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Both Germany and Latvia are excited to be in the quarterfinals. The Germans are one of only two teams yet to suffer a defeat this World Cup. Latvia already defied the odds to be in the last 8 in their debut World Cup. What can we expect from this duel? Keep reading to find out.
- Date & Time: Wednesday, September 06, 2023, 09:45 a.m. GMT
- Venue: Mall of Asia Arena – Manila, Philippines
Germany vs Latvia basketball predictions
Contents
This clash promises to be exciting with the Germans full of confidence and looking great so far. The Latvians caused 2 major upsets already though and they are hungry for more. So, let’s take a closer look at our Germany vs Latvia basketball predictions:
Prediction 1: Daniel Theis over 1.5 assists @ 3/5 (1.60)
Our first prediction for the Germany vs Latvia match looks at Germany’s power forward Daniel Theis. He is a gifted passer for his size and the Germans use that ability of his often. Theis is averaging 2.2 assists per game so far this World Cup. He had 3 or more assists in 2 of the last 3 matches.
All that makes us believe that he will once again be a good passer in the coming match and reach at least his average.
Prediction 2: Kristers Zoriks under 9.5 points @ 3/5 (1.60)
Our next pick focuses on Latvia’s shooter Kristers Zoriks. We don’t think that Zoriks will be able to reach double digits in scoring against one of the best defensive teams in this tournament. Zoriks is averaging 10.4 points per game so far this World Cup. However, most of his scoring came in the first two matches against teams like Lebanon. Over the last 3 games he’s averaging only 9.0 points per game and just once reached double digits.
As the defenses got better Zoriks saw his efficiency from a distance fall off a cliff too. He shot close to 55% from beyond the arc in the first 2 matches but this percentage dropped to below 33.5% in his last 3 games.
All this makes us think that Zoriks will struggle to reach his points spread.
Germany vs Latvia preview – can somebody stop the German machine?
Now let’s take a closer look at the latest Germany vs Latvia team news ahead of their meeting in the second round at the FIBA World Cup:
Germany news, injuries, and starting lineups
This is a fine German basketball generation, and this team’s best result was a bronze at the Euros last year. The only World Cup medal for the Germans was also a bronze back in 2002.
In any case, this team is filled with NBA talent, with Dennis Schroeder, Franz Wagner, Moe Wagner, and Daniel Theis all playing in the USA.
The Germans have been imposing in every match they played during this World Cup and they are yet to lose. The only close encounter for them so far was vs Australia when they won 85-82. In their other matches, they won by double digits
The Germans come into the quarterfinals 4th in field goal percentage (52.4%), and number 3 in steals per game (9.6) and they score on average 93.4 per match as a result of all that. All their numbers are great and having six different players that score 9.3 or more points per game shows the strength in depth for the Germans.
Germany injury report:
- Clean bill of health.
Germany starting lineup:
D. Schroder, F. Wagner, M. Wagner, J. Voigtmann, D. Theis
Latvia news, injuries, and starting lineups
Losing their star player Kristas Porzingis due to injury only days before the start of the tournament seriously dented Latvia’s chances. Still, even without him, Latvia have gifted scorers in their roster but the big question is can they defend?
The answer in their second match was a sounding yes with the Latvians causing a big upset with their 88-86 win vs France that saw the bronze medalists from the last World Cup sent packing home early.
Latvia lost 75-101 vs Canada in their third match of the group and on that occasion, their shooting from distance let them down.
The Latvians are also not rebounding well. They have the fewest rebounds per game (30.4) of any team that reached the quarterfinals.
This didn’t stop the Latvians from causing another major upset though. They beat defending world champions Spain 74-69 in a game that showcased how hard a team can defend and how useful having sharpshooters from a distance can be in the modern game. Then another convincing win vs Brazil meant that on their World Cup debut, Latvia have reached the last 8. On their way to do that, they knocked out last World Cup’s bronze medalists France and defending champions Spain. So, can somebody actually intimidate the loud Latvians and dominate them?
Latvia injury report:
- Kristas Porzingis (PF) – set to miss the entire tournament
Latvia starting lineup:
R. Kurucs, D. Bertans, A. Zagars. R. Smits & A. Grazulis
Germany vs Latvia head-to-head matchups
The Germans hold a slender 3-2 lead in this rivalry. However, the last meeting was over 10 years ago with Germany winning back in 2011 during EuroBasket.
Where to watch Germany vs Latvia on TV/live stream
UK residents can watch all FIBA World Cup matches on FIBA’s streaming service Courtside 1891. On the other hand, you can watch this tournament on ESPN2 and ESPN+ in the United States.
Meanwhile, German fans can watch the game on MagentaTV or stream it on Magenta Sport service, while Latvian residents can see their team on LTV1 and Go3 Sport.
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