Two men's basketball teams with medal aspirations begin their 2024 Paris Olympics journey on Saturday when Canada and Greece square off in a Group A match at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France. Canada has not medaled in men's basketball since earning the silver medal in the first Olympic basketball competition, in 1936. Meanwhile Greece has never reached the podium in the Olympics. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET. Canada is a 7.5-point favorite in the latest Canada vs. Greece odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 171.

Before you make any Greece vs. Canada picks or 2024 Paris Olympics basketball predictions, you need to see what SportsLine writer Matt Severance has to say. 

Severance is a well-connected writer and high-volume handicapper who has worked in the industry since 2005. Over the past three NBA seasons, Matt has returned $4,452. And over the past four college basketball seasons, Matt is up $887. Anybody following his basketball picks has seen HUGE returns! 

Severance knows that Canada's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off arguably the best season of his career. A second-generation Olympian (his mother, Charmaine Gilgeous, ran for Antigua and Barbuda in the 1992 Barcelona Games), Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.1 points last season for Oklahoma City, which ranked third in the NBA. He also set career highs in assists (6.2 per game) and field-goal percentage (53.5).

But Severance also has taken into account that the Greeks have one of the best players in the world in Giannis Antetokounmpo. The versatile big man for the Milwaukee Bucks ranked second in the league in scoring (30.4 points per game), sixth in rebounding (11.5) and seventh in field goal percentage (61.1) last season. He finished fourth in voting for the NBA MVP award.

Severance has analyzed this Canada vs. Greece matchup and he's leaning Under the total. But he also has discovered a crucial x-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back! 

So who wins Canada vs. Greece on Saturday? And what x-factor makes one side a must-back? ... Join SportsLine right now to get Greece vs. Canada picks, all from the betting expert who has returned $4,452 over the past three NBA seasons.