USA vs Lithuania Prediction & Betting Tips - Basketball World Cup

Prediction published on 02/09/2023, 21:04  by Joseph King in Basketball World Cup Predictions

The FIBA World Cup enters the final game of the group stage second phase with first-place USA taking on second-place Lithuania in Group J. The winner of this matchup will earn the top spot in the group and a meeting with the Group I runner-up in the quarter-final. The United States experienced a slow start against Montenegro in their last game and were actually trailing at half time by one point. They would respond with an improved second half but still fell somewhat short of expectation with an 85-73 win. However, the victory means that Team USA maintains its unbeaten run at the 2023 FIBA World Cup with four wins from four games. They’ve also extended their winning run to nine games across all competitions. Steve Kerr’s men will have to put up a better performance against a tough Lithuania side. The 85 points total scored by the Americans in their last game is the lowest total they’ve put up since their last loss in February of this year.

Lithuania should feel confident heading into this showdown against the tournament favorites as they’re also unbeaten in the World Cup up to this point. The Baltic Giants cruised through their initial group, registering 20+ point wins over Mexico, Egypt and Montenegro. They took that same form into their first Group J matchup as they disposed of Greece by a score of 92-67 when they played on Friday. Lithuania holds the eighth-place spot in the official FIBA rankings which puts them six places behind their opponents today. What really stood out about Lithuania’s game in their win over Greece was the team’s deadeye shooting from beyond the arc. They drilled 15 threes on 24 attempts while playing lockdown defense to hold the Greeks to just 39% shooting. Lithuania come into this game boasting a winning streak of their own as they’ve now ripped off seven consecutive victories.