Will the defending champions be eliminated in the group stage?
The defending champions’ elimination is up for debate in the Spain vs. Greece tip. The four-time European champions suffered their second defeat of the tournament on the fourth match day against Italy (63:67). However, the Iberians still have their fate in their own hands.
To advance to the knockout stage, head coach Sergio Scariolo’s team needs a win in the Spain vs. Greece prediction. Otherwise, the number five in the FIBA rankings will need help. If they lose and Bosnia beats Georgia, Spain’s exit from the group will be sealed.
However, it is still unclear in which formation the Greeks will play their last match. The betting odds for Spain vs. Greece show the group leaders as favorites. However, it is questionable whether top star Giannis Antetokounmpo will be able to play.
The 30-year-old has already missed two games in this tournament. According to consistent media reports, at least the last absence was related to knee problems. Without their leader and best player, the Greeks lost narrowly to Bosnia (77:80).
The Greek Freak is not expected to be 100 percent in the final group game against Spain – he may be rested for the knockout stages due to his knee pain. The men from the Balkan Peninsula would certainly sorely miss his average of 29.0 points per game.
In addition, the defending champions’ continued participation in the tournament is at stake, which is why we expect the Iberians to play extremely intense defense.
Spain – Greece Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
The golden generation of the four-time European champions is a thing of the past. Santi Aldama is the only active NBA pro in the squad. Alongside him, Juancho and Willy Hernangomez both have experience in the world’s best basketball league. The Gasol brothers, Ricky Rubio, Rudy Fernandez, and Sergio Rodriguez are no longer there.
Nevertheless, there is still talent in Scariolo’s squad and their record against Greece is outstanding, with ten wins from eleven matches. In addition, Spain has only allowed the Greek team to score more than 80 points in one of the eleven matches played (in 2022, when they lost 70-86).
Spain – Greece Tip
Spain has won the title in four of the last six EuroBasket tournaments and has always taken home at least one medal since 2007. The Iberians are generally careful with the ball and have only allowed themselves 44 turnovers so far (2nd). Scariolo’s team therefore rarely concedes easy points after turnovers.
Added to this are the question marks surrounding the opposing team’s top star. Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece’s squad is not considered particularly strong. Even with the Greek Freak, the Southeast Europeans have only made it to the quarterfinals in each of their last three appearances.
The Greek team is heavily dependent on the skills of its best player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, both in offense and defense. This makes it all the more important for them to have a fit Antetokounmpo in the knockout games, so we expect the leading player to have a limited role at most.
This increases Spain’s chances of winning and advancing to the round of 16. On defense, we expect the Iberians to be highly focused, as they will not want to embarrass themselves by throwing in the towel in the group stage as defending champions.
