Italy vs Latvia Prediction & Betting Tips - Basketball World Cup

Prediction published on 06/09/2023, 14:08  by Joseph King | Modified on 06/09/2023 at 20:45 in Basketball Predictions

After both suffering defeats in the quarter-finals, Latvia and Italy now square off in the Classification game bracket of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. This is needed to determine which teams finish fifth through eighth as it can have an influence on qualification for the 2024 Olympics. Latvia suffered a heartbreaking 81-79 defeat to Germany on Wednesday. The game came down to a deep Davis Bertans three-pointer at the buzzer that would’ve won the game for the Latvians had it fallen. Instead, it’s Germany that moves on while Latvia will now be playing for fifth-place. Overall, Latvia can certainly hold their head high as they have exceeded expectations at this World Cup. The 29th-ranked team pulled off some monumental upsets in this competition with an 88-86 win over fourth-ranked France and a 74-69 win over defending champions Spain. In the 2023 World Cup as a whole, Latvia won four games and lost twice.

Italy come into this fixture off the back of a heavy, albeit expected, loss to the United States in the quarter-final. The Americans cruised to a 100-63 victory in a game that was essentially over at halftime. While they’ll certainly be disappointed by the way that they went out, it has overall been a fairly good showing for Italy up to this point. The 10th-ranked team finished second in their initial group but would record wins over Serbia and Puerto Rico in the second phase. This saw Italy finish top of Group I, although they were unfortunate in the quarter-final draw to be paired with the tournament favorites. Italy haven’t been shooting the ball well this tournament which could catch up with them here. They’ve been relying on a sturdy defense that has conceded the eighth fewest points in this competition. Gli Azzurri will have their hands full against the high-volume shooting style of Latvia.