2024 Olympic Games - Handball Predictions & Betting tips

For the central handball countries, 2024 is a very active year. After the European Championships in January, handball enthusiasts can enjoy the 2024 Summer Olympics. The competition, which takes place from July 27th to August 11th, will be attended by 12 countries.

Are you prepared to make bets on the contest? Before you do, make sure you know these facts! Regarding men's handball, who are the odds on favourites? Get the upper hand over the bookies with the assistance of professional analysis.

Preliminary groups for the Olympic handball at Paris 2024

Twelve different country teams compete for gold in the men's and women's events at the Olympics. Teams competing in the 2024 Summer Olympics will first compete in a group stage, each comprising six teams.

Men’s handball match schedule for the Olympic Games 2024

Group stage: 27^th July – 4^th August

Quarter-finals: 7^th August

Semi-finals: 9^th August

Bronze medal game: 11^th August

Gold medal game: 11^th August

Women’s handball match schedule for the Olympic Games 2024

Group stage: 25^th July – 3^rd August

Quarter-finals: 6^th August

Semi-finals: 8^th August

Bronze medal game: 10^th August

Gold medal game: 10^th August

Men’s Olympic handball – last six finals

Sydney 2000:  Russia 28–26 Sweden

Athens 2004: Croatia 26-24 Germany

Beijing 2008: France 28-23 Iceland

London 2012: France 22-21 Sweden

Rio 2016: Denmark 28-26 France

Tokyo 2020: France 25-23 Denmark

Women’s Olympic handball – last six finals

Sydney 2000:  Denmark 31–27 Hungary

Athens 2004: Denmark 34-34 Korea Republic (Denmark won 4-2 on penalties)

Beijing 2008: Norway 34-27 Russia

London 2012: Norway 26-23 Montenegro

Rio 2016: Russia 22-19 France

Tokyo 2020: France 30-25 ROC

2024 Olympic Games men's tournament groups

Group A

• Spain
• Croatia
• Germany
• Slovenia
• Sweden
• Japan

Group B

• Denmark
• Norway
• Hungary
• France
• Egypt
• Argentina

2024 Olympic Games women's tournament groups

Group A

• Norway
• Germany
• Slovenia
• Sweden
• Denmark
• Korea Republic

Group B

• Hungary
• Netherlands
• Spain
• France
• Brazil
• Angola

For both events, the format of the competition is the same. The real fun and competition for medals start in the knockout stages when the four best teams from each group go. So, who will take home the medals?

Handball 2024 Olympic Games prediction - odds on the favourites for the Olympic title

• France - 2.50
• Denmark - 2.70
• Sweden - 7.00
• Spain - 11.00
• Croatia - 16.00
• Egypt - 18.00
• Norway - 21.00
• Germany - 34.00
• Hungary - 76.00
• Slovenia - 101.00
• Japan - 251.00
• Argentina - 301.00

France and Denmark are expected to finish on the podium in the 2024 Olympic Games, and it is not unexpected that they have already been named as the favourites for the gold medal. Things seem much more challenging for the third medal. But we're going with Sweden since they'll have enough points to finish in first place. The men's handball event medalists are now in your possession, and you can stop waiting for the odds to be released.

Our Predictions for the men's Olympic handball at Paris 2024

At this summer's Olympics, the French are heavy favourites to win men's handball. French athletes have not only won gold in three of the last four Olympics, but they have also ended in second place! Three of those finals have been against Nordic teams, and they've won each time: in 2008 against Iceland, in 2012 against Sweden, and in 2020 against Denmark. Even though France and Denmark met in the 2016 final, the Danes came out on top that time.

The 2023 men's handball world championship final was a rematch between France and Denmark. Denmark won its third straight championship with a final score of 34–29. Before that streak, France had won four of its previous five tournaments.

The heavy betting on these two countries to win the men's handball gold at the Olympics is understandable, and it's hard to see anybody other than them taking home the hardware.

In handball, which other countries have the best chance of competing with these powerhouses?

In recent international events, Spain has established a pattern of coming third. They achieved this feat at the 2020 Olympics and the 2021 and 2023 World Championships. Spain has placed third four times in the past seven Olympic games, and they have yet to make it to the finals.

Even though they often finish in second place, Sweden has a similar pattern in the Olympics. They have won four silver medals and made it to the finals four times in Olympic history. Their most recent World Championship victory came in 1999, while they have won the tournament four times overall. In the quarterfinals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Sweden was defeated by Spain by only one goal.

Between 1996 and 2004, Croatia won a World Championship and two Olympic gold medals. Their season was cut short after they fell in the quarterfinals of Rio 2016 and failed to qualify for Tokyo 2020. They finished third in their group in the 2023 World Championship, preventing them from advancing to the knockout stages. Croatia came in second in both their group stage and knockout competitions against Egypt.

Egypt has yet to win an Olympic medal in this sport after losing the bronze medal match in Tokyo 2020.

Women's handball gold medal odds for the Olympic Games 2024

• France - 1.80
• Norway - 2.75
• Denmark - 7.00
• Netherlands @13.00
• Sweden - 13.00
• Germany - 21.00
• Brazil - 76.00
• Hungary - 76.00
• Spain - 76.00
• Slovenia - 101.00
• Angola - 201.00
• Korea Republic - 201.00

Our Predictions for the women's Olympic handball in Paris 2024

In the women's handball event at the Summer Olympics, France is a heavy favourite to win the gold medal. Many will bet on them to win the tournament since they are the current champions of the World Championship and the Olympics and because they are playing in their home city of Paris. Are they unstoppable?

It would be a rematch of the 2023 World Championship final, which France won 31-28, with Norway being the most probable country to challenge them, according to the bookmakers. On the other side, Norway is no stranger to the finals of women's handball events; the country has more medals from the Olympics and World Championships than any other. They won bronze in the previous two Olympics and gold in 2008 and 2012. 

While Denmark did win gold in the Olympics three years in a row from 1996 to 2004, they have only made it to one of the last four competitions. They only made didn't it to the group stage in London in 2012 after losing four of their five matches. The Danes have won bronze medals in the last two World Championships, placing third after beating Sweden and Spain.

At the tail end of the previous decade, the Netherlands had a rose period. From 2015 to 2019, they won three World Championships, including gold, silver, and bronze. In 2016, they placed fourth in Rio. After winning their group, the Netherlands advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 World Championships. However, they were routed in a crushing defeat by Norway.

Against more challenging teams, Sweden has been struggling as of late. They lost against Norway 33–20 in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Rio Olympics. In the bronze medal match at Toyko 2020, the same two teams faced off, but Norway came out on top with a far wider margin of victory (36-19).

Last year's World Championship could motivate Germany's women's handball team, which has failed to win an Olympic medal since reunification. Their lone setback was a nail-biter against Denmark, but they still managed to win four of their five group matches. Despite losing badly to Sweden in the quarterfinals, they still have a shot of becoming a surprising underdog in this match. 

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