Canada vs France Prediction & Betting Tips - Basketball World Cup

Prediction published on 23/08/2023, 15:07  by Joseph King | Modified on 23/08/2023 at 15:07 in Basketball World Cup Predictions

The 2023 basketball World Cup continues with a blockbuster Group H clash between two of the tournament favorites with Canada taking on France. The French team, who are fifth in the official FIBA rankings, cruised through their World Cup qualification group. They finished top of Group K with 10 wins and only two losses from their 12 games, which included three consecutive wins over eighth-ranked Lithuania. France saw a 10 game winning run snapped when they lost to Australia 78-74 in their final warm-up game before the start of the tournament. There are a number of NBA players littered amongst this French team, with Rudy Gobert garnering the majority of the spotlight. The Timberwolves big man is a defensive force in the paint and his presence gives France one of the toughest defenses in the tournament. Knicks swingman Evan Fournier and veteran Nicolas Batum bring length, defense and scoring ability to the perimeter.

Canada will have high hopes of a first ever FIBA World Cup medal and this team is expected to make a deep run by the bookmakers. The Canadians are roughly the fourth-favorites behind the USA, Australia and France to win gold and are a toss-up with the French to win this group. The winner of this match will likely go on to finish first, making this a crucial early fixture. Canada bring a talented team to this edition of the tournament. They have real starpower in their squad with the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 25-year-old had a breakout scoring season for the Thunder last season in the NBA, averaging a standout 31.4 points per game on 51% shooting. Also amongst their ranks are Knicks guard RJ Barrett, who will act as the team’s second-option. We’ll also see NBA vets such as Kelly Olynk, Dwight Powell, Dillon Brooks and defensive-stopper Lu Dort make an impact.