Lithuania vs Latvia: Analysis and Prediction – Lithuania and Latvia will play friendly game before the start of the FIBA World Cup 2023.
Lithuania vs Latvia (1/2): 1.48 / 2.48
Asian Handicap (-4.5 / +4.5): 1.83 / 1.83
Total Over/Under (157.5): 1.83 / 1.83
Odds via Bet365 Sportsbook
Lithuania Team News
Lithuania has displayed a variable performance during their preparations. They started with four consecutive wins, followed by three defeats, and then won their last two matches against Finland and Puerto Rico. This positive momentum sets them in good spirits as they approach this match.
Jonas Valanciunas is the key player for this national team, but they need someone else in the frontcourt to step up. Donatas Motiejunas could potentially fill that role, but it remains to be seen if he’s on the same level. Rokas Jokubaitis and Ignas Brazdeikis are promising guards for the future of Lithuanian basketball. Whether they can lead the team to medal contention is yet to be seen.
The Lithuanian team is in good spirits as they enter the match against their neighbors. They’ve secured two consecutive wins and aim to fine-tune some aspects to be ready for the tournament. Their advantage lies in their inside play, with Valanciunas expected to dominate his opponents. However, Lithuania has struggled with consistent shooters in the last decade, affecting the national team. This could be a potential problem in this match and on the tournament, Lithuania may struggle to respond to a high number of successful shots from the opponents.
Latvia Team News
Latvia is one of the teams that has remained undefeated during the preparation period. They have played five matches so far and secured all five wins. Sweden, Georgia, the Dominican Republic, Finland, and finally Puerto Rico have all been unable to find a solution to Latvia’s gameplay.
Latvia received bad news recently. Their best player and leader, Kristaps Porzingis, will have to miss the upcoming World Cup. He’s a player who fits perfectly into the Latvian style of play. Unfortunately for them, they will have to compete in the tournament without him. Taking into account that their other star player, Davis Bertans, only recently joined the preparations, this presents a significant challenge for Latvia.
Latvia is placed in what is arguably one of the toughest groups in the upcoming FIBA World Cup, alongside France, Canada, and Lebanon. Right from the beginning of the tournament, they need to perform at their best. Fortunately for them, they start their campaign against Lebanon, giving them the opportunity to secure a win and potentially set themselves up for advancement. As part of their final preparations, the match against Lithuania will likely highlight areas they need to improve in the last few days before the tournament.
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Lithuania vs Latvia H2H
In the last twenty years, these two teams have played ten matches, mostly in friendly contexts. Lithuania has emerged wins in six of those encounters, while Latvia has won four times.
Absences and Injuries
Many players won’t be part of this Lithuanian roster. Domantas Sabonis, Rokas Giedraitis, Lukas Lekavicius, Marius Grigonis and Edgaras Ulanovas are out. For Latvia, their top star Kristaps Porzingis will unfortunately have to miss the upcoming FIBA World Cup.
Lithuania vs Latvia – Prediction
A duel between two teams that are quite familiar with each other and have no secrets. The main advantage of the Latvian team lies in their cohesion, as they have been playing with a very similar lineup even during the qualifying matches for this tournament. Despite Latvia’s string of 14 consecutive wins across various competitions, we believe that this winning streak might come to an end. Lithuania seems like a team capable of countering Latvia’s strengths with strong physical play, potentially slowing them down and preventing easy shots.
Based on this, we suggest a victory for Lithuania by a margin of at least five points.
Tip-off Time: Tuesday 22.08.2023, 13:00 CET
Prediction: Lithuania -4.5
Odds: 1.83
Sportsbook: Bet365