Group B of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Basketball men’s tournament will kick off this weekend and features an all-Euro showdown between Germany and Italy. Which team will get the W right out of the gate? Check out our preview of this matchup below.
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Betting Preview for the Germany vs Italy Summer Olympics Men’s Basketball on July 25, 2021
Where: Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
When: Sunday, July 25, 2021, 12:40 AM ET
Line: Germany (odds) vs. Italy (odds) – view all 2021 Summer Olympics lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Germany (odds)
Ranked seventh in the world, Germany will be making its first Olympics appearance since the 2008 festivities in Beijing. This time around, there would be no Dirk Nowitzki to lead the Germans, but they have nevertheless a talented group ready to make loud noises in Japan. Germany got a ticket to Japan after winning their group that included Russia and Mexico in the qualifiers. Germany would have been a bigger threat to the field in Tokyo had Los Angeles Lakers point guard Dennis Schroder is with them, but they will still have a couple of NBA players to provide support. Moritz Wagner of the Orlando Magic is a sharp-shooting big man, while Isaac Bonga of the Washington Wizards gives the team a steady presence in the backcourt. Although Germany doesn’t have the likes of Schroder, Daniel Theis, and Maxi Kleber, it has shown great chemistry and team-first mentality in the recent qualifiers.
Betting on the Italy (odds)
Ranked 10th in the world, Italy is coming off a sensational win in the Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, which had Serbia, Slovenia, and the Dominican Republic. The Italians topped that tourney even without the help of Atlanta Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari, who was still playing in the NBA Playoffs at the time of the competition in Serbia. Achille Polonara and Simone Fontecchio shined the most for the Italians in that tourney, as they led the team with 25.3 and 22.0 efficiencies, respectively. The team also has Golden State Warriors point guard Nico Mannion, who was once projected to be a potential top pick in the NBA Draft. Mannion did an outstanding job setting the offense for Italy, as he averaged 17.7 points and 4.0 assists per game in Belgrade. Adding size and space for Italy is 6-9 forward Nico Melli, who played in the 2020-21 NBA season for the New Orleans Pelicans and the Dallas Mavericks.
Writer’s Prediction
Italy wins, 90-85.
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