Puerto Rico has been a basketball hotbed for generations, so it's no surprise that San Juan will host one of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQT) this week. It would come as no surprise to anyone if the local team beats Lithuania, Italy and other qualifying countries to secure a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Now, of course, it won't be easy. The favorites to win are Lithuania, who have a walking double-double machine in Domantas Sabonis, and Puerto Rico will also need to beat Nicolo Melli and Italy, who knocked Puerto Rico out of the World Cup last year.
Watch: Courtside at the Olympic Qualification Tournament 1891
No other team in the six-team bracket has a fanbase as passionate as Puerto Rico, so home-court advantage should be huge, and it wouldn't hurt to have pesky Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and former Celtics guard Tremont Waters leading the backcourt.
Can Puerto Rico end its Olympic drought by winning a qualifying tournament on home soil?
See full odds for the Puerto Rico FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and reveal the best bets of the week.
Puerto Rico FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament: Odds to win
(All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook)
| Country | Odds |
| Lithuania | -155 |
| Italy | +250 |
| Puerto Rico | +400 |
| Mexico | +1600 |
| Ivory Coast | +12000 |
| Bahrain | +20000 |
Puerto Rico Best bet to win the FIBA OQT: Puerto Rico (+400)
Sporting News doesn't usually recommend betting on the team with the third-worst odds of winning a six-team tournament, but the home court is that They'll be important in San Juan, and no team can match Alvarado and Waters' ability to push the pace on offense and harass opposing guards on defense.
Speed, experience, and home court advantage are expected to carry them to victory, as Puerto Rico beat Italy and then shocked Lithuania in the final round. This small team has the potential to be a Cinderella story, and we expect it to be.
Best bets to start the week: Bahrain (+35) vs. Italy (-120)
Italy are obviously a much better team than Bahrain, but 35 points is huge! Italy are missing several key players from the 2023 World Cup, and there is zero reason to expect them to beat Bahrain in their opening match of the tournament.
This week will be a marathon, not a sprint. After this match, Italy will face Puerto Rico on Thursday, then the semi-finals and finals will be played on Saturday and Sunday. They will probably play two games against Puerto Rico in two days, and then if they get past Puerto Rico they'll face the winner of Lithuania vs. Mexico.
Why waste all that energy on a Bahrain team that is a +20000 longshot?
FIBA Olympic Qualifier Puerto Rico 2024: Schedule, dates, times
Tuesday, July 2
| Match | group | Time (ET) |
| Italy v Bahrain | B | 5:30pm |
| Mexico v Lithuania | a | 8:30pm |
Wednesday, July 3
| Match | group | Time (ET) |
| Lithuania vs. Ivory Coast | a | 5:30pm |
| Bahrain vs Puerto Rico | B | 8:30pm |
Thursday, July 4
| Match | group | Time (ET) |
| Ivory Coast vs Mexico | a | 5:30pm |
| Puerto Rico vs Italy | B | 8:30pm |
Saturday, July 6
| Match | Time (ET) |
| TBD vs. TBD — Semifinals | to be decided |
| TBD vs. TBD — Semifinals | to be decided |
Sunday, July 7
| Match | Time (ET) |
| TBD vs. TBD — Final | 6 pm |
How to watch the FIBA Olympic Qualifier Puerto Rico 2024
- date: July 2-7
- Live Stream: Watch Courtside 1891 on DAZN
Basketball fans looking to stream the FIBA Olympic Qualifiers can catch every match on Courtside 1891, available on DAZN.
FIBA Olympic Qualifier Puerto Rico 2024 Groups
Group A
- Ivory Coast
- Lithuania
- Mexico
