Trends in sports were made to be broken, and Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece's men's national basketball team will be looking to buck a trend this week. Greece will aim to become the first team since Serbia 12 years ago to win a FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) at home.
But the high expectations in front of its native crowd won't be the only challenge facing Greece in its quest for a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The squad will also need to outplay a tough Dominican Republic team and an underrated Egypt team — and that's just the Group B portion of the tournament.
WATCH: Olympic Qualifying Tournaments on Courtside 1891
The Group A winner should be an even more difficult out. Luka Doncic and Slovenia serve as the obvious favorites, but nobody will be overlooking Croatia or New Zealand, either.
Pound for pound, the Greece tournament seems to be much more loaded than the other three OQTs in Latvia, Puerto Rico and Spain. So, which team will prevail out of Piraeus and punch its ticket to Paris?
Let's look at the full odds for the Greece FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and reveal our best bets for the week.
Greece FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament: Odds to win
(All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
| Country | Odds |
| Greece | -185 |
| Slovenia | +200 |
| Croatia | +700 |
| Dominican Republic | +2200 |
| New Zealand | +20000 |
| Egypt | +25000 |
Best bet to win Greece FIBA OQTs: Greece (-185)
While it may be tempting to bet Doncic and Slovenia at +200 or Croatia at +700, it's impossible to resist Greece here. Antetokounmpo is an unstoppable force with a brilliant basketball mind in head coach Vassilis Spanoulis calling the plays.
Greece looked polished during the OQT preparation camp, and having some extra time off because of the Bucks' early exit from the playoffs probably has Antetokounmpo feeling more energized than usual.
Hellas coming to shoot for a #Paris2024 ticket 🇬🇷
— FIBA (@FIBA) June 30, 2024
Greece announce 12-player roster for #FIBAOQT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vAGSMv4986
When Greece played the Bahamas in a (not so) friendly game last week, Antetokounmpo needed just six shot attempts to dominate. He finished with 14 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal in a 102-75 win.
Simply put, Greece has the most dominant player in the tournament, the most size and the best floor spacing. Oh, and the Greeks have home-court advantage. Bet against them at your own risk.
Best early-week bet: Slovenia -4 vs. Croatia (-115)
Doncic will be hungry to get Slovenia to the Parisian promised lands, and Slovenia will need to pack an offensive punch early and often against a Croatia team that has won plenty of FIBA and Olympic games over the past decade.
If Antetokounmpo is the most dominant player in this tourney, he's 1A, and Doncic is 1B. Nobody scored more effortlessly than Doncic during the 2023-24 NBA season.
Luka Doncic and Slovenia 🇸🇮 target back-to-back Olympics appearance 🔥#FIBAOQT pic.twitter.com/tfo2MWMeDM
— FIBA (@FIBA) June 30, 2024
Slovenia always seems to be super competitive in these tournaments, but coach Aleksander Sekulic must be thinking "Olympic medal or bust" with Doncic on board. This squad is far from just Doncic — it has a balanced attack with plenty of athleticism, loads of basketball IQ and solid shooting.
Croatia doesn't stand a chance.
Where to watch FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments
- Dates: July 2-7
- Live stream: Courtside 1891 on DAZN
Basketball fans hoping to stream the FIBA Olympic qualifiers can catch all the action on Courtside 1891, which is available through DAZN.
FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Greece 2024 groups
Group A
- Croatia
- New Zealand
- Slovenia
Group B
- Dominican Republic
- Egypt
- Greece
FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Greece 2024: Schedule, dates, times
Tuesday, July 2
| Matchup | Group | Time (ET) |
| Egypt vs. Dominican Republic | B | 10:30 am |
| Slovenia vs. Croatia | A | 2 p.m. |
Wednesday, July 3
| Matchup | Group | Time (ET) |
| Croatia vs. New Zealand | A | 10:30 a.m. |
| Dominican Republic vs. Greece | B | 2 p.m. |
Thursday, July 4
| Matchup | Group | Time (ET) |
| New Zealand vs. Slovenia | A | 10:30 a.m. |
| Greece vs. Egypt | B | 2 p.m. |
Saturday, July 6
| Matchup | Time (ET) |
| TBD vs. TBD — Semifinals | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD — Semifinals | TBD |
Sunday, July 7
| Matchup | Time (ET) |
| TBD vs. TBD — Final | 2 p.m. |
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