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Host France squares off against Belgium in the 2024 Paris Olympics women's basketball semifinals on Friday. It will be the fifth meeting between the two European powerhouses on the international stage and the first at the Olympics.
France registered an 84-71 win over Germany in the quarterfinals to improve to 3-1. Meanwhile, Belgium thumped Spain 79-66 to book its place in the last four. It has gone 2-2 in four games.
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France vs Belgium: Preview, Prediction and Odds
The 2024 Paris Olympics women's basketball semifinal between France and Belgium will take place on Aug. 9 (Friday) at the Bercy Arena in Paris. The tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT).
The game will not be telecast live on TV, but the fans will have the option to stream the game on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com and Fubo.
Moneyline: France (-200) vs Belgium (+165)
Spread: France (-4.5) vs Belgium (+4.5)
Total over/under: France (o144.5-105) vs Belgium (u144.5-105)
Editor's note: The odds could change closer to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.
France vs Belgium: Preview
The No. 7-ranked France has played inspirational basketball in front of its home crowd. Gabby Williams and Co. have the third-best offense, averaging 76.5 points per game. The host nation is shooting 45.9% from the field, including 32.7% from the 3-point range.
France has succeeded in keeping turnovers down, averaging 13.3 per game, the best among the four teams remaining in the competition.
Gabby Williams has been the best player for France and leads the team in points, assists and steals. The 27-year-old averages 14 points, 5.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game.
Meanwhile, Belgium has the second-best ranked offense, averaging 76.8 points per game. Emma Meesseman and Co. are shooting 47.3% from the field, including 31.8% from beyond the arc.
Turnovers have been a problem for the European country. Belgium averages 15.8 turnovers per game in the competition.
Emma Meesseman has been the standout player for Belgium and is in contention for the MVP award. The 31-year-old averages 24.5 points on 61.8% shooting from the field, including 37.5% from deep. She also averages 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.3 blocks per game.
France vs Belgium: Head-to-Head Record
France and Belgium have battled against each other on four occasions, with the Belgians leading 3-1. In their previous encounter, Belgium registered a 67-63 victory in the 2023 European Championships.
France vs Belgium: Prediction
France and Belgium match up well against each other, at least on paper. The two teams are neck-and-neck in almost all the major statistical categories.
France will have the support of the home crowd and in a crunch knockout game, that could be a huge boost. Expect France to eke out a hard-fought win to reach the final.
