The basketball world is in for an exciting summer. The European Championship for women is in full swing, the under-19 world cup is in its final phase, and the guys are also preparing for the FIBA World Cup that’s scheduled to start on August 31st in China.
The biggest favorite to win the competition is, of course, team USA, two-time defending champions from 2010 and 2014. Although we still don’t who are the 12 guys that will make the final cut and represent Greg Popovich’s squad, we do expect that the team will consist of some of the best NBA stars.
The teams that are seen as the biggest threat to the USA team are Serbia, Spain, Greece, and France. However, a few other teams might make an upset and go for the medal as well, one of which is Canada.
In this article, we will analyze the Canadian national basketball team and predict their chances for the upcoming FIBA World Cup.
Canadian Squad
Canada has qualified for the World Cup without the help of any of their NBA talents. However, in China, they are expected to be fully loaded and show the basketball world what they got. Canada still hasn’t released information about the selection of 12 players that will participate in the tournament under coach Nick Nurse, but we assume that they will show up with their strongest team.
Here is a mock roster including the best Canadian players right now.
Starting lineup: Cory Joseph (PG), Jamal Murray (SG), Andrew Wiggins (SF), Kelly Olynyk (PF), Tristan Tompson (C).
Bench: Shai Gilgeous Alexander (PG), Nik Stauskas (SG), Dillon Brooks (SG), R.J. Barret (SF), Trey Lyles (PF), Brandon Clarke (PF), Dwight Powell (C).
This is an all-NBA roster, although there are a few possible substitutions that play overseas like Melvin Ejim and Brady Haslip. Of course, there is always a possibility that some of these guys cancel or get injured, so we can’t know what the team will look like at the end of August.
Canada’s Odds and Betting Tips
If you’re feeling lucky and you want to cash in on your knowledge of international basketball, here are some FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 predictions & betting odds for Canada.
According to a lot of renowned sportsbook sites, Canada is currently at the number eight spot for winning the tournament. In front of them are the United States, Serbia, Spain, Greece, France, Australia, and Lithuania.
The odds for Canada winning the FIBA World Cup range between 40/1 and 80/1. However, a lot of this will depend on the squad that answers coach Nick Nurse’s call, so the odds could easily swing in both directions.
Betting that Canada will win is a risky wager, considering the competition. The group win against Senegal is a safe bet, while the games against Lithuania and Australia are going to be tough. If Canada wins any of these two games in addition to triumphing over Senegal, they will likely go to the next round. The odds for Canada to make it to the second phase will be much higher, and that’s probably the bet you should go for.
Canada’s Road
Canada was arguably drawn into the toughest group of the tournament. Both Lithuania and Australia have greater chances of winning the medal than Canada. If they manage to go through to the next phase, they will likely play in the group with France and Germany, another two tough opponents.
Eventually, if Canada makes it to the quarter-finals, they could face team USA, and we shouldn’t waste any words on predicting the favorite of that game.
