The United States and Lithuania face off on Sunday morning in a FIBA World Cup basketball showdown at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
USA Betting Preview
The United States have had a perfect FIBA so far in terms of wins, but they have left a little bit to be desired in some of the games. In the last game against Jordan they were huge favorites but they only ended up winning by 12 points. The United States shot 47.6 percent from the field and 26.3 percent from behind the three point line. Anthony Edwards has been having a big tournament and against Jordan he finished with 17 points, three rebounds and one assist. It’s been a balanced attack all tournament and against Jordan they had five different players that finished with at least 10 points. In this game, the United States need the offense to be strong early to try and put the pressure on the Lithuania defense.
Lithuania Betting Preview
On the other side of this matchup is Lithuania who have also won every one of the games they have played so far. So far Lithuania has knocked off Egypt, Mexico, Montenegro, and Greece. In the last game against Greece, Lithuania scored 92 points and the defense gave up only 67 points. In this game the defense is going to need to step up in a big way. Against Greece, Lithuania shot 62.3 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from behind the three point line. If they can shoot that well again from deep, they are going to have a chance to secure a victory. Rokas Jokubatis put up 19 points and six rebounds. There were four different players that finished with at least 15 points.
Shane’s Free Pick
Lithuania isn’t going to be shooting 62.5 percent from deep again, and I expect the United States are going to have a big offensive game again. Look for the United States to score at least 95 points here, and they are going to really try and gear up for the knockout round. Lithuania isn’t going to be keeping up, and this is going to be an easy victory for the United States. Back the United States.