2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup
We’ve reached the business end of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, with eight teams remaining after various qualifying rounds have taken place in China. The competition started on 31 August, although we now have the best nations left and they will compete for the trophy.
Final Phase Betting Preview
On Tuesday 10 September, Argentina will clash with Serbia in the first quarter final clash before Poland meet with Spain. The Spanish are heavy favourites to win this encounter, with Ladbrokes making them 1/16 chances that they progress through to the final four.
The latter two quarter final matches take place on Wednesday 11 September, with the outright favourites in action. The United States of America were always going to be taking their place in the final phase and they come up against France for a place in the semi-finals.
The USA team are a 1/4 chance with William Hill to beat France, with the States having won their three Group E matches fairly comfortably. They opened with an 88-67 victory over Czech Republic before a slender overtime win against Turkey in their second game.
There was then a facile 98-45 victory in the final clash against Japan, although the French will feel as though they can give their formidable opponents a decent match and perhaps it will be closer than the odds suggest.
France are a 13/4 chance with bet365 to pull off a shock win, with the European side having won their three group matches. There was a narrow 78-74 win over Germany before an emphatic victory over Jordan by a 103-64 scoreline.
Then came a 90-56 victory over the Dominican Republic, with France available at 10/11 with a +8.5 handicap although punters can alternatively go for Team USA at odds of 10/11 with a -8.5 handicap.
Meanwhile, Australia are dead set on going deep in the FIBA World Cup and they look a straightforward bet at 1/6 with Ladbrokes to claim a quarter final victory over Czech Republic.
The men from Down Under started the group phase with a 108-92 win over Canada before the Australians then put Senegal to the sword when winning 81-68 over the Africans.
A slender 87-82 victory over Lithuania means that they now stand on the verge of reaching the final four, with the Czechs not expected to get close although they were able to finish second behind the United States of America in Group K.
Team USA Favourites to Win World Cup
The United States of America team are ranked number one in the world by FIBA, with Jeff Van Gundy’s team having won the World Cup on five different occasions and they are out to make it a historic sixth title.
The bookies now have them at odds-on to claim a tournament win, with the Americans trading at 4/5 to triumph, although there are other teams who are not without a chance and that includes Serbia who have produced a series of impressive performances to date.
Spain are trading as third favourites on the outright market, with La Roja around 5/1 to celebrate a victory in this competition and they have many EuroLeague stars who are capable of competing hard against any of the other teams in the tournament.
Australia and France are regarded as the other teams who have a lively outside chance of winning the 2019 FIBA World Cup, with Czech Republic and Poland the outsiders when it comes to the final phase.