Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the EuroBasket match.
In the final game of today’s schedule, Serbia face the Czech Republic. The nominal hosts remain locked in a battle with Turkey for top spot in Group A, so there is no margin for error, and the game will be played in Riga, where the stands will try to unsettle the team that beat their side.
Serbia
In their most recent outing, Serbia defeated Latvia (84:80). In that game, Nikola Jokic led the way with a dominant performance: 39 points and 10 rebounds. While the centre is in this kind of form, he is capable of winning games on his own, just as he does for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA.
Czech Republic
At the start of the tournament, the Czech Republic faced weaker opposition yet still failed to win. The squad suffered heavy defeats to Estonia (75:89), and to Portugal (50:62). Even that level of opposition caused real problems for their offence, so it is difficult to imagine how they will cope with Serbia.
Serbia vs Czech Republic Prediction
The extremely short price on a Serbia win reflects the pre-match picture. Nikola Jokic and his team-mates should outclass their opponents, and a margin of more than thirty points is entirely plausible. Therefore we are confidently backing the handicap on the nominal hosts.
