How to Bet Team USA at the 2023 Basketball World Cup?
by Joseph King | by Joseph King
Team USA: What Prediction for the FIBA World Cup?
The 2023 Basketball World Cup tips off on 25 August and runs until 10 September. 32 nations descend on the host countries of the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, all in pursuit of one of the game’s most coveted prizes. Behind the Olympics, the FIBA World Cup is considered to be the next most prestigious international basketball competition. Spain are the defending champions, taking down the 2019 tournament with a win over Argentina in Beijing, China. It marked the second time that Spain have been crowned champions in the past four iterations of the tournament.
The United States will be looking to reclaim the title after France ended their hopes of a three-peat in 2019 by eliminating them in the quarter-finals. The Americans won the 2010 and 2014 editions of the competition and are tied with Yugoslavia / Serbia with five FIBA World Cup titles each. As always, the United States will be expected to lift the trophy and anything other than being crowned champions will be viewed as a failure by the public. You can see what our experts think by heading over to our FIBA Basketball World Cup betting tips page, completely free of charge!
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High Expectations Despite Inexperienced Squad
Head coach Steve Kerr (of the Golden State Warriors) has brought with him a relatively young team, filled with a number of eager, hungry players looking to make their mark on the international stage. While it is certainly a young team, it is not the youngest that the United States has ever sent out. Bobby Portis and Josh Hart of the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks respectively, are the oldest players on the team at 28 years old. The average age of this squad is 24.4 years old and none of the 12 players on the roster have played in a major international tournament before.
Jalen Brunson and Anthony Edwards are the players garnering the most attention and both are expected to play a significant role in the success of the team. There is also the instant-offense provided by the Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram as well as the high-level two-way play of breakout star players Mikal Bridges of the Nets and Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers. Overall, this is an extremely well-balanced squad despite lacking the stratospheric star names of the NBA such as Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James. The United States boasts the key advantage of having all 12 players on their team capable of producing at an extremely high-level, something that is often lacking in other top-heavy nations. Can they step up and deliver the USA what would be a record sixth title or will their inexperience ultimately be their undoing?
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Basketball World Cup 2023 - United States’ Fixtures
The USA has received a rather favorable draw in Group C. According to the official FIBA rankings, the second-ranked United States will be facing off against ninth-ranked Greece, 26th-ranked New Zealand and 33rd-ranked Jordan. It’s also important to remember that two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will not be suiting up for Greece in this tournament, making Team USA’s path much easier.
Here is the group stage fixture list for the Americans (date and time according to UK time zone):
- USA vs New Zealand - August 26th 13:40, Manila (PHI)
- USA vs Greece - August 28th 13:40, Manila (PHI)
- USA vs Jordan - August 30th 9:40, Manila (PHI)
You can follow the action for every single game at the 2023 Basketball World Cup on our Basketball World Cup Livescore page.
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What Bets to Make for the United States in the 2023 Basketball World Cup?
The United States are roughly around 2.00 odds to win the 2023 FIBA World Cup. There could potentially be a good bit of value in backing the Americans, who undoubtedly have the deepest roster in the competition. As we mentioned earlier, the USA’s overall squad strength should act as a huge advantage later in the tournament and we fully expect this team to get better as the competition carries on. Therefore, we still believe that betting on the USA to win the 2023 FIBA World Cup is the way to go.
New York Knicks’ point guard Jalen Brunson is the leader of this squad but it’s Anthony Edwards that might end up stealing the headlines. The explosive Timberwolves shooting guard is poised for a huge tournament after steadily improving year after year in the NBA. His most recent third full season in the league was an immense success, seeing his points per game total jump up to 24.6 points per game on 46% shooting. Edwards also burst out in Minnesota’s five playoff games last season, eclipsing the 30 point mark with his 31.6 points per game average. The former number one pick in the NBA Draft clearly thrives under the pressure which should serve him well in this competition.
Both Brunson and Edwards are co-favorites to win the MVP Award at odds of 6.00 and both certainly have their merits. If you’re looking to back one of the two, it’s Anthony Edwards that possesses the higher scoring upside. The 22-year-old has some good value at odds of 2.50 (found on William Hill) to lead the United States in scoring as well as lead the entire tournament in scoring at an incredible price of 15.00 (Vbet). If Edwards does end up as the team’s leading points-getter and the USA does go on to lift the trophy, the MVP award will likely follow. For a full look at the odds offered on the 2023 FIBA World Cup, head over to our dedicated Basketball World Cup betting odds page.
