In the second round of the newly formed Group P, Iran and Lebanon will face each other at the FIBA World Cup.
Iran vs Lebanon Odds
Iran vs Lebanon (1/2): 2.39 / 1.58
Asian Handicap (+3.5 / -3.5): 1.91 / 1.87
Total Over/Under (148.5): 1.85 / 1.91
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
Iran Team News
Iran played very poorly in the first phase. He lost convincingly against Brazil, Spain was merciful, but the biggest failure came against the Ivory Coast. Against France in the previous game, understandably, the Asian team had no chance.
Iran came to the tournament as the second Asian team on the FIBA list. Given that FIBA places Australia in that group, it is clear how highly Iran is positioned. He did not prove that at the World Cup. In the duel against France, the squad led by Hakan Demir showed solidity in the first 10 minutes, but that was all they could do. In four games in the tournament, no Iranian player scored more than 19 points. The Asian team scored only 62 points on average, so it is clear what the biggest problem is. It is true that Iran played against Brazil, Spain, and France, but even against the Ivory Coast, which is not a defensive force, could not score more than 69 points.
Iran’s chances of reaching the Olympics are non-existent after four defeats. The only thing that can motivate Demir’s team is to raise their level against Lebanon and avoid a disappointing tournament. Another reason is that this is the last World Cup for the legendary Hamed Haddadi, so his teammates will do their best to give him a victory before he leaves when they have a real chance.
Lebanon Team News
Lebanon finished the first stage with defeats against Latvia, Canada, and France, to beat Ivory Coast in the battle from 17th to 32nd place.
After the first two rounds of the tournament, Lebanon seemed to be the worst team in the championship. Defeats of 39, then by 55 points were the argument for that. However, the situation changed, when the team led by Jad El Hajj almost created a sensation and beat France. Wael Arakji had a career game with 29 points, but in the end, it wasn’t enough for a surprise. On the wings of such a party, Lebanon defeated the favored Ivory Coast, that only a day before had a very uncertain clash against Brazil, in which they could have reached the second stage. Lebanon took advantage of disappointment and physical exhaustion and won 94:84.
Due to the very bad point difference, the El Haj team could not even think about the Olympic Games. That’s why the next duel will be a matter of prestige for them. There will be no shortage of motives, due to the increased feeling of belonging to the national jersey among the Lebanese. They keep pointing that out. A friendly match or a final, it’s irrelevant for them. The approach is always the same.
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Iran vs Lebanon H2H
The two teams have met five times so far. The score is 3-2 for Iran, with Lebanon winning their last two friendlies ahead of this year’s World Cup.
Absences and Injuries
One of the best players of Iran, Mohammad Jamshidi, was omitted from the list for the World Cup by the decision of the selectors. Lebanon has no problems with injuries and absences.
Iran vs Lebanon Prediction
Considering the games shown in the tournament, Lebanon is the favorite in this duel. They beat the Ivory Coast by a double-digit margin, that was better than Iran, without Arakji, who scored 29 points against France. On the other hand, Iran will be motivated to win for the first time in the tournament and thus say goodbye to Haddadi.
Because of all that, we expect an uncertain game, in which Lebanon will win by more than two points.
Tip-off Time: Saturday, 02.09.2023, 15:30 CET
Prediction: Lebanon -2.5
Odds: 1.74
Sportsbook: 22Bet
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