Welcome back to our prediction and pick series for the 2023 FIBA World Cup. This next matchup takes place for Indonesia as we turn our attention towards the first official day of match-play. Latvia will be taking on Lebanon as the two teams battle for early dominance in their group. Check out our FIBA World Cup odds series for our Latvia-Lebanon prediction and pick.

Latvia comes into the FIBA World Cup after having a ton of success in the pre-qualifying and qualifying stages, going 11-1 during that stretch. It's their first-ever FIBA World Cup appearance and they'll be coached by Italian Luca Banchi. They'll also be lead by NBA star Davis Bertans as they hope he can carry the scoring load. They'll be the heavy favorites over Lebanon here.

Lebanon has gone 9-3 in the stages leading up to group play. They're a fast team by many standards and can shoot their way into a solid win. They'll be lead by head coach Jad El Hajj. Lebanon will also feature former Villanova National Champion Omari Rasulala Spellman as one of their leading scorers. They'll have a tough task in covering the spread against this Latvia team.

Here are the FIBA Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

FIBA Odds: Latvia-Lebanon Odds

Latvia: -16.5 (-115)

Lebanon: +16.5 (-111)

Over: 162.5 (-115)

Under: 162.5 (-111)

How to Watch Latvia vs. Lebanon

TV: ESPN2

Stream: Courtside 1891

Time: 5:15 a.m. ET / 2:15 a.m. PT

*Watch FIBA with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Latvia Could Cover The Spread

Head Coach Luca Banchi is relatively fresh into this job and he's already made a ton of improvements with the way Latvia plays as a team. They were disappointed to miss out on last year's FIBA EuroBasket tournament, but they're poised to mount a solid run here. They're grouped with Lebanon, France, and Canada and have a solid chance to make it past group play. The Canadians will be the favorites with the French close behind, but Latvia could make some noise if they continue their energized play.

They're very disappointed to be without Kristaps Porzingis for this tournament as he's dealing with a continuing injury. Nevertheless, Latvia will have the advantage down low and boast the bigger lineup. Davis Bertans is undoubtedly their best scorer and will carry the load down low. They'll also have a 7'2″ center Anzejs Pasecniks, which is massive for them given the smaller lineup of Lebanon. Look for Latvia to pound the ball down low early and establish themselves in the paint. From there, they should be the stronger, more consistent team on defense as they get this win.

Why Lebanon Could Cover The Spread

Lebanon played very well in their qualifiers leading up to this point and they could pose a potential upset threat to the other teams in their group. They'll have to rely greatly on their speed as they're listed as one of the smaller teams from position to position. It may be tough for Lebanon to find any easy baskets down low, but they've been able to kill bigger teams with their speed and could look to do the same in this opener.

Omari Rasulala Spellman will be their tallest player at 6'9″ and will anchor their defensive efforts down low. He was known for his lockdown defense as a champion at Villanova and he plays in a higher level basketball league in China compared to many of his teammates. Ball movement will be a huge focus for them as they have the ability to run around this Latvia team.

Final Latvia-Lebanon Prediction & Pick

Both teams performed well in the qualifying stages, but Latvia may just have too many advantages in this game. They've got the more established players and their size will play a huge factor in grabbing this win. Let's take Latvia to cover the spread as they win their opener in impressive fashion.

Final Latvia-Lebanon Prediction & Pick: Latvia -16.5 (-115)