By Only Players Staff
Updated 7/29/24 2:51am ET
After easily covering against Serbia in its group play opener, the Americans next face a squad that nearly beat them in an exhibition game this summer. Team USA needed a defensive stop on the final possession to avoid a huge upset as a 43.5-point underdog.
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Automated transcript is below. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
So team USA, we all remember in the exhibition game against South Sudan, nearly lost, held on by one point defending a South Sudan potential buzzer beater. That line was 43 and a half. The one for group play on Wednesday, 31.
191 is your over under. 43 and a half. Again, this is not NFL Sunday markets. This is not the type by any means. So to have a 12 and a half point adjustment makes sense. The 43 and a half for an exhibition was pretty kind of unusual and wild. So the South Sudan team is despite a new country, it’s players that we know in basketball circles. Wenyen Gabriel from Kentucky, Peter Jock from Iowa and some other players. Then there’s Cardi Jones, I believe is his last name.
He had a triple double against the Americans. He’s played European ball, but he certainly could be an NBA player if he didn’t already commit overseas. Question is, will USA be motivated? And those are all the variables we have for every Team USA international game against a team that’s supposed to be a one -sided game. Kevin Durant’s gonna play in this one, did not play in the exhibition. That’s worth noting.
I would lean to the underdog here, but for me it’s a pass. I do think there’s a little bit of an edge on the under. 191 is a very high number. Remember the international hoops, four 10 minute quarters and Team USA is not going to allow South Sudan to have as much offensive execution as it did in the exhibition game. Now give South Sudan a lot of credit for hitting threes. It’s not like they were wide open. They made shots, but I believe in the USA defense.
The game really changed when Jrue Holliday cranked it up, ball pressure full court. I think we’ll see that. I think we’ll see an intense defense from the Americans now. They could also light it up, but I think there’s enough size for South Sudan. I think under 191 is a solid play.
