Spain vs. Brazil Betting Preview
Where: Carioca Arena 1, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
When: Tuesday, August 9, 1:15 PM ET
Line: Spain (-7.5) vs. Brazil (+7.5); total: 148.5 – view all men’s Olympic basketball lines
TV Broadcast: NBCSN / NBCOlympics.com
Writer’s Pick: Spain (-7.5)
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Offensive Edge – Spain (– 7.5)
A tough 72-70 loss to Croatia in the first day of men’s basketball play has Spain on the ropes, but we really shouldn’t underestimate the three-time Olympic silver medalists at all. The one-two punch of Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic, which combined for 45 of the team’s points, appeared to be unstoppable in the frontcourt. It’s only a matter of time before fellow standout teammates Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernandez (both held scoreless in the loss) get it going as well.Meanwhile, Brazil also had a duo of NBA stars in Leandro Barbosa and Nene doing their best to give the home crowd something to cheer about, but the team ultimately ended up with an 82-76 defeat to Lithuania. Barbosa (21 points) and Nene (11) were terrific, but then again, the Brazilians had to claw out of a 30-point deficit and failed to do so as the entire offense in general seemed lost for most of the contest.
Defensive Edge – Spain (-7.5)
As mentioned earlier, Brazil had to attempt an insurmountable comeback versus Lithuania, which already speaks volumes on how the team’s defense is holding up so far. The host nation even allowed the Lithuanians to shoot a stunning 50 percent from the field in that game.
On the other hand, Spain limited the Croatians to just 41.1 percent shooting from the floor, and that’s even with the team trying to overcome its own dismal 39.7-percent day from the field. That being said, the Spaniards are less prone to suffer a major defensive collapse compared to Brazil.
In addition, the Brazilians possess great speed, whereas the Spaniards have the advantage in height and athleticism. Given how international-basketball play tends to run at a slower pace, consider the edge to still tip in Spain’s favor.
Writer’s Prediction: Spain (-7.5) finally gets on the win column with an impressive 89-76 victory over the Olympic hosts.
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