USA vs Montenegro: Analysis and Prediction – In the opening match of the newly formed group J, USA and Montenegro will face each other.
USA vs Montenegro Odds
USA vs Montenegro (1/2): 1.01 / 15.00
Asian Handicap (-25.5 / +25.5): 1.87 / 1.91
Total Over/Under (181.5): 1.88 / 1.88
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
USA Team News
The team led by Steve Kerr from the bench is undoubtedly making strides towards its goal of winning the FIBA World Cup. They have secured three wins in the first three rounds and don’t plan to stop there. New Zealand, Greece, and Lebanon couldn’t even pose a threat to the Americans.
The first impression after the opening phase of this FIBA World Cup suggest that the United States team is exceptionally well-balanced. All elements of the game are well-executed. Of course, a significant emphasis is placed on transition play whenever the opportunity arises. Every player has been given the opportunity to showcase their skills in the previous three matches. Only Walker Kessler gets slightly fewer minutes
Montenegro is not an opponent that can challenge the USA and potentially push them into a close finish. For a team to achieve that, they would need to play excellent defense and have scoring options, neither of which Montenegro possesses. We anticipate another routine match for the USA and a win that won’t be in question.
Montenegro Team News
After achieving routine wins in the first two rounds, the Montenegro national team faltered in the match against Lithuania, suffering a convincing defeat by 71:91.
The team’s greatest strength is evident, dominating the play in the paint, as proven in this FIBA World Cup. It’s also clear that achieving favorable results can be difficult when you have individuals who struggle as shooters. Lithuania consistently left Dino Radoncic and Andrija Slavkovic open for shots while doubling Nikola Vucevic and Marko Simonovic. What’s concerning is that the Montenegrin players didn’t attempt to narrow the gap against Lithuania, potentially jeopardizing their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals in a group that includes Greece and Lithuania. To secure advancement, they’ll need two wins in their upcoming matches.
We don’t expect the USA players to double-team Vucevic, but this will undoubtedly be his toughest challenge. His next direct opponent is officially the best defender in the league from the previous season, Jaren Jackson Jr. We’ll see how the other Montenegrin players cope with the aggressiveness of the Americans, most of them haven’t had the opportunity to face that level of aggression displayed by players coming from the NBA.
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USA vs Montenegro H2H
These two selections have not played any matches against each other so far.
Absences and Injuries
The USA team will play with the lineup that was determined a few months ago. Montenegro is competing with their strongest roster in this championship.
USA vs Montenegro Prediction
As we’ve already mentioned, anything other than a convincing victory for the USA would be a major surprise. There’s no need to discuss the difference in quality, and the difference on the bench is also enormous. USA has three coaches on the bench who have won seven NBA championships. In the match against Lithuania, we saw how much Montenegro struggles when facing a quality opponent. The lack of quality shooting is a limiting factor. In the matchup against the US team, Vucevic and the rest will also be physically inferior.
Due to all of these factors, we suggest a convincing victory for the USA, by no less than 25 points.
Tip-off Time: Friday, 01.09.2023, 10:40 CET
Prediction: USA -24.5
Odds: 1.76
Sportsbook: 22Bet
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