UK: 18+ USA: 21+ | Begambleaware.org | T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly
Josh Giddey made history on his World Cup debut and yet the Boomers have been knocked out of the race for the medals after suffering their second defeat on Friday. Georgia too lost all hope to reach the quarter-finals on Friday. Now the battle will be for the minor classification. This is our preview of the game, along with some of our favourite betting tips for this duel.
- Date & Time: Sunday, September 03, 2023, 08:30 a.m. GMT
- Venue: Okinawa Arena – Okinawa, Japan
Australia vs Georgia basketball predictions
Contents
While the two teams have lost their chances to progress they still have places 9 to 16 to determine and there is pride at stake too. So, let’s take a closer look at our latest Australia vs Georgia basketball predictions:
Prediction 1: Goga Bitadze over 7.5 rebounds @ 3/5 (1.60)
Our first prediction backs Orlando Magic’s centre Goga Bitadze to grab at least 8 rebounds in the coming match. Bitadze averaged 8.5 rebounds per game so far this World Cup. Now against the small Australians, he should be dominating on the glass and we can see him going for a double-double.
Bitadze already achieved 2 such double-doubles in the 4 matches so far. He seems poised for a hat-trick now.
Prediction 2: Dante Exum over 9.5 points @ 17/20 (1.85)
Our next Australia vs Georgia prediction looks at the other end of the court and more specifically Australia’s shooting guard Dante Exum. The Dallas Mavericks player comes off the bench but it was hinted that for the remaining matches, he could get a start or two, with his minutes also set to increase now Australia are no longer in the running for the quarterfinals.
Exum played just 16 minutes in the first 2 matches but against Slovenia, he played 22 and this seems to be the new usage for him. He scored 13 points in those 22 minutes and has averaged 9.3 per game so far this World Cup.
With his extended minutes and more shooting opportunities from now on we can see Exum going for double digits in points again vs Georgia.
Australia vs Georgia preview – Can the Boomers save some grace?
Now let’s take a closer look at the latest Australia vs Georgia team news ahead of their meeting:
Australia news, injuries, and starting lineups
Losing their centre Jock Landale to an ankle injury just before the tournament was always going to be an issue. The Boomers lost against the taller Germans in the group stage and left themselves exposed because of that.
Unfortunately, at the start of the second phase, another taller European side hurt them. Australia lost 80-91 vs Slovenia, again being dominated inside the paint, and with this, the dreams of a medal ended. With 2 wins and 2 defeats, the Boomers will be contending for the 9 to 16 classification.
For now, at least, it seems there will be no rotation and at least against Georgia the coach has confirmed he will be using his main starters.
Australia injury report:
- Jock Landale (C) – ruled out of the tournament
Australia starting lineup:
D. Reath, N. Kay, M. Thybulle, J. Giddey & P. Mills
Georgia news, injuries, and starting lineups
As you can imagine, Georgia was never a powerhouse in basketball, but this team has been a part of Euro Championships on a regular basis for a while and now they are playing in their first World Cup ever and doing well.
Helped by a couple of NBA players, Goga Bitadze and the new San Antonio Spur Sandro Mamukelashvili and the team’s best player Tornike Shengelia the Georgians mixed 2 wins with 2 defeats so far. Georgia enters the second stage with five points, after beating Venezuela and Cape Verde and losing to Slovenia. However, in a must-win game against the mighty Germans, a 73-100 defeat was suffered on Friday. Georgia’s main strength so far has been inside the paint and they were simply outplayed by Germany there.
Georgia can still secure a top 10 finish in their first-ever World Cup and the motivation remains high. Georgia would also feel confident as right before the Tokyo Olympics they beat Australia 87-75 in a friendly.
Georgia injury report:
- N/A
Georgia starting lineup:
G. Bitadze, T. McFadden, D. Sanadze, T. Shengelia, G. Shermadini
Where to watch Australia vs Georgia on TV/live stream
If you live in the UK, you can watch all FIBA World Cup matches via FIBA’s streaming service Courtside 1891. Meanwhile, in the USA, the World Cup will be shown on ESPN2 and ESPN+. Australian fans can watch their team also on ESPN from all across Oz.
Subscribe to Punditfeed on Google News for all the latest updates from the world of sports!
