Germany vs Finland Basketball Preview: Prediction, odds, and more for the FIBA World Cup 2023

Germany and Finland will collide in their third game of the opening round of the FIBA World Cup, with the game taking place in Okinawa, Japan.

With this game, they will wrap up their participation in Group E, but only the Germans will move on to the second round.

Germany became one of the first five teams to qualify on Sunday, while Finland was eliminated following their stunning loss to Japan (98-88).

Game Details

Date: August 29, 2023.

Time: 16:30 pm (local time) / 3.30 a.m. ET.

Venue: Okinawa Arena, Japan.

Germany vs. Finland: Preview

Germany was one of the best teams heading into the 2023 FIBA World Cup and hit the floor running in their first two games. First, they dominated Japan (81-63) and then survived a late thriller over Australia on Sunday (82-85).

Led by Dennis Schroder, the Germans have shown their talent and strength and will look to close the opening round unbeaten. A 3-0 record heading into the second round will bring them just a step away from their minimum target, the top eight.

On the contrary, the Finns are one of the disappointments of the FIBA World Cup, and their early elimination was a surprise to many.

Even though the group of death would see one of Finland, Australia and Germany eliminated, the Finns played poor basketball on both ends. They first got dominated by the Boomers (72-98) and then saw the Japanese erase a double-digit lead and claim a 98-88 win.

Despite the presence of star forward Lauri Markkanen, Finland performed way below its standards. They will now aim to defeat Germany and end their FIBA World Cup campaign with a win.

Germany vs. Finland: Prediction

Franz Wagner is questionable and will likely sit out a second straight game to avoid re-aggravating his injury heading into the second round. Even with the star forward of the Orlando Magic out, Germany has the depth and talent to defeat Finland and extend its winning streak to three games.

Expect Dennis Schroder to take over again, following its 30-point, 8-assist performance vs Australia on Sunday. The key is the plethora of players that can step up and support the new point guard of the Toronto Raptors.

Moritz Wagner, Maodo Lo, Daniel Theis and Johannes Voigtmann are expected to step up against Finland, so expect the Germans to win this one easily. On the contrary, it is unclear if Finland will rest Lauri Markkanen to protect him from injury, as this will be their final game in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

If the NBA's Most Improved Player of the Year is available, we should expect Finland to be a tough opponent for the Germans. If not, then a third straight loss will be the most likely scenario.

Germany vs. Finland: Odds

Spread: Germany (-9.5), Finland (+9.5)

Total: Over/Under 174.5

Where to watch

The game will be streamed on FIBA's official platform, Courtside 1891.