We are back with another prediction as we move on to the second round of group play in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. It's a game between Friday's streak-enders in Group I as Puerto Rico (3-1) goes toe-to-toe with Italy (3-1) with the competition heats up in round two. Check out our FIBA World Cup odds series for our Puerto Rico-Italy prediction and pick.

Nobody believed them, but Puerto Rico took down the Dominican Republic, 102-97, to deal Karl-Anthony Towns and co. their first loss of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Tremont Waters went toe-to-toe with Towns' game-high 39 points with 37 points of his own to lead a gutsy Puerto Rico squad to an inspirational win on Friday. It was a back-and-forth affair throughout the game until John Holland's go-ahead three-pointer with the game knotted at 95 broke the tie and ultimately sealed the win for Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile, Italy, likewise, pulled off an upset by defeating Serbia 78-76. The win dealt Serbia their first loss of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, as all groups in Group I now share identical 3-1 records. Simone Fontecchio had a masterful outing with 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting to lead the Italians to their third win of the tournament.

Here are the 2023 FIBA World Cup odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

2023 FIBA World Cup Odds: Puerto Rico-Italy Odds

Puerto Rico: +8.5 (-113)

Italy: -8.5 (-113)

Over: 172.5 (-113)

Under: 172.5 (-113)

How to Watch Puerto Rico vs. Italy

Stream: ESPN+, Courtside 1891

Time: 8:00 AM ET/ 5:00 AM PT

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Puerto Rico Will Cover The Spread

The Puerto Ricans will enter this game with a ton of momentum after they dispatched a Karl-Anthony Towns-led Dominican Republic team despite being devoid of an NBA player. Tremont Waters' inspirational 37-point explosion should give him a lot of confidence as they look to win another game as underdogs for the second straight time. Apart from his incandescent scoring afternoon, Waters also put together one of the best all-around performances of the tournament with 11 assists, four rebounds, and four steals.

George Conditt also held his own against Towns as the 6-foot-11 big man recorded 18 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks. Conditt, who played four years at Iowa State, has been a consistent force in the middle for Puerto Rico. He averaged close to a double-double through the first round of group play with 10.7 points and 9.7 rebounds.

Jordan Howard and Christopher Ortiz also provided a spark off the bench for Puerto Rico. Howard scored 11 points with five assists and one steal, while Ortiz added 10 points and six rebounds.

Much like the Dominican Republic, this Italy team is pretty top-heavy with only three of their players averaging double-digit points in the tournament so far. As much as Friday's win was the Tremont Waters show, that worked in the favor of Puerto Rico against the Dominican Republic, with six players scoring at least six points in the game.

Why Italy Will Cover The Spread

Unlike Puerto Rico, Italy will no longer with the same underdog status they had in their previous game. Still, that gutsy win over Serbia should only motivate them further for the chance to advance to the quarter-final. Taking down the No. 6-ranked Serbia should also give them a ton of confidence ahead of this game versus Puerto Rico.

Nobody, perhaps apart from Tremont Waters, should enter this game with more confidence than Simone Fontecchio. The Utah Jazz forward had his best game of the tournament with 30 points on an efficient 11-of-15 shooting. Fontecchio went to work on Friday as he showcase his entire offensive repertoire at the expense of the Serbians. He made a clutch basket with less than 35 seconds remaining that gave Italy a four point lead and more breathing room down the stretch to secure the win.

Marco Spissu also eased a bit of the scoring load for Italy as the 6-foot guard added 14 points and five rebounds in the victory. Veteran forward Luigi Datome also had his best game of the tournament so far. The 35-year-old scored 10 points and made two three-pointers in just 13 minutes of action.

If Fontecchio's tear carries over to Sunday and Datome continues to turn back the clock, even in just limited playing time, Italy should be in good shape to win and cover the spread.

Final Puerto Rico-Italy Prediction & Pick

As inspirational as Puerto Rico's win was, Italy similarly had a gutsy performance, especially against a tougher team like Serbia. Simone Fontecchio has found his rhythm and even made several tough shots in their most recent win. Stefano Tonut, the team's second leading scorer entering Friday, had an off-game and should look to bounce back from an awful 1-of-7 shooting afternoon. Moreover, Luigi Datome should have another throwback performance after a strong outing versus Serbia.

Final Puerto Rico-Dominican Republic Prediction & Pick: Italy: -8.5 (-113)