Croatia vs Cyprus: Analysis and Prediction – Croatia will play at home against Cyprus in the second round Eurobasket qualifiers.
Croatia vs Cyprus Odds
Croatia Team News
Croatia successfully navigated the preliminary phase of the Olympic Games qualifiers. Riding on the back of these good results, they aimed to start the Eurobasket qualifiers strongly but couldn’t match up against the physically stronger French team, who emerged victorious with a score of 73:61.
Croatia is significantly weakened in these qualifiers due to their main players being occupied in the NBA. Therefore, the role of the team leader has been assumed by Mario Hezonja who play for Real Madrid. He took the most shots in the first match. His team wasn’t physically strong enough to counter the French game, who exploited their advantages. Now they face an easier match against Cyprus. Alongside Mario Hezonja, significant contributions are expected from naturalized player Jaleen Smith and Bayern Munich’s Danko Brankovic. The rest of the team comprises players who mainly play in the ABA League. Coach Josip Sesar believes his team can do better.
Croatia enters this match as the clear favorite, and they will undoubtedly aim to secure their first victory. To do so, they need to avoid underestimating their opponent and play a quality game on both ends of the floor. They have much more talented players, and they need to prove that on the court.
Cyprus Team News
Cyprus continues their poor performances. In their last 11 matches, they have only secured one victory. They were particularly disappointing in the Eurobasket qualifiers’ start against Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was expected that the hosts of the next Eurobasket would perform much better, but they suffered a debacle with a score of 66:99.
In his debut appearance for the Cyprus national team, Darral Willis delivered an excellent performance with 22 points and 13 rebounds. The rest of the Cyprus national team is of modest quality. The only player besides Darral Willis who plays outside Cyprus is Aenaes Jung, a member of Ludwigsburg. Philippos Tigkas was the only other player besides Willis to score in double digits and is considered a very good three-point shooter, having shot around 40% from three in previous qualifiers. Simon Michail and Nikos Stylianos are two other players who can make a significant impact off the bench.
These qualifiers will be a significant learning experience for Cyprus ahead of the Eurobasket. It’s unlikely that they can achieve a victory, but they will certainly try to leave a better impression. Against Croatia, they will need a good defensive role and attempt to stop Mario Hezonja.
Every day, “Basketball Sphere” provides all its readers with the best predictions for today’s games.
If you are reading our analysis for the first time, then it is important to mention that every day we also offer to our readers a “Acca of the Day” completely free.
Croatia vs Cyprus H2H
This will be the third encounter between these teams in the Eurobasket qualifiers. Croatia won the previous two matches convincingly, with the last encounter ending in their favor with a score of 98:49.
Absences and Injuries
Dario Saric, Bojan Bogdanovic, Karlo Matkovic and Ivica Zubac will not play for Croatia due to NBA commitments, while Luka Bozic, who had to undergo dental surgery, will also be absent. Cyprus will compete with a full squad.
Croatia vs Cyprus Prediction
Croatia is the absolute favorite in this match. They have a much better team, EuroLeague players in their composition. In addition, they are playing at home and want to gain additional confidence to continue the competition. Because of this, as well as the poor quality of the rivals, we should expect a very efficient game from Croatia as well as a convincing triumph.
Tip-off Time: Monday, 26.02.2024, 20:00 CET
Prediction: Croatia -26.5
Odds: 1.72
Sportsbook: BC.GAME
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
We found the best odds for this game at the popular BC.GAME sportsbook. You will get an attractive Welcome Bonus for all newly registered customers if you register today.
Top Betting Offers 2024: