Puerto Rico vs Serbia Prediction & Betting Tips - Basketball World Cup

Prediction published on 27/08/2023, 12:26  by Joseph King | Modified on 27/08/2023 at 12:26 in Basketball World Cup Predictions

The second round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup group stage sees first-place Serbia taking on second-place Puerto Rico in Group B. Serbia got their tournament off to a fine start on Saturday, dominating China en route to a massive 105-63 victory. It was one of the biggest wins of the tournament so far and demonstrated the depth in talent that this Serbian team has. Despite being without superstar and current NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, Serbia can still call on players such as Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nikola Jovic. The former led the way against China with 14 points while Serbia had five players score in double-digits. The win was the fourth in a row for the Eagles and their sixth win from the last seven overall. They actually faced off against Puerto Rico in one of those games where they cruised to a 110-75 win in mid August.

Puerto Rico got their tournament started with two points but ultimately needed overtime to overcome South Sudan by a score of 101-96. Stephen Thompson Jr. led the way for 12 Magnificos with 21 points and 13 rebounds. They also received strong double-double performances from Ismael Romero and George Conditt IV. It was a worrying win for the Puerto Ricans as their South Sudanese opponents are ranked 62nd by FIBA. Puerto Rico were, at least, able to finally put an end to a lengthy five game losing streak. Puerto Rico only managed to gain one victory from their six warm-up friendly matches, a 93-86 win over the Dominican Republic which came in early August. Puerto Rico will have to be much more effective on the defensive side of the ball if they are to slow down this talented Serbia team.