The long wait is almost over as August 5th 2016 marks the date for the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games. The build up for this event has been huge for athletes around the world with some waiting four long years for a chance at redemption while others are about to realise their life-long Olympic dream.
The lead in to the 31st edition of the Olympic Games has been smeared with controversy. The host nation Brazil has been criticised for its conditions while a few athletes have opted out of participating due to the threat of the Zika virus.
The other major issue surrounding the event has been doping and, more specifically, the Russian athletes. The IOC has banned Russia’s entire athletics team and all participants who have violated drug rules in the past, while the decision has been left to the governing body of other Olympic sports to decide whether athletes will be banned or allowed to participate in those events.
With Russia finishing in third place in the 2012 Olympics medal count, this will open up opportunities for other athletes and nations, which we’ll factor into our 2016 Olympic Games Betting Tips.
Gold Medal Tally
The Australians are coming off their worst Olympics since 1992 at Barcelona as our gold medal and overall medal tally was a lot lower than expected. However, we are sending a better and more experienced team to Brazil and the numbers are expected to increase in 2016.
In 2012 the Australian team managed just 8 gold medals, however Australia is predicted to reach a tally of at least 18 in Brazil. The swimming and athletics team is stronger, while there is also hope of Australia winning gold in Rugby Sevens. It is the first time Rugby will be included at the Olympic Games and the men’s team has improved throughout the year, while the women’s side are the current world champions.
We believe Australia will easily surpass the overs/unders gold medal market on Sportsbet but it will rely heavily on the success of our swimmers.
TIP: Australia Gold Medal Total Over 13.5 @ $1.72 with Sportsbet
If you are feeling particularly confident with Australia managing to secure a lot of Gold Medals in Brazil, there are great odds for the tip below.
TIP: Australia to win 16-20 Gold Medals @ $6.00 with Sportsbet
The Americans had the opposite success in London as they secured their most gold medals since 1984. They earned 46 gold but their overall total was lower. We are predicting America to continue their success at the top of the world rankings and with their Russian opponents being banned from all athletic events, it will open up a huge opportunity for them to surpass their tally of four years ago. If they are capable of this then they will smash their overs/unders gold medal market on Sportsbet.
TIP: USA Gold Medal Total Over 41.5 @ $1.83 with Sportsbet
Total Medal Tally
As mentioned above, Australia’s 2012 Olympic Games was their worst in two decades, however they still managed to win 35 overall medals. We are predicting them to surpass this total quite easily this time around. We keep mentioning it but it is a big reasoning, Russia won’t be competing against the Aussies in numerous events, which opens the door for more medals to be won for the Green and Gold.
In the previous three Olympics, Australia had won at least 46 medals with their peak coming at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games with 58 medals won. The over/unders mark with Sportsbet is significantly lower and Australia will finish up on the overs.
TIP: Australia Total Medals Won Over 41.5 @ $1.83 with Sportsbet
At the last two Olympic Games, USA has won 103 and 110 overall medals respectively. The majority of the Russian athletes won’t be there to challenge them while USA is often on the podium in the majority of the swimming and athletics events. This year they are expected to finish with a similar amount to previous Olympics and should cover their line at Sportsbet.
TIP: USA Total Medals Won Over 101.5 @ $1.83 with Sportsbet
The 2016 Olympic Games kicks off August 5th but stay tuned to Before You Bet for more previews and betting tips from the Olympics!
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Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
