The 2019 FIBA World Cup Gold Medal match is on this Sunday night from 10pm AEST. Unfortunately, Australia couldn’t quite get there after losing to Spain on Friday night, which means the Spaniards will be taking on Argentina in the final.
We’ve previewed all the major games at the World Cup and will give our take on the Gold Medal fixture below. Good luck to everyone following us on Sunday night!
FIBA World Cup Final Betting Tips
Argentina vs Spain (Sunday, 10pm AEST)
While Spain are ranked #2 in the world and were predicted to go well at this tournament, Argentina making it all the way to the final is quite the surprise. They’ll start the final as the underdog with Spain opening the betting at around a $1.55 favourite.
Argentina
What a run it’s been for Argentina. They were given no chance of making it this far pre-tournament but have played out of their skin and now have a shot to win gold. Veteran big-man Luis Scola has been sensational for the Argentines and had another huge performance in the semi-finals with 28 points and 13 rebounds. Argentina are looking to win their second World Cup gold and first since 1950. Their current crop of players may not be the best they’ve produced, but their teamwork and intensity are showing signs of their famous 2004 team that won gold at the Olympics in Greece.
Spain
There were about 50 stages during the semi-final where it looked like the Aussies were about to win their way through to the final, but in the end, it wasn’t to be. Spain ended up getting the chocolates in double overtime, thanks to a monster night from NBA big-man Marc Gasol who had 33 points, six rebounds, and four assists. What’s most impressive about his stat line is that he only had four points at half time. Aside from Gasol, Spain got a great contribution from Ricky Rubio who finished with 19 points and 12 assists.
Prediction
It’s a fairly tough one to predict due to both teams being in fantastic form. Neither Argentina nor Spain have lost a match at the World Cup, so both nations will be full of confidence. However, we still have to give the nod to Spain, simply because they have better star power capable of standing up in the big moments. Expect Marc Gasol to prove to be the difference in a narrow win for Spain.
