Latvia has many reasons to be confident ahead of its FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) this week. Home-court advantage at Arena Riga stands out as the main reason, but star power and momentum will also be huge.
Head coach Luca Banchi's Latvia squad has gone 23-3 dating back to the 2023 FIBA World Cup European Pre-Qualifiers. Now, it gets a full tourney with native brothers Davis and Dairis Bertans? It sure feels like the home country's tournament to lose.
WATCH: Olympic Qualifying Tournaments on Courtside 1891
That said, it won't be an easy road by any stretch of the imagination. Banchi will be without Kristaps Porzingis, who recently won an NBA title with the Celtics but suffered a major foot injury in the process. Latvia will also need to get by the Philippines, and the last team standing out of Brazil, Cameroon and Montenegro.
So, which team will prevail out of Riga and punch its ticket to Paris for a chance at a 2024 Olympic gold medal?
Let's look at the full odds for the Latvia FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and reveal our best bets for the week.
Latvia FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament: Odds to win
(All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
| Country | Odds |
| Latvia | -115 |
| Brazil | +130 |
| Montenegro | +800 |
| Georgia | +1600 |
| Philippines | +12000 |
| Cameroon | +20000 |
Best bet to win Latvia FIBA OQTs: Latvia (-115)
Latvia's the odds-on favorite for a reason. When you have good coaching, NBA talent and home-court advantage — and you've won 23 of your last 26 games — you can and should win the tournament.
After a huge #FIBAWC summer, now Latvia 🇱🇻 looking for a summer at #Paris2024 🤩#FIBAOQT pic.twitter.com/kmwq127ODo — FIBA (@FIBA) July 1, 2024
Just look at which countries this squad knocked out in the World Cup last year. France and Germany can tell you all about why Latvia is a strong value at -115.
With veteran forward Davis Bertans as Latvia's go-to guy, point guard Arturs Zagars healthy and running the offense and former NBA big Rodions Kurucs adding size and skill down low, the best bet is on the home squad.
Best early-week bet: Montenegro vs. Brazil OVER 158 (-115)
This has a chance to be a very entertaining game, and we can't shy away from the OVER. Nikola Vucevic and Montenegro got to warm up last week with friendly matches against high-powered Greece and an underrated Bahamas squad, the latter of which saw 173 total points scored.
Now, Montenegro must deal with a confident Brazilian team, which stayed right with Slovenia just days ago in an 86-80 loss. Expect both Montenegro and Brazil to exchange blows, take a bunch of high-percentage shots and keep the tempo up enough to easily push the total past the 158 over/under.
How to watch FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Latvia 2024
- 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 Latvia 2024: Schedule, dates, times
Tuesday, July 2
| Matchup | Group | Time (ET) |
| Brazil vs. Montenegro | B | 8:30 a.m. |
| Georgia vs. Latvia | A | Noon |
Wednesday, July 3
| Matchup | Group | Time (ET) |
| Montenegro vs. Cameroon | B | 8:30 a.m. |
| Latvia vs. Phillipines | A | Noon |
Thursday, July 4
| Matchup | Group | Time (ET) |
| Phillipines vs. Georgia | A | 8:30 a.m. |
| Cameroon vs. Brazil | B | Noon |
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 | Noon |
FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Latvia 2024 groups
Group A
- Georgia
- Latvia
- Phillipines
Group B
- Brazil
- Cameroon
- Montenegro