Olympic Soccer: Best Bets for Saturday's Quarterfinals (8/3/24)

The women's soccer tournament at the Paris Olympics has reached the knockout rounds. There are eight teams left, and all four quarterfinals take place throughout the day on Saturday.

Olympic Soccer Best Bets

Japan vs. United States

Draw in 90 Minutes Plus Stoppage (+290)

This is a heavyweight quarterfinal matchup as FIFA's World Rankings slot the US fifth and Japan seventh.

Both squads have been impressive in this tournament.

The Americans won all three group matches and finished with a +7 goal differential, including wins over Australia (12th) and Germany (4th), a pair of teams ranked in the top 12 by FIFA rankings. In short, it's been a great start to the Emma Hayes era.

Japan have been good, too. They dropped a 2-1 match against Spain in their opener, but Spain are the defending World Cup champs and currently ranked No. 1 by FIFA Rankings. After that, Japan edged Brazil (9th by FIFA Rankings) by a 2-1 score and bested Nigeria (36th), 3-1.

Japan are clearly the underdogs in this one, with the United States listed at -150 to win, but I think Japan will make this a very competitive match, which is what puts me on Japan to draw in regulation at +290.

Japan and the US played in 2023 in the SheBelieves Cup, with the US taking a 2-1 win thanks to a late penalty. It was a fairly even match as Japan recorded five shots on target to the Americans' seven. Japan also had 47% possession.

Both of these teams have been battled-tested in this tourney, and they've both performed pretty well. This should be an excellent matchup, and I think Japan can hang tight and force extra time.

Canada vs. Germany

Canada to Qualify for the Next Round (+126)

Canada versus Germany is another top-tier clash. Canada sits eighth by FIFA Rankings while Germany is fourth. Both sides have been good through the group stage.

Germany won two and lost one through three group matches. The defeat was a lopsided 4-1 loss to the United States, but that was sandwiched by convincing wins over Australia (3-0) and Zambia (4-1). The 4-1 loss to the US wasn't as bad as that scoreline indicates as the Americans had only one more shot on target than the Germans (7-6).

Canada is in excellent form. While they ended group play with only three points, the Canadiens actually won all three of their matches, with their three-point total being the result of a six-point deduction for a drone-spying scandal. It's incredibly impressive they qualified out of the group in spite of that point deduction, and they appear to be on a mission to rewrite the narrative surrounding the team.

Each of Canada's wins have been by just one goal. They've edged France (2-1), New Zealand (2-1) and Colombia (1-0). Not only is France ranked second by FIFA rankings, but they're also the tourney hosts, making that result a heck of a win for Canada.

Both Germany and Canada have played one elite side this tourney -- Germany versus the US and Canada against France. In those two games, Canada put forth the better showing, although Germany deserved better than a 4-1 loss to the Americans. That coupled with Canada's red-hot form has me leaning toward the Canadiens to advance, and I don't mind Canada to win in the 90 minutes at +220.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.