After successfully navigating their way through the opening group stage, the Australian Boomers will battle a new set of teams in the second stage at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. First up they take on Slovenia on Friday night, and we have you covered with a full preview and free betting tips below.
Also, make sure to check out our Basketball Tips page regularly to find our full game previews and best bets for the key matchups throughout the World Cup, including all of the Boomers’ games!
FIBA Basketball World Cup Betting Tips
Slovenia vs Australia
Friday 10:10pm AEST, September 1st, Okinawa Arena (Japan)
Gifted arguably the easiest draw of any top 10 ranked nation, Slovenia made the most of it by going 3-0 in the first group stage. Not only did they win all three of their games, they also acquired a +51 points differential which has them sitting on top of the newly-formed Group K. It’s likely Slovenia will only need to win one of their two Group K games to go through to the knockout phase, although points differential will almost certainly come into play.
Despite finishing fourth at the recent Olympics and being undefeated through three games at this World Cup, Slovenia have some obvious weaknesses that lesser teams have been able to expose at different stages. They don’t possess a lot of athleticism and struggle to defend pick-and-roll action, and their offence has looked disjointed when Luka Doncic is off the floor and their second unit are on.
Progressing through to the second phase of the tournament after finishing second in their opening group is Australia. The Boomers have looked great at times but have also shown some vulnerability which Germany were able to capitalise on in their second group game. The Boomers must now win both of their Group K matches to give themselves a decent chance to progress to the quarterfinals.
Inconsistency shooting the ball has been the biggest worry for the Boomers thus far, although a record 109 points scored against Japan last outing was certainly a positive sign. Josh Giddey led the way in that crucial win, finishing the night with 26 points to go along with 11 assists. Xavier Cooks was also a monster on the offensive glass and chimed with 24 points as well.
Match prediction: These nations met in the Bronze Medal Playoff at the Olympics last year and it was Australia who prevailed by 14 points. Slovenia simply couldn’t contain the Boomers who put a whopping 107 points on the board.
Both rosters are a lot different to how they were last year, but the Boomers are still the favourites to come out on top. It’s a must-win game for them and as long as they can somewhat contain Luka Doncic, they’ll be too good once again.
Australia -5.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
Same Game Multi
The easiest way to place your Same Game Multi is to click on the BoomBet BetShare banner below! This will add our SGM selections straight into your BoomBet bet slip! You can then enter how much you wish to wager and with one click, your bet has been placed!
Leg 1: Australia to Win – It’s a must win game for the Boomers as mentioned above. They should be coming out on top here.
Leg 2: Josh Giddey 15+ Points – Giddey is building with every game and will have a favourable matchup here. There’s no reason to suggest he won’t score at least 15 points once again.
Leg 3: Luka Doncic 25+ Points – The head of the snake for Slovenia. The ball will spend 99% of the time in Luka’s hands when he’s on the floor. He’ll put up big scoring numbers regardless of efficiency.
Leg 4: Luka Doncic 6+ Rebounds – Luka is yet to fall below seven rebounds in three games at the World Cup. He’ll be on the court for big minutes and should be able to rack up at least six again.
SGM Odds: $3.60 at BoomBet
