FIBA World Cup 2019: Monday Odds, Schedule, Live Stream and Predictions
The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup is off and running, with the United States doing everything it can to prove even a roster full of second-, third- and fourth-choice players at each position is still talented enough to come away with a world title.
Team USA got off to a fine start Sunday with an 88-67 win over the Czech Republic. It was a balanced effort, with Donovan Mitchell scoring 16 points to lead the squad and three other players—Harrison Barnes, Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum—also scoring in double figures. Australia, Brazil and Lithuania also impressed on Day 2, with the latter team demolishing Senegal by a score of 101-47.
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Basketball fans can expect a couple more mismatches on Day 3 of the tournament, which is playing out across China. Here's what to look for on Monday.
2019 FIBA World Cup Schedule For Monday, Sep. 2
Group, Matchup, Time, Spread (Predictions in italics)
Group D: Angola vs. Italy (-24), 3:30 a.m. ET (Italy)
Group A: Ivory Coast vs. Venezuela (-5.5), 4 a.m. ET (Ivory Coast)
Group C: Iran (-5.0) vs. Tunisia, 4:30 a.m. ET (Iran)
Group B: Argentina (-7.5) vs. Nigeria, 4:30 a.m. ET (Argentina)
Group D: Philippines vs. Serbia (-35.5), 7:30 a.m. ET (Serbia)
Group A: Poland (-1) vs. China, 8 a.m. ET (China)
Group B: Russia (-13.5) vs. South Korea, 8:30 a.m. ET (Russia)
Group C: Spain (-24.5) vs. Puerto Rico, 8:30 a.m. ET (Spain)
Live Stream: all games on ESPN+
Odds courtesy of Caesars and updated as of Sunday, Sep. 1.
If you're unsure of which teams to watch on Day 3, let the spreads guide you. Serbia, Italy and Spain are all expected to throttle the competition, and for good reason. Their respective opponents are the Philippines, Angola and Puerto Rico—three countries playing this tournament without any current NBA players.
It's a recipe for disaster, especially when Serbia can trot out the likes of Nikola Jokic, the effortlessly smooth Denver Nuggets center, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, an up-and-coming wing who averaged 14.1 points per game last season with the Sacramento Kings. Serbia defeated Angola 105-59 on Day 1 thanks to a key contribution coming from Boban Marjanovic, who got the start and scored 12 points while pulling down 10 rebounds. He was one of six Serbian players to score in double digits.
Italy boasts the likes of Marco Belinelli (San Antonio Spurs) and Danilo Gallinari (Oklahoma City Thunder), so don't expect them to have too much trouble with Angola. The remainder of the roster is filled with studs who play across Europe, many of them in the Italian professional league, one of the better competitions on the continent. Italy crushed the Philippines 108-62 on Saturday.
Spain features several current and former NBA players, and they had no trouble beating Tunisia in their opening tilt. Marc Gasol is one of the most talented players in the tournament, but don't sleep on the silky styling of Ricky Rubio, who, at 28, is in his athletic prime, even though it seems like he's been around forever (he's already clocked eight seasons in the NBA).
Beyond that, there isn't a whole lot of star power on Monday. Several of the games should be competitive. China got off to a solid start with a 70-55 win over the Ivory Coast. The host country will be looking looking to prove they belong as they take on Poland on Monday. Argentina will also be looking to make a statement against Nigeria after cruising past South Korea.
The hours are difficult for fans watching stateside, but the FIBA World Cup has plenty to offer over the next couple of weeks. While some of the world's best players skipped the tournament, it makes the competition more intriguing overall, as Team USA is no guarantee to run away with the title.
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