Lithuania vs. Greece Basketball Preview: Prediction, odds, and more for the FIBA World Cup 2023

Modified Aug 31, 2023 13:10 GMT

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The second round of the FIBA World Cup 2023 tips off Friday, Sept. 1, with Lithuania and Greece facing each other in a must-win game.

Both teams are fighting for a spot in the Top 8 of the FIBA World Cup, with the Lithuanians having the upper hand, as they are undefeated after the end of the opening round (3-0).

With that in mind, let's take a look at this matchup between the two traditional European powerhouses.

Lithuania is coming off three impressive victories over Montenegro (71-91), Mexico (96-66) and Egypt (67-93), respectively. It has defeated its opponents by an average of 25.3 points and has emerged as a favorite for a spot in the Top 8.

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On the contrary, the Greeks struggled in the opening round but managed to qualify following their victory over New Zealand (83-74). Even though they trailed by 15 in the opening half, they outscored their opponents 51-31 in the second half and cruised to the win.

In Greece's other two games, it rallied past Jordan in its FIBA World Cup opener (71-92) and got crushed by Team USA (81-109).

Lithuania vs. Greece 2023 FIBA World Cup Preview

The last time these two teams collided in the FIBA World Cup was 17 years ago in Japan. The Greeks won by five (81-76) en route to a podium finish (second place), which was highlighted by their victory over Team USA in the semi-final.

Their last battle in a major FIBA tournament was in the 2017 EuroBasket, when Greece beat Lithuania 77-64 in the Round of 16 and advanced to the Top 8.

Six years later, the Lithuanians enter the game as a favorite, with Jonas Valanciunas and Rokas Jokubaitis leading the way.

We should also focus on Donatas Motiejunas and Ignas Brazdeikis, as coach Kazys Maksvytis has put together a great squad despite the absence of key players like Marius Grigonis and NBA star Domantas Sabonis.

Meanwhile, the Greeks are also missing their leaders, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kostas Sloukas and Nick Calathes skipping the tournament.

In the game against New Zealand, Greece needed a career-high 27 points from Ioannis Papapetrou to defeat the Tall Blacks. Giannoulis Larentzakis shined with 20 points, while Thomas Walkup had 10 points, nine assists and just two turnovers in the matchup.

This is a must-win game for the Greeks, who will be eliminated if they lose on Friday. Defense and three-point shooting will be the key to keeping their Top 8 chances alive.

Lithuania vs. Greece predictions and odds

Lithuania is the grand favorite to win this one and advance to the Top of the FIBA World Cup. The Baltic nation has played great basketball on both ends and has momentum on its side.

It will be a major upset if the Lithuanians lose, and we expect them to rely on Valanciunas and Jokubaitis to win this one. The Greeks will have to play a perfect game to challenge for the win.

Winner: Lithuania -7.5 (-110)

Over/Under (162.5): Lithuania Over 1.88 / Greece Under 1.88