Sweden vs Croatia: Analysis and Prediction – This will be the first round Olympics pre-qualification game between Sweden vs Croatia.
Sweden vs Croatia Odds
Sweden vs Croatia (1/2): 15.00 / 1.02
Asian Handicap (+18.5 / -18.5): 1.83 / 1.83
Total Over/Under (155.5): 1.83 / 1.83
Odds via Bet365 Sportsbook
Sweden Team News
Sweden has played three friendly matches as part of their preparations and unfortunately suffered defeats in all three. They were defeated by Ukraine, Latvia, and Germany. In the opening match of this tournament, they faced the Netherlands and managed to secure a win by 91:89, after overtime.
The Swedish national team’s cohesion may be their only advantage against Croatia. They consistently use the almost same lineup, giving them a solid understanding of each player’s abilities and styles. They hope to compensate for the quality gap with their cohesiveness.
Sweden has only won one of their head-to-head matchups with Croatia, and in this particular match, we believe their chances are very limited. Croatia wasn’t playing with their strongest roster during the past encounters, and Sweden’s team is currently even weaker than it was back then.
Croatia Team News
In the previous period, Croatia didn’t engage in friendly matches, instead, they participated in the first round of qualifiers for the European Championship. Competing against Luxembourg and the Republic of Ireland, they achieved wins in all four matches. In the opening round of the tournament, they faced Belgium and secure easy win.
When the Croatian national team plays with its full roster, it appears to be of high quality. However, matches involving the best Croatian national team are quite rare and typically occur only during major tournaments. One significant challenge for the Croatian basketball team is the lack of quality role players. Their top players are either in the NBA or, like Mario Hezonja, playing in the EuroLeague. Beyond that tier, there’s a noticeable decline in the quality of players.
In this tournament, Croatia is playing with a strong lineup, featuring a couple of NBA players like Dario Saric and Ivica Zubac, along with several players from the EuroLeague like Hezonja and Jaleen Smith. This core should prove sufficient to overcome a team like Sweden, which don’t have individual quality like those players.
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Sweden vs Croatia H2H
These two teams have played a total of four matches, all within the last three years. Croatia has been more successful, securing three wins.
Absences and Injuries
Sweden is missing Ludvig Hakanson and Simon Birgander, while Croatia is without Bojan Bogdanovic, Karlo Matkovic, and Danko Brankovic.
Sweden vs Croatia Prediction
The Croatian national team, with its current roster, is evidently of higher quality compared to Sweden, and their easy victory should not be in doubt. The top players of the Swedish national team were playing in the second division of Spain last year, which provides clear insight into the difference in quality between these two teams.
Tip-off Time: Monday, 13.08.2023, 19:00 CET
Prediction: Croatia -18.5
Odds: 1.83
Sportsbook: Bet365