Nikola Jokic faces his toughest possible task this afternoon, as Serbia faces Team USA in the semifinals at Paris 2024.
The pregame narrative: USA's super team kept Serbia in check during group play and has continued to roll. Jokic kept Serbia's medal hopes alive with a stellar performance against Australia last round, and the Serbs will be leaning on him again on Thursday.
Check out these Jokic Olympics props for the Aug. 8 game between Serbia and USA.
Jokic Olympics props vs. USA
Click linked odds to add selection to your betslip. Note: Lines have changed/market no longer available if grey.
| Jokic markets | Betting odds |
| Over 21.5 points | -112 |
| Under 21.5 points | -125 |
| Over 10.5 rebounds | -139 |
| Under 10.5 rebounds | +100 |
| Over 7.5 assists | -118 |
| Under 7.5 assists | -118 |
| Over 0.5 blocks | -125 |
| Over 3.5 steals/blocks | +100 |
| Over 39.5 points/rebounds/assists | -118 |
| Under 39.5 points/rebounds/assists | -118 |
| To record a double-double | -240 |
| To record a triple-double | +400 |
Go to full Serbia vs. USA betting markets.
Once again, Jokic did it all to will Serbia to victory and keep its medal hopes alive.
Trailing by as many as 24 points in the first half against Australia, Serbia staged a comeback and won in overtime on the back of Jokic. The reigning MVP finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in 38 minutes.
He needed OT to clear his points/assists/rebounds line, which was set at a lofty 40.5.
For today's matchup against the U.S., Jokic's PRA line is slightly lower — but still well above anyone's line on the American side (LeBron James has the highest PRA line at 29.5).
In group play, USA beat Serbia, 110-84. Jokic finished with 20 points, five rebounds and eight assists in 31 minutes.
Another 30-plus-minute workload feels locked in for Jokic unless the game really gets out of hand in a hurry.
Best Jokic prop bet
Best bet: Over 21.5 points (-112)
Serbia's lack of scoring depth gives me faith in Jokic to fire shots at will. A high-scoring game from the three-time MVP feels like a necessity for the Serbs to have a chance.
Jokic led Serbia in points (21), rebounds (14) and assists (nine) in the quarterfinal match against Australia, so he can hurt his opponent in several ways. But scoring is what ultimately matters, and I expect Serbia to keep the ball in his hands.
Against the USA earlier in this tournament, Jokic finished with 20 points on a team-high 15 shots. Usually, that type of shot volume will put him over this number.
Jokic also attempted six 3-pointers in that game. He's been ineffective beyond the arc in this tournament — shooting just 2-for-10 from deep — but hopefully he'll see plenty of opportunities to pull up against the Americans again.
The Americans have scored 100-plus points in all four Olympic matchups so far. Serbia will need to maintain a lively offensive pace to keep up, and that should allow Jokic to put up plenty of points.
Key stat: Jokic has scored 20-plus points in three of four tournament games, and he attempted a tourney-high 17 shots in the quarterfinal.
