Round 2 of the FIBA World Cup 2023 is set to kick off on Friday 1 September with a Group I match between Serbia and Italy.
Serbia, led by guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (18.0 ppg), enters the 2nd round undefeated (3-0), having picked up Group B victories over China, Puerto Rico and South Sudan in the 1st round.
Meanwhile, Italy, led by forward Simone Fontecchio (16.7 ppg), enters Round 2 with a 2-1 record. This comes after the Italians beat Angola and the Philippines before falling to the Dominican Republic in Group A in the 1st round.
Serbia vs Italy FIBA World Cup 2023 Round 2 Game Preview
Serbia will enter Friday’s match against Italy with an edge in nearly every major statistical category through three games. As a team Serbia shot 57.2% and 44.7% from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Italy shot just 43.5% and 28.7% from deep.
However, Italy leads in free-throw shooting (89.2% to 81.8%). In terms of rebounding, the teams are tied with an average of 37.3 rebounds per game, but Serbia has the big advantage in the assist department (29.7 apg to 20.0 apg).
In addition, Serbia has the edge in both blocks (3.7 ppg to 3.0 ppg) and steals (9.7 spg to 5.7 spg).
Statistics aside, the Serbians will be looking for revenge against Italy on Friday in the Belgrade final of the 2020 Olympic qualifiers and the round of 16 of FIBA EuroBasket 2022.
Serbia vs Italy prediction and odds
In terms of odds, Serbia are seen as favorites to win Friday’s match. This comes after they averaged 30.3 points in their previous three games. For example, SportyTrader has Serbia at 1.33 odds, while Italy at 3.4 odds.
Meanwhile, FIBA lists Serbia as the overall favorite in Group I. A combination of Bogdan Bogdanovic heating up, forward Nikola Jovic a shining star and big man Nikola Miludinov dominating the paint.
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