Canada vs Brazil Basketball preview: Prediction, odds, and more for the FIBA World Cup 2023

Modified Aug 31, 2023 13:57 GMT

Canada and Brazil will collide in their opening game of the Second Round of the FIBA World Cup 2023.

Both teams have their sights set on a spot in the quarter-finals and a loss will cost them a Top-8 finish. With that said, let's look at what we can expect to see in Friday's game.

Canada (3-0) has been unstoppable in the tournament so far. In the opening round, they crushed one of the heavy favorites in France (95-65), decimated Lebanon (128-73) after dishing a record 44 assists and rallied past Latvia (101-75), even though they trailed by double digits early on.

The team has defeated their opponents by an average of 37 points and it will be a major upset if they don't make it to the podium.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

On the contrary, Brazil (2-1) needed 24 points by Yago Dos Santos to edge Cote d'Ivoire and advance to the second round (77-89). The Brazilians dominated Iran (59-100) but lost to reigning champions Spain (78-96). Hence Friday's game is must win for them.

Canada vs Brazil 2023 FIBA World Cup preview

This will be the sixth meeting between the two American teams in the FIBA World Cup, with the Brazilians having won the previous five. However, the Canadians now have a perfect chance of putting an end to this five-game losing streak.

Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (22 points, eight rebounds, 5.7 assists and a PIR of 28.7), the team has been playing tremendous basketball on both ends and we can't see how they will miss a place in the podium.

Sacramento Kings' assistant coach Jordi Fernandez has created a great team in his maiden FIBA World Cup appearance with seven NBA players on the roster and a high level of chemistry. After the opening round, four Canada players (SGA, Dillon Brooks, Kelly Olynyk and RJ Barrett) average double-digit scores.

Meanwhile, the Brazilians play with their back against the wall in the second round of the FIBA World Cup and will need to make a flawless performance on both ends to have a good chance of winning and avoiding elimination.

Dos Santos and Bruno Caboclo should be the ones to take over for their squad, as they will aim for a major upset.

Canada vs Brazil predictions and odds

We should take Canada to win this one easily based on what we have seen in the FIBA World Cup. The Canadians need one win to reach their minimum target, the Top-8, and they should be in a position to claim it Friday.

On the contrary, it will be a major surprise if the Brazilians stay in the game until the end, even though this is a must-win game for them, as a defeat will eliminate them.

Against the spread: Canada -19.5 (-104), Brazil +19.5 (+104)

Over/Under 180.5: Canada Over (-111), Brazil Under (-115)