FIBA World Cup 2023 | Best Bets, August 26

Day two of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off on Friday, and some of the biggest stars and teams will be on full display!

On Friday, there are several exciting matchups when the action tips off, with record World Cup debutants South Sudan opening the festivities against Puerto Rico! Anthony Edwards leads the United States in their opening match against Finn Delaney's New Zealand. And the reigning FIBA World Cup Champions, Spain, open their tournament against Cote d'Ivoire!

Let's check out the bets!

South Sudan vs Puerto Rico

• When: 4:00 AM EST
  
• Where: Araneta Coliseum, Manila, Philippines
  

Odds courtesy of bet365 Sportsbook. Check out our list of the best NBA betting sites for more betting opportunities.

Money: South Sudan (+105)

South Sudan and Puerto Rico enter this matchup, with both teams eyeing a victory. South Sudan was brilliant through qualifiers, posting an 11-1 record and qualifying for the World Cup for the first time. Puerto Rico will be without star man Jose Alvarado, but they have plenty of players willing to step up.

With some rising stars and some NBA-level talents, South Sudan flew through the qualifiers by averaging 78.6 points (1st), 42.4 rebounds (6th), and 17.7 assists (2nd). Puerto Rico's performance through the competitive Americas Qualifiers was impressive, averaging 79.9 points (6th), 38.4 rebounds (7th), and 16.7 assists (8th).

Day two of the FIBA World Cup will open with an exciting matchup. Neither team projects high scoring, but the pace should create an up-tempo game. South Sudan could open the season with an upset in a matchup between the backcourt and frontcourt.

Cape Verde vs Georgia

• When: 4:00 AM EST
  
• Where: Okinawa Arena, Okinawa, Japan
  

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Total: Under 155.5 (-115)

Opening the festivities for Group F on game day two are Cape Verde and Georgia. Both nations had an up-and-down performance through their qualifying process but entered the tournament with renewed vigor in a wide-open Group F.

Cape Verde went 6-4 through the African Qualifiers, averaging 73.5 points (5th), 41.3 rebounds (8th), and 14.6 assists (7th). Georgia was 7-5 through the European Qualifiers, producing 80.4 points (8th), 37.0 rebounds (14th), and 16.9 assists (22nd).

Neither team is excellent at shooting from range, so expect a hard-nosed battle in the paint. Edy Tavares of Cape Verde and Goga Bitadze are players to watch as they battle on the glass. Off the back of their depth and experience, Georgia should find victory.

Jordan vs Greece

• When: 4:45 AM EST
  
• Where: Mall of Asia Arena, Manila, Philippines
  

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Total: Under 159.5 (-110)

Jordan faces off against FIBA heavyweights Greece in their first match of the FIBA World Cup. Greece will be without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, but they have an experienced and ambitious lineup regardless.

Greece struggled through the FIBA European Qualifiers, going 6-4 and averaging 77.5 points (14th), 35.1 rebounds (19th), and 19.2 assists (6th) per game. Jordan, on the other hand, was impressive through the Asian Qualifiers, going 8-4 while averaging 78.8 points (6th), 42.8 rebounds (6th), and 20.3 assists (3rd) through the process.

Both teams play their best basketball when they find early success at the rim. In that regard, expect Greece to have the edge in this matchup. It'll be interesting to see which team can first establish their shooting from range and how that might swing the outcome.

Iran vs Brazil

• When: 5:45 AM EST
  
• Where: Indonesia Arena, Jakarta, Indonesia
  

Odds courtesy of bet365.

Total: Under 155.5 (-110)

One of the FIBA World Cup's perennial participants, Brazil, entered Day Two of the tournament with eyes set on a solid start against Iran. As both teams jockey for position in a group that touts reigning World Cup Champion, Spain, Brazil, and Iran are sure to put on an intense game.

Brazil was impressive through the Americas qualification process, averaging 87.2 points (3rd), 45.2 rebounds (1st), and 19.9 assists (4th) per game behind the leadership of veteran Marcelo Huertas and big man Bruno Caboclo. Iran was one of the last teams to qualify for the World Cup, going 6-6 through their qualifiers while averaging 76.0 points (8th), 43.3 rebounds (4th), and 19.1 assists (5th) per game.

Iran struggled through their preparation process, while Brazil displayed its versatility. It should be one-sided when these two teams tip off, with Brazil coming out on the winning end.

Slovenia vs Venezuela

• When: 8:00 AM EST
  
• Where: Araneta Coliseum, Manila, Philippines
  

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Spread: Slovenia -20.5 (-122)

Two teams that have been on downward trends through their preparation process, Slovenia and Venezuela, aim to get off to a strong start in their World Cup runs. Both teams have some work to do, with Venezuela going winless through nine straight pre-tournament games and Slovenia going 3-4.

Slovenia booked their ticket to the World Cup with a qualification window to spare, scoring 82.8 points (3rd), 38.6 rebounds (9th), and 18.2 assists (16th) behind the contributions of Luka Doncic. Venezuela surprised many by coming out of the Americas, averaging 77.3 points (10th), 39.3 rebounds (6th), and 17.7 assists (7th) through their qualifying windows.

Despite both teams struggling through recent games, the talent gap is still wide. Slovenia have the advantage on almost every front, and Venezuela's offensive inefficiency only hurts their chances.

United States vs New Zealand

• When: 8:40 AM EST
  
• Where: Mall of Asia Arena, Manila, Philippines
  

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Total: Over 185.5 (-110)

The United States enters this game against New Zealand with a new crop of talent that doesn't feature mainstays like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, or Kevin Durant. Instead, they'll rely on rising stars like Anthony Edwards, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jalen Brunson to lead the way for them.

New Zealand was strong through the Asia Qualifiers, going 8-2 and averaging 92.6 points (1st), 43.5 rebounds (3rd), and 21.0 assists (2nd) behind the efforts of Flynn Cameron and Finn Delaney, among others. The United States won't see any of their qualifying or AmeriCup team return to the court, instead being led by their usual group of NBA stars.

Motivated to make a name for themselves on the world stage, the young Americans will push the pace and challenge this inexperienced New Zealand team. There will be much effort and fight in the Tall Blacks, but against the talent of the United States, it shouldn't be competitive.

Spain vs Cote d'Ivoire

• When: 9:30 AM EST
  
• Where: Indonesia Arena, Jakarta, Indonesia
  

Odds courtesy of bet365.

Spread: Spain -23.5 (-110)

Spain and Cote d'Ivoire close out the day's schedule, and the reigning champions are the clear favorites to find victory in this game. Cote d'Ivoire hopes to make a name for themselves in this group, but taking down Spain will be difficult.

Cote d'Ivoire was excellent through the African Qualifiers, going 10-2 and averaging 75.3 points (2nd), 42.8 rebounds (5th), and 18.2 assists (1st) en route to the World Cup. Spain also went 10-2 through their qualifying run, averaging 83.1 points (2nd), 39.0 rebounds (6th), and 21.4 assists (1st).

While Spain will be without star point guard Ricky Rubio for this tournament, they have plenty of rising talent and experienced veterans to drive them forward. Cote d'Ivoire is bringing a solid group back from their 2019 World Cup run but lacks the guard play to compete with the reigning champions. Expect a rout by Spain in their first game of the tournament.