Belgium opens its 2025 EuroBasket campaign on Thursday against France, the 2024 Paris Olympics silver medalist. The Belgians, led by coach Dario Gjergja, look to shrug off an uneven preparation when they face the heavily favored French.Meanwhile, the Frederic Fauthoux-coached French team showed its readiness by finishing the 2025 EuroBasket preparation with a 5-0 record. Behind Washington Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly, the French showed their grit, winning games against Spain and Greece ahead of the tournament.Belgium vs France Preview, Lineups and PredictionThe Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland, will host the showdown, which starts at 5 PM local time and 11 AM ET. Courtside 1891 will also stream the game live via a paid subscription.Moneyline: BEL (+1300) vs. FRA (-5000)Spread: BEL (+18.5) vs FRA (-18.5)Total: BEL o157.5 (-106) vs. FRA u157.5 (-120)Editor’s Note: The odds could change closer to the game.Belgium vs France PreviewThe Belgians have been present at EuroBasket since 2011 and under coach Dario Gjergja have built a team that can compete against the big guns. They defeated heavyweights Spain and Slovakia during the qualifiers. Ismael Bako, in the absence of OKC Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, is a player to watch due to his international experience.France, on the other hand, will be without most of the players that featured at the Olympics on home soil. Without Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier, young stars Coulibaly, Alexandre Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher, combined with the experienced Guerschon Yabusele, will hope to lead France to their first EuroBasket title since 2013.Belgium vs France lineupsBELManu LecomteJean-Marc MwemaHans VanwijnLoic SchwartzKevin TumbaIsmael BakuAndy Van VlietSiebe LedegenNiels Van Den EyndeJoppe MennesGodwin TshimangaMamadou GuisseFRAIsaia CordinierBilal CoulibalySylvain FranciscoJaylen HoardMouhammadou JaitehTimothe Luwawu-CabarrotTheo MaledonElie OkoboZaccharie RisacherAlexandre SarrNadir HifiGuerschon YabuseleBelgium vs France PredictionUnless they get complacent and play way below expectations, the French should open the 2025 EuroBasket with a big win over the Belgian Lions. The Washington Wizards duo of Coulibaly and Sarr combined with 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, will lead a young French lineup.For the Belgians, they would have to do better than they did in their preparation games if they’re to cause an upset.