In the second round of the newly formed Group P, Ivory Coast and France will face each other at the FIBA World Cup.
Ivory Coast vs France Odds
Ivory Coast vs France (1/2): 14.00 / 1.02
Asian Handicap (+18.5 / -18.5): 1.90 / 1.88
Total Over/Under (157.5): 1.89 / 1.89
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
Ivory Coast Team News
Ivory Coast ended their run in the first round of the FIBA World Cup with a 1-2. They suffered defeats against Spain and Brazil, while they managed to “steal” a win against Venezuela, wining after a suspenseful finale. In the first round of the playoffs, they delivered another nail-biter against Lebanon, but ultimately lost 94:84.
Souleyman Diabate showcased certain qualities during the first round, and so did Jean Philippe-Dally. Patrick Tape had his best match of the FIBA World Cup against Lebanon. However, a player expected to be the backbone of this squad, largely underperformed. All predictions had Vafessa Fofana leading this team, but that he didn’t materialize. At the end of the day, he has another opportunity to shine against a wounded French team.
It’s clear that Ivory Coast, alongside Egypt, is among the lesser-qualified teams in the FIBA World Cup. And that’s no secret. Securing a single win in the group stage is, in nominal terms, a goal achieved for them. They missed the opportunity for a second win against Lebanon, and it’s not realistic to expect a win against France. Currently, they are in a position where they have nothing to lose. We believe they will defend their honor and give their utmost, even though their potential ceiling is arguably too low to challenge France.
France Team News
France suffered a shock by failing to advance to the second round of the FIBA World Cup after the initial phase. Although their group consisted of opponents like Canada, Latvia, and Lebanon, it was clear that one quality team would have to bow out. However, no one envisioned France in that role. They lost to Canada by a 30-point margin, and against Latvia, they dropped a game they had led for over 39 minutes. They also struggled significantly against Lebanon. Even against Iran, they only managed to score nine points in the first quarter, although they eventually secured a resounding win.
There’s a prevailing sense that France lacked a genuine leader on the court during this FIBA World Cup. In such a scenario, Evan Fournier should have assumed that role. However, when he doesn’t have a good shooting night, which occurred multiple times in this tournament, he tends to be counter-productive on the floor. Nando De Colo evidently isn’t the player he once was. As a result, certain individuals stepped out of their roles, striving to make an impression on coach Vincent Collet. Such efforts would be commendable if France was competing for a medal, but their journey towards the podium ended after just three matches.
The goal was not achieved. France was one of the main favorites for this FIBA World Cup. As such, it’s unacceptable to find any justification for such a turn of events. Besides the power they showcased against Iran in three quarters, they are expected to vent their frustration against Ivory Coast, aiming to bring home a win as some sort of consolation for their final appearance in this championship. In any case, their intent will be to quickly forget the events of this particular global tournament.
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Ivory Coast vs France H2H
Ivory Coast and France have faced off twice in their history. On both occasions, the French national team emerged wins.
Absences and Injuries
Ivory Coast arrived at the tournament without the assistance of EuroLeague players. Alex Poythress is injured, and Matt Costello decided to skip national team duties. As for France, Victor Wembanyama opted out of the team’s obligations, and due to an injury, Frank Ntilikina is unavailable. Rudy Gobert and Moustapha Fall played against Iran even though they missed the match against Lebanon due to injuries. Mathias Lessort hasn’t played in the last two matches, and it’s expected he won’t feature against Ivory Coast either.
Ivory Coast vs France Prediction
It’s no secret that France is a huge favorite and that every player, even those coming off the bench, will do everything in their power to secure a convincing win over Ivory Coast. The fact remains that the African team won’t secure a spot in the Olympic Games through this FIBA World Cup. Given all this, we believe that France will secure a victory with a margin greater than the offered 17.5 points.
Tip-off Time: Saturday, 02.09.2023, 11:45 CET
Prediction: France -17.5
Odds: 1.75
Sportsbook: 22Bet
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