The 2023 FIBA World Cup is upon us as the group stages begin on Friday, August 25. With that said, it is time to begin our 2023 FIBA World Cup odds series with a Dominican Republic-Philippines prediction and pick.
The Dominican Republic finished second behind Canada during the second group stage of the qualifiers. But they did defeat the Canadians during friendlies action with Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns at the helm. The Dominican Republic did just go 1-3 during the exhibition games leading up to the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Still, only the last two games count as KAT did not suit up for the first couple of contests. After defeating Canada, the Dominicans lost to Spain in their last game prior to the tournament.
As for the Philippines, they booked their ticket to the 2023 FIBA World Cup as one of the host countries. The Southeast Asian country finished second in the group-stage qualifiers with a 2-2 record. Gilas Pilipiinas enters this tournament having gone winless in their three exhibition games. Jordan Clarkson, however, suited up for just one game — against Montenegro where the Filipino-American scored 27 points on 8-of-15 shooting. The Utah Jazz star has the formidable task of carrying this basketball-crazy nation as his passionate countrymen watch on from the stands.
Here are the 2023 FIBA World Cup Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
FIBA World Cup Odds: Dominican Republic-Philippines Odds:
Dominican Republic: -11.5 (-115)
Philippines: +11.5 (-111)
Over: 172.5 (-115)
Under: 172.5 (-111)
How to Watch Dominican Republic vs. Philippines
TV: ESPN+
Stream: Watch ESPN
Time: 5:15 AM ET/ 2:15 AM PT
*Watch FIBA World Cup Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Dominican Republic Could Cover The Spread
Karl-Anthony Towns. Simple as that. The Minnesota Timberwolves star is the reason why Dominican Republic will be able to cover this rather hefty 11.5-point spread against the Philippines. Towns is simply a cut above the rest versus the Filipino big men and he should have his way against them, whether inside the paint or even on the perimeter. The Philippines does not have an answer for the three-time All-Star, not even the 7-foot-3 Kai Sotto. Towns is just too big and too strong for the lanky 21-year-old.
Angel Delgado should also give the Philippines a lot of problems on the inside. The 6-foot-10 big man played the 2022 season with Pinar Karsiyaka, where he averaged 10.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
The Philippines may have to send double teams when Towns or Delgado get the ball inside the paint. This will result in a ton of open shots for Dominican Republic's guards from the perimeter. Andres Feliz, who shot 40.3 percent from beyond the arc this past season with Joventut Baladona, could have a field day with the open shots he could get.
Lester Quinones, a two-way player for the Golden State Warriors, is also on this team. Quinones was a standout for the Warriors during the 2023 Las Vegas Summer League and should be able to fill up the box score for the Dominican Republic in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Why Philippines Could Cover The Spread
The Philippines enters this game as major underdogs because of their lack of size against an imposing Dominican Republic frontcourt. Nonetheless, they could still make this competitive because of the presence of Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson. Clarkson should be the best perimeter player in this game. It will be interesting just how much Philippine coach Chot Reyes goes to the 2020-21 NBA Sixth Man of the Year throughout the course of the game.
Apart from Clarkson, the Philippines should also rely heavily on Kai Sotto, who played for the Orlando Magic Summer League team in Las Vegas this summer. Though he possesses a lanky frame, Sotto could be able to utilize his height against Dominican Republic's bigs. The 7-foot-3 big man averaged 13.3 points and 9.3 rebounds during the qualifiers.
Dwight Ramos was also a standout for the Philippines during the qualifiers. Ramos, who plays for Levanga Hokkaido of the Japanese B.League, suited up in 10 games and averaged 12.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.1 steals.
Of course, one of the biggest advantages for the Philippines is the fact that they will have thousands of fans cheering them on throughout this tournament. Playing on home soil in front of a passionate fanbase should inspire this team to compete with everything they have, despite being underdogs.
Final Dominican Republic-Philippines Prediction & Pick
Go with Dominican Republic for this one. Karl-Anthony Towns is simply going to impose his will against the Philippines' big men. They also have some standout players like Delgado, Quinones, Felix, and even Victor Liz, who averaged 17.8 points per game during the qualifiers. Dominican Republic simply has too much firepower for the FIBA World Cup hosts to deal with.
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