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Belgium squares off against Australia in the 2024 Paris Olympics Women's Basketball bronze medal game on Sunday. It will be the third meeting between the two countries on the international stage and the second at the Olympics.
Belgium suffered an 81-75 loss against hosts France in the semifinal, while Australia was humbled by nine-time gold medalists Team USA 85-64.
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Belgium vs Australia: Preview, Prediction and Odds
The bronze medal game between Belgium and Australia is scheduled to take place on Aug. 11 (Sunday) at the Bercy Arena in Paris.
The tip-off is slated for 5:30 a.m. ET (2:30 a.m. PT). The game will not be telecast live on TV, but the live streaming will be available on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com and Fubo.
Moneyline: Belgium (+105) vs Australia (-125)
Spread: Belgium (+1.5) vs Australia (-1.5)
Total over/under: Belgium (o147.5-115) vs Australia (u147.5-115)
Editor's note: The odds could change closer to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.
Belgium vs Australia: Preview
Belgium has been the third-best offensive team, with 76.4 points per game. The primary reason behind Belgium's good showing on offense has been Emma Meesseman.
The 31-year-old power forward leads all players in scoring with 23.4 points per game. Meesseman leads Belgium in rebounds with eight boards per game, while she also averages 4.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.6 blocks per game.
In terms of efficiency, Rachid Meziane's group is ranked second. The European country is shooting 46.8% from the field, including 31.4% from the 3-point range.
On the contrary, Australia has been a mediocre team offensively. Sandy Brondello's team averages 72 points per game. Sami Whitcomb has been the best player for Australia and leads the team in scoring and rebounds. The 36-year-old veteran guard averages 12.8 points, 5.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
Australia has been the third-best team in terms of efficiency and is shooting 44.7% from the field, including 33.6% from beyond the arc.
Both Australia and Belgium have been guilty of turning the ball over on far too many occasions. Australia averages 18.8 turnovers per game compared to Belgium's 17.
Belgium vs Australia: Head-to-head Record
In terms of the overall head-to-head record, Belgium and Australia have squared off against each other twice, with each team winning once apiece.
In their previous meeting, Australia registered an 86-69 win over Belgium in the quarterfinal of the 2022 Women's World Cup. The two teams also crossed swords in the group stage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with Belgium winning 85-70.
Belgium vs Australia: Predicted Starting 5s
Belgium: Elise Ramette, Antonia Delaere, Emma Meesseman, Kyara Linskens and Julie Vanloo
Australia: Jade Melbourne, Steph Talbot, Alanna Smith, Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb
Belgium vs Australia: Prediction
The game between Belgium and Australia promises to be a nail-biting face-off between two evenly-matched teams. Expect Australia to eke out a win by less than five points and secure a podium finish.
