Will Wagner, Schröder, and Co. get off to a successful start in the tournament?
For the German national basketball team, the mission “EM Gold 2025” begins on Wednesday afternoon. The goal cannot be anything else, as the DBB giants sensationally won the world championship title in Japan around two years ago and also finished third at the last European Championship in 2022. The group stage, which will take place in Tampere, Finland, will kick off with a match against underdogs Montenegro. On paper, the tip between Montenegro and Germany should be a mere formality for Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner and Co.
This is also supported by the fact that the world champions finished their preparations on a high note. While it initially seemed as if the team needed some time to get used to the new playing philosophy of former pro Alex Mumbru after the change of coach from Gordon Herbert, their performances improved from one test match to the next.
The crowning glory was two strong victories against Spain. The DBB team outclassed the 2022 European champions 95-78 in the dress rehearsal, thereby increasing the anticipation for the upcoming tournament, which will be held simultaneously in four countries. The top four nations in each of the four groups of six will qualify for the round of 16. Even before the opening game between Montenegro and Germany, it is safe to predict that the Germans have clear ambitions to advance to the knockout stage in first place.
Their opponents from Montenegro have qualified for the European Championship finals for the third time in a row. However, they have never finished higher than 13th in the last two editions. The big hope is, of course, NBA veteran Nikola Vucevic, who is expected to get a lot of balls under the baskets and can shoot from all positions anyway. The “Falcons’” preparations have been rather mixed. They have two wins and three losses in five friendly games. An eleven-point difference in the defeat against Turkey was the best they could manage.
Nevertheless, I recommend betting on the handicap (-13.5) in favor of the DBB selection between Montenegro and Germany. On the one hand, because the world champions once again have far more quality and flow than Montenegro’s test match opponents. On the other hand, the German superstars around Franz Wagner and Dennis Schröder have been instilled with a real fast-paced style by their new coach. More attacks mean more points, which makes higher handicaps possible. Interwetten is offering odds of 1.80 for the handicap mentioned above.
Montenegro – Germany Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
Montenegro and Germany faced each other twice in the qualifiers for this tournament. The DBB team won 85-61 in one game and 95-76 in the other. Both victories were very confident and high-scoring. And that’s despite the fact that NBA players are traditionally unavailable for qualifying games. The 2023 world champions were therefore lacking even more quality than their opening opponents.
This leads me to another argument that supports my assumption that Germany will once again achieve a convincing victory. The difference in class should already be noticeable in the first quarter, which is why you can happily take the handicap (-1.5) in the Bet-at-Home app at odds of 1.50 and use it for potential combination bets, for example.
Montenegro – Germany Tip
The national basketball team won the hearts of the German people in 2023. With inimitable performances in the semi-final against the USA and in the final against Serbia, the DBB men sensationally secured the world championship title. In a similar constellation, but with a different coach, they are set to have a say in the European Championship title race again in 2025. The chances are good, especially as recent test matches have impressively underlined how strong the Germans are. The team seems well-rehearsed, understands each other blindly, has outstanding team chemistry, and can also score with the necessary individual quality!
The first task against Montenegro, who lost by a total of 40 (!) points in two qualifying games against Mumbru’s team, will not be particularly tricky. It will be important to take Nikola Vucevic out of the game to some extent, but otherwise the world champions are mercilessly superior in every respect. For me, the handicap line (-13.5) between Montenegro and Germany at betting odds of 1.80 in the Interwetten app is a good compromise to start this tournament.
