France vs. Croatia: TV Info, Live Stream and Preview for FIBA World Cup 2014

Although France still features enough firepower to make some noise during the 2014 FIBA World Cup knockout rounds, the absence of Tony Parker has been noticeable throughout the tournament.

The squad will attempt to push forward without him as it faces Croatia in the round of 16.

Parker opted to skip this year's international showcase after helping lead the San Antonio Spurs to an NBA championship. France went 3-2 in Group A without him but lacked its usual offensive efficiency. It will go up against a Croatian squad that finished with an identical record in Group B.

Saturday's clash should be one of the most competitive of the round. So let's check out all of the important viewing information for the contest, followed by a preview and prediction for which side will advance to the quarterfinals for a likely meeting with powerhouse Spain.

Viewing Info

Where: Barclaycard Arena in Madrid, Spain

When: Saturday, Sept. 6 at 12 p.m. ET

Watch: NBA TV

Live Stream: ESPN3

Preview

Without Parker, the Blues have used both Antoine Diot and Thomas Heurtel to run the offense. The timeshare is representative of a deep rotation used by head coach Vincent Collet. Now that it's entered the knockout stage, it will be interesting to see if he uses a more exclusive group.

Diot and Heurtel haven't played poorly, but it's not realistic to expect them to match the Spurs star's contributions. In turn, France has done what San Antonio did frequently during its playoff run—let Boris Diaw control play from the post.

When he's able to do that, it opens up opportunities for other players on the perimeter. It's a major reason Evan Fournier started playing well over the past three games after a sluggish start. Adam Papageorgiou of Magic Basketball Online noted his improvement:

All of those things are important, from running the offense to getting more open looks for the guards, but the biggest key for France is the play of Nicolas Batum. He needs to start taking over games like he's certainly got the ability to do.

Batum noted the team's arrival for the round-of-16 battle:

The Portland Trail Blazers forward hasn't been nearly as aggressive as needed if France has any thoughts of making a serious title charge. He's the most talented player on the roster and needs to attack the rim more assertively against Croatia.

While the French have relied on a balanced offensive attack, the Croatians are leaning heavily on a small group led by Bojan Bogdanovic and Dario Saric. The tandem combined to average more than 33 points per game during the group stage.

There are two questions heading into the next phase of the event, though.

The most important surrounds whether the team's defense will hold up after giving up the second most points of any team to advance (one point less than Senegal). It leaves very little margin for error on the offensive end.

Then there are concerns about the team's depth. Bogdanovic and Saric have played very well while Krunoslav Simon has filled the role of three-point marksman. Beyond that, there are plenty of question marks, which other teams will attempt to capitalize on by applying extra pressure to the main duo.

France will do everything in its power to neutralize them and force other players to shine for Croatia. Ultimately, its effectiveness will decide which way this toss-up game falls. Give the slight edge to the more well-rounded squad.

Prediction: France 78, Croatia 74