Greece vs New Zealand Analysis and Prediction – Greece and New Zealand will meet in a direct clash for second place in Group C of the World Cup.
Greece vs New Zealand Odds
Greece vs New Zealand (1/2): 1.16 / 5.10
Asian Handicap (+11.5 / -11.5): 1.89 / 1.89
Total Over/Under (165.5): 1.90 / 1.86
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
Greece Team News
Greece has struggled a lot in both games at the World Cup so far. In the first round, they defeated Jordan by 92:71, but at the beginning of the fourth quarter they had only a five-point advantage. Two days later, the United States defeated them by 109:81.
One of the reasons for Greece’s weaker results is the large number of important absences. Apart from Nikos Rogkavopoulos, almost no one can score consistently from distance. Thomas Walkup and Giannoulis Larentzakis did shoot well against Jordan, but that doesn’t happen often. Georgios Papagiannis is probably the most important player in Dimitris Itoudis’ team. He showed that against the United States by scoring 17 points.
The good thing for Greece is that they only a win here to advance. They are aware of their qualities, but they must find a way to limit New Zealand’s open shots. If they succeed in this, they will be very close to qualify for the second stage.
New Zealand Team News
New Zealand experienced real drama on Monday. They had a five-point lead and possession with 25 seconds left against Jordan, but Rondae Hollis-Jefferson made masterful baskets to send the game into overtime. Fortunately for the “Tall Blacks”, they triumphed there by 95:87.
In the last game, New Zealand made 13/25 three-pointers. This is the recipe how they will try to outplay Greece as well. Izayah Le’Afa, Jordan Ngatai and Finn Delany scored 10 times combined from downtown and are in good mood awaiting the decisive match. New Zealand has quality under the basket as well. Yanni Wetzell has made great progress playing for Alba Berlin and certainly has something to offer in the battle with Papagiannis.
Even against the United States, New Zealand made a solid impression. They definitely know what they want on the floor and don’t make many rookie mistakes, which is a characteristic of a large number of national teams at the World Cup. If they stay disciplined and the shot serves them well, anything is possible.
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Greece vs New Zealand H2H
Four years ago, Greece and New Zealand were in an identical situation at the World Cup. Then, Greece won by103:97 and advanced to the next stage.
Absences and Injuries
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kostas Sloukas and Nick Calathes are not playing for Greece at the World Cup, while Dinos Mitoglou injured his hand right before the start of the tournament. The Webster brothers and Steven Adams are not present for New Zealand.
Greece vs New Zealand Prediction
Greece has more quality than New Zealand, but they are not far far ahead. Four years ago, the difference in talent was much bigger, and “Tall Blacks” were still close to beat them. Certainly, Itoudis’ team has a better chance, but we do not believe that it will be particularly convincing.
Tip-off Time: Wednesday, 30.08.2023, 14:40 CET
Prediction: New Zealand +11.5
Odds: 1.75
Sportsbook: 22Bet
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