Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the EuroBasket match.
Italy
Italy arrive in decent form: three wins in their last four games, and seven victories across the last ten. The Italians are known for reliable defence and an ability to impose a comfortable tempo, although conversion on offence can be an issue at times. Discipline, cohesion, and tactical flexibility make the squad unpredictable and capable of adapting successfully to the opposition.
Cyprus
Cyprus sit bottom of the group. They have lost all of their previous 10 games, including four at EuroBasket. Their main issues are poor offensive conversion and frequent lapses in defence. On average, the Cypriots allow significantly more than they score and can look vulnerable against any opponent. Even so, Cyprus fight for every stretch and often keeps the margin tighter than projected. On home court, and with a possible element of underestimation from the favourites, they may look better than the raw numbers suggest.
Italy vs Cyprus Prediction
The favourite is obvious, but a blowout should not be expected. Italy are likely to focus on defence and manage their minutes ahead of the play-offs, while Cyprus will play without pressure and scrap for a result. A lower-scoring game with relatively even stretches is a plausible scenario. We will target the assists market for Cyprus, as we consider the handicap to be heavily inflated — in a game like this the underdogs can make a statement. At EuroBasket, Cyprus have failed to cover this proposed number only against Spain; in the other games the bet has landed.
