EuroBasket 2022 Betting Preview: Spain, France Battle in Finals

Posted on: September 17, 2022, 01:27h. 

Last updated on: September 19, 2022, 02:56h.

Pauly McGuire Read More

Expertise: Sports Betting, Sports.

The championship game is set with France and Spain meeting in the EuroBasket 2022 finals on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany. France enters the EuroBasket finals as a -3.5 point favorite over Spain, or -145 odds on the moneyline to win their first title since 2013.

France throttled Poland on Friday in a 41-point blowout, 95-54, to lock up a spot in the EuroBasket championship game.

Spain secured a spot in the championship game with a 96-91 victory over Germany. Spain seeks their fourth EuroBasket title since 2009. They lost just one game this year, with a loss to Belgium in the group stage.

Defending champion Slovenia, led by NBA superstar Luka Doncic, got knocked out in the quarterfinals. Poland upset Slovenia as a double-digit underdog, and their swarming defense held Doncic to just 14 points in the loss.

Rudy Gobert Leads France to 2 Overtime Thrillers

France had a slow start in EuroBasket, with just a 3-2 record in the group stage, despite a stacked team with NBA players like Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves), Evan Fournier (New York Knicks), Theo Maledon (Oklahoma City Thunder), and Frank Ntilikina (Dallas Mavericks).

Italy almost picked off France in the quarterfinals, but France needed another overtime session to survive and advance. Italy ran out of gas in overtime and lost 93-85. Gobert posted another double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds.

France scored 58% from 3-point range during their 41-point shellacking against Poland in the semifinals.

Moustapha Fall led France with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Guerschon Yabusele added 22 points and knocked down four treys.

“The goal has always been a gold medal,” said Gobert. “One more game to go.”

France opened the tournament as one of the second cofavorites at +450 odds behind Serbia and Slovenia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHeXB6QRTgw

Spain: Hernangomez Brothers Shine, Lorenzo Brown Controversy

Spain cruised in the group stage with a 4-1 record, thanks to steady shooting from Willy Hernangomez from the New Orleans Pelicans and Juancho Hernangomez from the Toronto Raptors.

In the first round of the knockout stage, Lithuania tested Spain. But the Hernangomez brothers combined for 34 points in the victory. The Hernangomez brothers were unstoppable against Finland, scoring 42 of Spain’s 100 points in the quarterfinal win.

Spain rallied back to beat Germany in the semifinals, thanks to a 12-0 spurt in the second half. The Hernangomez brothers combined for just 30 points. But Lorenzo Brown lifted Spain to victory with a game-high 27 points.

The American-born Brown is a source of controversy. Brown played his collegiate ball at North Carolina State before getting drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2013 NBA Draft. He bounced around the NBA before heading overseas to play in China and Turkey. He played with Maccabi in Tel Aviv, Israel, before he linked up with the Spanish national team. When point guard Ricky Rubio blew out his ACL, Spain granted him citizenship so he could fill in for Rubio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_1ieYkZbrE

Third-Place Game: Germany vs. Poland

Germany and Poland square off in the third-place game before the championship finale.

Poland played the role of Cinderella in the EuroBasket knockout stage and secured a spot in the semifinals before they were obliterated by France.

Heading into EuroBasket 2022, Poland was +5000 odds to win the title and not even listed in the top 12 favorites. Poland is a +11.5 underdog against Germany, and you back them on the moneyline at +600 odds.

Poland went 3-2 in the group stage but got hot in the knockout stage despite not having a single NBA player on their EuroBasket roster. They upended Ukraine in the first round before upsetting Slovenia in the quarterfinals. Mateusz Ponitka dropped a triple-double with 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists in the stunning win.

Germany led all teams in scoring before Spain knocked them out in the semifinals. Germany has several NBA players in their starting lineup, including Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Dennis Schroder (Los Angeles Lakers), and Daniel Theis (Indiana Pacers).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PCFS-7FRUc