With the first set of 2023 FIBA World Cup games complete, I will look toward the first half of the second set of games on August 27. But before we get to my best bets, let’s look at the happenings around the first few days.
2023 FIBA World Cup
Of the first 16 games in the tournament, the betting favorite went 15-1. Canada was the only underdog to pick up a victory, which they did in commanding fashion with a 95-65 win over France. South Sudan was the only other non-favorite to put up a huge fight as they fell to Puerto Rico 103-97 in overtime.
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic leads the FIBA World Cup in scoring as he poured in 37 points on 11 of 18 shooting from the field while leading Slovenia over Venezuela on Saturday. Chicago Bulls guard Carlik Jones, playing for South Sudan, is second with 35 points. In total, 16 players scored 20 or more points on Friday or Saturday,
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who posted a double-double (27- points, 13 rebounds) versus France, and former G-Leaguer Stephen Thompson Jr. are tied at the top of the rebounding board with 13. Overall, 10 players have pulled down double-digit boards.
Jones, former NBA player Tremont Waters, and Latvia’s Arturs Zagars sit atop the assists leaderboard with 11.
Regarding team stats, Latvia leads the way with 109 points, followed by Serbia with 105. Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Slovenia also topped 100 points in their first games. Meanwhile, 13 teams scored at least 90 points, and seven failed to hit 70.
Now, onto the Best Bets For August 27. All odds are from DraftKings.
Best Bets
Australia vs. Germany
This Group E clash is crucial as the winner will claim the top spot in the group. Australia (1-0), a 3.5-point favorite, is coming off a 98-72 slacking of Finland. Germany (1-0) defeated Japan 81-63 on Friday. The Australians and Germans are facing each other for the fourth time since 2010.
After trailing most of the second quarter, Australia turned up their defense and held Finland scoreless over the last 2:45 to take a 45-40 halftime lead. The Australians, which shot nearly 51% from the floor, would coast the rest of the way. Atlanta Hawks’ Patty Mills led the way with 25 points and eight boards, and Oklahoma City Thunder Josh Giddey fell just short of a triple-double. Defensively, Australia held Finland to 40.9% shooting from the field and 23.1% (6 of 26) from the 3-point line. They also forced 19 turnovers.
Meanwhile, Germany got off to a fast start against Japan. The Germans, who held Japan to 35.6% shooting from the field, led 53-30 at halftime and never looked back. Orlando Magic reserve forward Moritz Wagner led the way for Germany with 25 points and nine boards. Franz Wagner turned in a solid all-around game before leaving the contest with an ankle injury, and Indiana Pacers forward Daniel Theis also had a nice game. Dennis Schroder finished with 14 points, five rebounds, and five assists but shot just 5 of 13 from the field. Germany shot 47.2% from the field for the game, though just 18.2% from the 3-point line.
Go with Australia in this one. The Australians have won seven of their last eight games, including five straight. Germany is also in good form but generally struggles against top-notch competition. Plus, the Germans will likely be without Franz Wagner tomorrow.
Best Bet: Australia To Win (-148)
Other Bet (SGP): Australia (ML) and Under (172.5 Points) +210
Montenegro vs. Egypt
This Group D contest is key for Montenegro (1-0) as they seek to advance to the Round of 16. Montenegro looked excellent in the 91-71 victory over Mexico. Meanwhile, Lithuania handled Egypt pretty easily (93-67).
Montenegro, led by Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, is the superior club in this clash, and they should roll. Montenegro shot 51.6% from the field and knocked down 14 threes against Mexico, whose defense is considerably more respected than Egypt’s. Expect Vucevic, who had 27 points and 10 boards against Mexico, to have a huge night as Lithuania’s Jonas Valanciunas in just 18 minutes of action on Friday. Marko Simonovic, Nikola Ivanovic, and Kendrick Perry are also quality players.
Furthermore, Egypt (0-1) enters on a four-game losing streak. Defensive rebounding and keeping Lithuania out of the paint were major issues for the Egyptians. Also, Egypt doesn’t have a history of competing against the top squads in the world and lost both their games against South Sudan during qualifying by 20 points.
Best Bet: Montenegro -17.5
Angola vs. Philippines
Expect this Group A contest to be very competitive. These two last met during the 2019 World Cup, where Angola pulled out an 84-81 win. While Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson could lead the home-standing Philippines (0-1), who fought hard in their 88-81 loss to the Dominican Republic, to a victory tomorrow. I like Angola, who gave Italy fits before succumbing late in the game, to cover the 8.5 points, as the Philippines’ interior defense could have trouble against Bruno Fernando.
Best Bet: Angola +6.5
5-Legged Parlay
Italy (-238) Over Dominican Republic
Montenegro (-2100) Over Egypt
Finland (-485) Over Japan
Australia (-148) Over Germany
Lithuania (-1600) Over Mexico
5-Legged Win Parlay: +219
World Cup Player Props
Achille Polanara Over 5.5 Rebounds
Angel Delgado Under 7.5 Points
Marco Spissu Over 7.5 Points
Nikola Ivanovic Over 9.5 Points
Nikola Vucevic Over 18.5 Points
Kendrick Perry Over 5.5 Assists
Mo Wagner Over 14.5 Points
Josh Giddey Under 15.5 Points
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 4.5 Assists
