Canada vs France Prediction & Picks: Will SGA Give Les Bleus the Blues?

The preliminary round of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup doesn’t feature many notable matchups between contenders, but one such showdown will take place on the opening day of the tournament. In Group H action, gold medal hopefuls Canada and France will face off in Jakarta, Indonesia (9:30 am ET, ESPN+).

While France will be looking to improve upon the third-place finishes that they had at the World Cup in 2014 and 2019, Canada will be looking for a first-ever World Cup medal.

Ahead of the tournament, France (+800 at Bovada) is the second favorite for gold behind the United States (-140), while Canada (+1000) is fourth behind those two teams and Australia (+900).

This game could have major ramifications for both teams. The top two teams in each group will move on to the second round, which is also a group stage and will pair up the top two finishers in groups A & B (Group I), C & D (Group J), E & F (Group K), and G & H (Group L).

Because results of the preliminary round carry over to the second round, the winner will be in a favorable position in Group I, which is likely to feature fellow contender Spain (+1200).

Canada vs France Basketball Odds

Odds are via Bovada.

Spread

• Canada +1.5 (-105)
• France -1.5 (-115)

Over/Under

• Over 167 (-115)
• Under 167 (-105)

Moneyline

• Canada +105
• France -125

Can Canada Start with a Statement Win in Jakarta?

Over the last decade, France has been one of the leading teams in international basketball, but gold at either the Olympics or FIBA World Cup has proven to be elusive.

With the likes of Victor Wembanyama, who isn’t playing in the World Cup with his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs looming, France won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

But this tournament represents perhaps the best remaining opportunity for Gobert and fellow veterans Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum, and Nando de Colo to win gold in one of the two major international tournaments.

The United States doesn’t have some of the stars that will likely be at next year’s Olympics, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are both absent, and none of the other potential contenders are without questions.

For Canada, this represents an opportunity to break out on this stage. And even with Jamal Murray and Andrew Wiggins not playing in the tournament, they have the horses to make a run, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett.

Both teams enter the World Cup after a loss in their final tune-up game. Last Friday, Canada went down 94-88 to Karl-Anthony Towns and the Dominican Republic, while France fell 78-74 to Australia last Sunday.

Canada didn’t shoot well at all against the Dominican Republic, going 38.5% from the field, 25% from three, and 60.6% from the charity stripe.

But they were much better in impressive overtime wins over Spain and Germany, and they will need to tap into that offensive potential against France, who will present a stiff challenge defensively.

Canada vs France Basketball Prediction and Picks

Canada vs France Picks: Canada ML (+105 at Bovada) & Canada/France over 167 (-115 at Bovada)

It’s easy to gravitate towards the big names, and sheer talent can often win out.

But in addition to having some recognizable names, there’s a lot of experience up and down France’s roster. More importantly, there’s a lot of experience in playing together on this level, which Canada can’t quite match.

As is the case in international soccer–look no further than the recent Women’s World Cup, where the two finalists were the finalists at the Euros last year–experience and cohesion are highly valuable in international tournaments, where the style of play, roles, and rules are different.

But there is a lot to like about what Canada is bringing to the table, and a statement win to start the tournament will show that they do indeed have the goods to make a run at a medal.

Where to Bet on the FIBA World Cup

The Canada vs France betting odds mentioned in this article came from Bovada, but they aren’t the only sports betting site out there offering FIBA World Cup odds.

Here are some of the sportsbooks that we recommend for betting on the FIBA World Cup and other basketball competitions and leagues like the NBA and WNBA:

• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

In addition to odds for each FIBA World Cup game, you can find FIBA World Cup futures odds at reputable sportsbooks like these.