulous fortnight in Paris.
We’ve given you a guide to some of the biggest showpieces taking place in sports such as athletics, swimming, and tennis. We also hope we’ve given you guidance on how to bet on the Olympics – now we hope you find the best bets for you, and enjoy these magnificent Games.
FAQs
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