France -1.5 over Canada
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- France has a decided edge in experience in FIBA basketball in this matchup, even if Canada has bigger NBA stars.
- France has the size needed to win the glass battle in this game, even with Zach Edey on Team Canada.
- The lack of Jamal Murray on the Canadian team will really hurt their chances in this game and of winning the tournament.
The FIBA World Cup will feature a banger of a matchup on the first day of competition, as France and Canada will square off in Group H play. These two teams share the best odds to win the tournament behind the United States, and a win here would set the winner up nicely going forward. Here, we make our FIBA World Cup betting picks for France vs Canada from Jakarta.
France vs Canada Betting Pick
France -1.5 over Canada
Why Bet on France:
✅ Canada has the advantage in terms of NBA stardom in this matchup, but France has more international experience with their group, including a trip to the gold medal game at the last Olympiad.
✅ Canada is without Jamal Murray for this game, which will mean more pressure on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett, which will cause them problems.
✅ France has the kind of size needed to control the glass in this game, even with Zach Edey on the Canadian roster.
This game will be played at Indonesia Arena at 9:30 AM ET on Friday, August 25, 2023.
France
Outside of the United States, few countries have had the level of international basketball success that France has had over the last decade. They have made the semifinals of the last two FIBA World Cups, winning bronze in both of those tournaments, as well as the Olympic silver medal in 2021. Here, the French look to start their campaign in the 2023 World Cup with a win.
In this game, the question for France will be whether their guards can produce enough to vanquish Canada. Evan Fournier and Nando de Colo have not exactly lit it up in the NBA the way Canada’s guards have. But Fournier has solidified himself as a great international scorer, and could lead France to another win on the world stage here.
Canada
Canada had odds around +400 to win the FIBA World Cup a couple of weeks ago. But the loss of Jamal Murray from their roster has sent them back to similar odds to those of France at around +900. Now, Canada’s remaining roster will look to prove that they can get the job done without Murray in their World Cup opener.
This is a very exciting group for Canada, but you can’t help but feel like it could be better if they brought their best players. Not having Andrew Wiggins and Murray could really hinder this team that has not finished in the top-10 at a World Cup since they finished seventh in 1994, a tournament that was held in their home and native land of Canada.
