France vs Iran Basketball Preview: Prediction, odds, and more for the FIBA World Cup 2023

After entering the FIBA World Cup as a favorite to win a medal, France find themselves knocked out in the group stage. Losses to Canada and Latvia led to them failing to make it into the second round.

Following their elimination, France will now play in the classification rounds in Group in Group P. Their next game is against Iran, with the two scheduled to face off on Thursday, August 31, at 9:30 AM Eastern Time.

Iran is in the classification rounds after going 0-3 in group play. They kicked off the FIBA World Cup with a 100-59 loss to Brazil. After that, they suffered double-digit losses to both Cote d'Ivoire and Spain.

The French got their lone win of the group stage in their final matchup. They ended up beating Lebanon by a final score of 85-79.

---

France's FIBA World Cup Roster

• Sylvain Francisco
• Elie Okobo
• Nicolas Batum
• Guerschon Yabusele
• Evan Fournier
• Nando De Colo
• Terry Tarpey
• Yakuba Ouattara
• Mathias Lessort
• Rudy Gobert
• Isaia Cordinier
• Moustapha Fall

---

Iran's FIBA World Cup Roster

• Mohammadsina Vahedi
• Meisam Mirzaei
• Sajjad Mashayekhi
• Mohammad Amini
• Navid Rezaeifar
• Behnam Yakhchali
• Piter Girgoorian
• Arsalan Kazemi
• Hamed Ehaddadi
• Matin Aghajanpour
• Jalal Agha Miri
• Hasan Aliakbari

---

Prediction

Looking at these two squads, it's clear who the favorite is. France evidently has the more talented roster and should win this game in convincing fashion.

After getting knocked out in the group stage, the French have something to prove moving forward. They'll have a fire lit under them to prove themselves in the classification rounds. The first step to getting back on track is taking care of business against Iran.

---

Players to watch

The French roster is loaded with NBA talent and most of the players to watch will come from their side. The biggest name in this mix is former Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.

The Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star was expected to lead the charge, but that wasn't the case. He failed to crack double-digits in either of the games he appeared in. To make matters worse, he only attempted one shot in the upset defeat to Latvia.

Gobert is someone who should be able to assert himself on the international stage, making him a key player to watch in this matchup. Other notable players in the French roster include NBA veteran Nicolas Batum and New York Knicks guard Evan Fournier.

Fournier was by far the best player for France in the group stage. In three games, he averaged 21.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists.