The 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Berlin has reached the semi final stage, with just four nations left to battle for the gold medal. After a thrilling week of group and knockout matches, the final weekend promises high-stakes action at the Uber Arena, featuring tournament favourites the United States, an unbeaten French side, a resilient Spanish squad, and the host nation, Germany.
Below, we break down both blockbuster semi-final matchups and provide our recommended betting plays. Good luck to everyone following along!
2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup: Semi Finals Preview & Betting Tips
France vs Germany
Tip-off: Sunday 13 September, 12:30am AEST
Venue: Uber Arena, Berlin
Odds: France ($1.14) | Germany ($5.50)
France enters this semi-final clash in dominant form, having progressed through the tournament completely undefeated. The French squad has been arguably the most impressive two-way unit in Berlin, comfortably dispatching Hungary (99-53), South Korea (95-69), and Nigeria (111-56) during the group stage. They carried this momentum directly into the quarter-finals, dismantling a strong Chinese team with a resounding 90-61 victory. Their relentless perimeter defence and clinical offensive execution make them heavy favourites to advance.
Germany has capitalised on their passionate home crowd at the Uber Arena to secure a historic semi-final berth. The host nation rebounded brilliantly from an opening 83-53 loss against Spain to secure group victories over Japan (74-58) and Mali (83-58). After routing South Korea 94-56 in the qualification round, they delivered their best performance of the tournament in the quarter-finals, comfortably defeating Belgium 93-74 to keep their medal hopes alive.
While Germany has incredible momentum and the deafening support of the Berlin crowd, France’s sheer consistency and superior depth present a formidable challenge. The French have been suffocating opponents early, refusing to let them settle into any offensive rhythm. Given their overwhelming margins of victory throughout the entire competition, backing France to cover the spread is the most logical play. Expect them to control the tempo from the opening tip and eventually build a comfortable double-digit margin.
France -11.5
$1.96 (2 Units)
Spain vs USA
Tip-off: Sunday 13 September, 4:00am AEST
Venue: Uber Arena, Berlin
Odds: Spain ($13.00) | USA ($1.02)
Spain has shown remarkable resilience to reach the final four following a mixed group stage campaign. After a convincing 83-53 win over Germany, they suffered a surprise 82-73 defeat to Mali before bouncing back to comprehensively defeat Japan 79-59. Spain then delivered a brilliant tactical performance in the quarter-finals, eliminating the highly-rated Australian Opals with an impressive 89-66 victory. Their half-court execution and ability to space the floor were spectacular against Australia.
The United States continue their pursuit of another international title and enter the semi-finals as the undeniable tournament favourites. They navigated their group schedule with huge wins over China (94-61) and Czechia (105-64), alongside a highly competitive 55-52 victory against Italy that severely tested their resolve. Any lingering questions about their offensive firepower were emphatically answered in the quarter-finals, where they completely overwhelmed Hungary in a 108-56 demolition.
Despite Spain’s impressive quarter-final showing, the United States presents a vastly different athletic challenge. The American roster boasts unparalleled depth, meaning they can apply relentless defensive pressure and maintain a frantic offensive pace for the full 40 minutes without dropping their level. Spain will attempt to grind the game down and limit the overall possession count, but the USA’s transition scoring is incredibly potent. The Americans should ultimately wear down the Spanish defence and clear the handicap line.
United States -20.5
$1.87 (1.5 Units)
