Japan vs France Prediction & Betting Tips - Men's Olympic Tournament

Prediction published on 29/07/2024, 08:39  by Kennedy Kechula | Modified on 29/07/2024 at 08:45 in Men's Olympic Tournament Predictions

Hosts France will play Japan next in Group B of the Men’s Basketball Tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Here’s the preview and a prediction for this match set for Tuesday.

After one round of matches, France sit second in the group with two points while Japan are bottom with one. This will mark the first meeting for these two nations since their semi-final showdown at the 1960 Summer Games.

Japan had an unfortunate start to their tournament and will seek an immediate response here. Thomas Wayne’s men lost 97-77 to Germany in their first match. Japan shot 41% from the field against the defending World Champions and 36% from three. Rui Hchimura led the team with 20 points and 10 rebounds and was one of five Japanese players with at least 10 points. Akatsuki Japan have now lost their last four matches. 

France made a winning start in their quest for a podium finish by defeating Brazil 78-66 in their opening game. Vincent Collett’s men took the second and third quarters after losing the first and maintained their lead for the remainder of the game. 

Victor Wembanyama and Nicolas Batum put up 19 points each and were the only France players with double-digit points. The win ended a three-game losing run for Les Bleus who are one of the favourites to challenge the USA for the Gold Medal. 

France, who won Silver at the last edition in Tokyo, have only once met Japan in a competitive match. That was at the 1960 Games in Italy.