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 Germany-Japan prediction and pick.
Boasting five NBA players, Germany should enter the 2023 FIBA World Cup as one of the strongest teams in the tournament. The Germans finished third in the EuroBasket after falling to the eventual champions Spain in the semi-final. They come into the World Cup having won four of their six friendlies, with the two losses coming against Canada in overtime and the United States. They particularly gave Team USA problems throughout the first half, until Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton took over in the second half to give their team the win. Nonetheless, Germany remains a force to be reckoned with throughout the tournament.
As for Japan, they booked their ticket as one of the host countries of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Phoenix Suns forward Yuta Watanabe should be the main man for this team throughout the tournament, while University of Nebraska senior Keisei Tominaga should also garner attention as one of the team's top stars. The Japanese finished with a 3-4 record during their exhibition matches, where they beat South Korea, New Zealand, and Angola.
Here are the 2023 FIBA World Cup Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
FIBA World Cup Odds: Germany-Japan Odds
Germany: -19.5 (-106)
Japan: +19.5 (-120)
Over: 171.5 (-111)
Under: 171.5 (-115)
How to Watch Germany vs. Japan
TV: ESPN+
Stream: Watch ESPN
Time: 8:00 AM ET/ 5:00 AM PT
*Watch FIBA World Cup Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Germany Could Cover The Spread
This is quite a hefty spread for Germany, as they will need to win by 20 points to cover. But with the talent discrepancy, blowing out Japan may not be much of a problem for the Germans. Dennis Schroder figures to lead this team, as he did during the EuroBasket tournament. The Toronto Raptors guard, who averaged 17.8 points during the exhibitions, could have a field day running around Japan's perimeter players.
Orlando Magic wing Franz Wagner also played terrific in the friendlies, where he averaged 17.0 points per game. The 21-year-old rising star could also pose several problems for Japan's forwards with his all-around offensive talent.
Apart from Schroder and Wagner, this team also features three other NBA players such as Franz's older brother Moritz Wagner, Daniel Theis, and Isaac Bonga. Andreas Obst and Johannes Voigtmann are also a couple of international standouts who could make a huge impact for them in this game.
Japan's only NBA player Yuta Watanabe is also coming off an injury, which means could be more beneficial for Germany. Watanabe may not be as ready as he would like to be entering this tournament and the Germans could exploit his lack of rhythm to their advantage.
Though they are heavy favorites in this game, Germany cannot afford to slack off and take Japan lightly as they are in one of the more difficult groups of the tournament. Following their opener against Japan, Germany will take on Australia and Finland to complete their group round. After their strong showing in the EuroBasket and during the exhibitions, the Germans could come out of the gates looking to make a statement, which shouldn't bode well for Japan.
Why Japan Could Cover The Spread
Japan enters this game as heavy underdogs, simply because of how overpowering Germany's roster is compared to theirs. But nonetheless, anything can happen in basketball and the Japanese can still prove the naysayers wrong by not getting blown out of this game.
Yuta Watanabe is obviously going to be the saving grace Japan needs to remain competitive throughout the 2023 FIBA World Cup. The Phoenix Suns forward avoided a major injury after he reportedly suffered what looked like a major ankle surgery. But Watanabe's MRI tests came back clean and he should be ready to go for the tournament.
While it is concerning that he is entering the World Cup at less than 100 percent, Watanabe should be motivated to come out and play in front of his home country. His fellow teammates should also get that extra fire as the Japanese fans cheer them on from the stands.
Apart from Watanabe, Japan will also rely on Keisei Tominaga to help lead the team. Tominaga will enter his senior year at Nebraska and averaged 13.1 points while shooting 40.0 percent from beyond the arc in his junior campaign.
Final Germany-Japan Prediction & Pick
This may get ugly, even though Japan is playing in front of its home country fans. Germany has just looked so good even dating back to the EuroBasket tournament. FIBA Dennis Schroder is as elite as they come and Franz Wagner is just continuing to come into his own. This is a German team that gave the heavily favored Team USA a ton of problems just this weekend. They should be able to easily take care of Japan to open their 2023 FIBA World Cup.
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