Sportsbook.com has installed the United States Olympics Softball Team as a -600 odds favorite to win the Gold Medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. With softball being removed from the roster of Olympic sports after the 2008 Games, the USA team will try their best to win the title for the fourth and final time in Beijing.
The USA has won every gold medal since the sport was added to the list of Olympic sports at 1996 games in Atlanta. The U.S. team has also dominated international competitions like the Pan American Games and World Championships.
The preliminary round will kick off on August 12 with the first game being between Chinese Taipei and Canada. Host country China will vie with the Netherlands in game three on the same day, and meet Olympic gold medal defender USA on August 18.
Eight teams are to compete in Beijing: China (host nation), US (winner of the World Championships), Japan (runner-up of the World Championships), Australia (third place in the World Championships), Canada (fifth place in the World Championships), Chinese Taipei (Asia/Oceania champion), the Netherlands (Europe/Africa champion), and Venezuela (Americas Region champion).
According to softball rules, each of the eight teams will play with the other seven in the preliminary round, and the top four winners will fight for medals through the page system.
Olympics softball betting odds odds for the eight team field
United States -600
Australia +600
China +600
Japan +1000
Canada +5000
Chinese Taipei +7500
Netherlands +10000
Venezuela +10000
